The flight can be delayed or canceled due to various reasons, but for airline company and passenger they are mainly divided into two main groups: №1) because of the fault of the airline company, or №2) because of the reasons that carrier can’t control.
So, case №1…
When airline company is responsible for the delay or cancellation of the flight, each passenger has the right to compensation (full or partial), which depends on:
- waiting time
- flight length
- country of departure;
- proposed alternative;
- the number of days left before departure (in case of flight cancellation)
In any case, if the flight is canceled, the company must offer passenger another flight or return the money for the tickets in full measure. Some companies may also pay additional compensation, if less than 7 days remained before the departure. As for the delayed flight - the amount of compensation depends on all of the above factors.
Even if the company offers to return you the full cost of tickets, keep in mind that:
- if you have a flight with a transfer, you will be refunded the full cost only when both flights are bought by one ticket
- if you fly back and forth, you will be refunded the full cost only if you have both tickets printed on the same blank sheet
Case №2…
In other words, the plane did not depart because of the weather or natural disasters, personnel strikes, serious plane malfunctions and other cases, which are called force majeure, the airline company has the right not to pay any compensation. However, if the flight was delayed for at least 2 hours, you have to be offered the following:
- free drinks;
- access to the mother and child room if you are flying with a child under the age of 7 years;
- possibility to make 2 phone calls or send 2 e-mails.
If the flight is delayed for more than 4 hours, you may ask for free hot meals. And you can do so every 6 hours (8 hours at night) if the flight is delayed for a long time.
In cases when the flight will be no earlier than in 8 hours (or in 6 hours at night), the airline company must provide you with a hotel room free of charge, arrange transfer and storage of luggage. If it happens that you have to pay for it on your own, be sure to keep receipt for all the expenses - then they can be compensated.
How it works in Europe
If you are in Europe, keep in mind that you can also count on all of the above "benefits". At the same time, it is useful to know that European airlines that delay a flight for 5 hours or more can refund ticket cost and even transfer you to the airport from where you started - do not hesitate to ask for this.
If a flight from a European city is canceled 7 to 13 days before departure, in addition to refunding of a ticket cost or offering an alternative flight, you may also be provided with additional compensation for the losses incurred.
If the "problem" flight happened in Europe, and the airline company for some reasons does not want compensate for losses incurred, and you are sure of your rightness, but are afraid to start a judicial proceedings - try to use such a service like euclaim.co.uk. Such companies have a great experience in recovery of losses and have staff of good lawyers. The only thing, in case of luck, you will have to share and pay for the service 25% of the received amount of money plus about 30-40 euros.
