You are so excited about your holiday. You reach the airport two hours before your departure time. You wait for eternity only to find that your flight is now delayed by six hours! Not just that, since you had to catch a connecting flight, you must also miss that. You have no option but to sit, wait more, and daydream about whether you can catch your connecting flight!
A terrible situation, isn't it?
If this is your story and you are finding a way to solve the mess, this blog is just what you need. Your travel diaries should go beyond these hassles and stress. Remember that for every airline that gives you trauma by delaying your flight, you will get a European flight delay compensation, and you can file anytime - up to three years after the incident.
This blog will cover how to get compensation for your delayed flight. You will get a snapshot of delayed flight compensation, what makes you eligible for flight delay compensation, your passenger rights, and more.
Time to dive in.
- You are entitled to compensation for all your delayed flights.
- You must prove that your flight was delayed for over three hours.
- Apart from airlines' provisions, you are also eligible for compensation under EU261 Regulation.
- However, the cause of flight delay cannot be exceptional circumstances.
- You get a complete three years to file your flight delay compensation, but sooner is better.
- The distance of travel and hours of delay will decide your compensation amount.
Flight delay compensation basically refers to the refund you get for every flight that gets delayed beyond certain hours. The amount of compensation is determined by numerous factors.
What is the duration of your delay?
What was the distance of your flight?
What was the reason for the delay?
All these will decide whether or not you will get compensation for a delayed flight and how much. Therefore, the best way is to get complete clarity of all the options available and get a comprehensive view of the understanding of the claim you are about to make.
When calculating flight delay compensations, you need to consider a lot of factors. Some airlines may offer vouchers for meals as compensation. They can also provide accommodation if you miss a connecting flight because your previous flight was delayed. But, some airlines, even in dire situations, may refuse to provide anything at all!
Considering drivers like delayed length, departure and halt times, destination, and whether or not you have insurance coverage – through a credit card or some policy, authorities or EC261 can decide to give you monetary compensation. However, your plans may have cappings, so read and review all the terms and conditions, implied or otherwise, before you spend anything.
EU laws introduced numerous rules and regulations to protect you when you face delays, cancellations, or any other hurdles arising when traveling in the European zone. EC261 regulation ensures that every airline provides the minimum coverage as compensation for every disruption you have because of them.
But these rules cover only the EU zone; you may find some restrictions if your carrier takes off from a non-EU zone. For instance, if your flight’s original take-off was in Beijing, but you are boarding it to travel to Paris or Vienna, EC261 won’t be able to help you unless it is an EU carrier. It only applies to 27 EU member nations and their territories, including Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.
EU air passengers will help in the following scenarios:
But there’s a condition. If you have received any compensation, be it an airline company or any other entity from a non-EU zone, you won’t get any compensation or coverage under EC261. Flights that depart the EU and arrive in the US are also covered under EC261 protection. These include all the connecting flights, even with non-EU carriers. That said, you must book those flights through an EU airline, which must fall in the same itinerary.
If the departure for your flight falls on the next calendar day, you will usually get hotel accommodation and transport to and from hotels and airports. And that is free of cost. If the airline refuses to do so, you can always claim reimbursements for your delayed flight.
You can always file compensation for your delayed flight, provided that the delay didn’t happen because of exceptional circumstances, adverse weather, security concerns, political instability, strikes, etc. And that your flight delay must be more than or at least three hours.
The EC261 rules state that delay compensation is calculated based on the distance a carrier flies. All flights that get delayed for over three or more hours and fall under EU compensation norms make you eligible for compensation. Here’s how it looks:
- €250 for short-distance flights (up to 1500 km)
- €400 for medium-distance flight delay (1500 - 3500 km)
- €600 for long-distance flight delay (over 3500 km)
If you find your flight delayed by more than five hours, you can choose not to board your flight. But the airlines will be bound to pay you the price of the ticket. Alternatively, you can ask the airline to provide you with the quickest substitute transportation. The airlines may also help you travel back to your original departure place in case you miss an important event, say a business meeting, because of a missed connecting flight.
If you find your flight departing the next day, you can ask for one night’s accommodation and return conveyance from the airport. Usually, airlines organize the overnight stay in hotels, provide transport back to the airport, and notify you of the planned arrangements. Before making arrangements for yourself, always confirm with the airlines. Also, ensure that you get a confirmation on paper and record every communication if the airline offers reimbursement for accommodation you find for yourself.
If you are a business traveler and your flight gets delayed, it will be you who will get compensation. It won’t be your employer. Similarly, if you travel as a state official, the regulation says you will be the one to file a claim.
Confirm that you are eligible for a flight delay compensation because it can get more stressful and complicated than you think. You may have to get access to flight databases, compare your situation with similar use cases, and check if your case falls under the purview of the EC261 rules. And then, if you don't have any knowledge of the legal provisions or the tech used, the process can be highly stressful.
However, the easy option is to apply for your compensation with a professional service that is good at handling flight delay refunds. Just enter your flight details in their compensation calculators. Find out the amount you are entitled to and leave the rest to them. Their team of experts will then analyze claims for any airline, leverage their access to numerous meteorological data, and verify whether or not your case is valid per the EC261 rules in just a blink of an eye.
Next, if you qualify for the claim conditions for your delayed flight, you can immediately ask the refund agency to begin asserting your compensation. The vast network they hold, and their international experience allow them to negotiate a strong footing with the flight authorities. They will take it to court if required to ace all legal proceedings and win the case for you.
Many airlines ignore your inconvenience and don’t care to notify you of the changes in events for your flight. It’s a typical attitude for airlines to ignore their customers totally. To quench a speckle of the hassles you face because of the delayed flights, they will come with vouchers, so you don’t claim the amount that you are ideally entitled to get.
They may also make you sign a declaration in which they waive all the other rights that help you obtain the refund. They take you for granted, thinking you won’t understand your rights or will trap you in the maze of paperwork, regulatory loopholes, court procedures, and much more. Finally, when you feel done with the additional stress, you are on the brink of giving up, and airlines hail the insensitive services for their customers.
We believe your travel journey is much more than these flight delay compensation nightmares. Click2Refund brings you the best-in-class compensation support. We will carefully assess your reasons, prove your eligibility, compute the compensation you deserve, and build the most robust case against the airlines. Everything is as seamless as a breeze.
The cherry on top? We specialize in handling flight delays, and when we deal with cases like compensation for flight delays, we know precisely how to break through the labyrinth and extract the most out of refund claims. Our expertise also helps you understand all the legal rights you possess.
At Click2Refund, we have simplified the process to make claiming your compensation easy and efficient.
Make Your Claim:
Give you all the important info about your flight, and our user-friendly interface takes just 2 minutes.
Leave it all to Us:
Our team will fight for your compensation, and our expert lawyers will handle all legal procedures.
Get Your Money Back in No Time:
We will ensure a swift resolution and transfer your compensation to you as quickly as possible.
Airline companies often reject valid claims, but our expertise and persistence ensure a success rate of over 98%. We assess your case for free, leveraging our European legal network for a robust success record.
Submit your details online and let us handle the rest.
We operate on a no-win, no-fee basis, ensuring a risk-free experience for you. We handle all legal procedures on your behalf without upfront payment.
Is it too much to calculate your flight delay compensation? Use our Claim Calculator to find delayed flight compensation in just 2 minutes! And absolutely without any obligation!
Want to learn more about our flight delay compensation services? Reach out to us today!