As a traveller, you may experience at least once in your lifetime a flight delay or cancellation that may cause unwanted inconvenience and ruin your travel experience. While a delayed or cancelled flight for some may mean only fewer hours in another country for travel purposes, the case may not be the same for some others who may miss an important event.
For this reason, it is important that all passengers are aware of their rights in case their flight is cancelled or delayed, especially their right to compensation.
To protect all passengers’ rights, the EU has established a regulation – the EU Regulation 261/2004.
The regulation sets out the rules that the airlines must follow to make sure that the passengers receive attention and care if their flight is cancelled or delayed.
Moreover, the regulation also clearly states the compensation amount that passengers are entitled to in cases of flight cancellation or delay. Before requiring compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight, you must make sure that you are eligible for it. Not all passengers are entitled to compensation in case of flight delay, flight cancellation, or other flight-related problems.
In line with EU Regulation 261/2004, the EU air passenger rights apply to the groups of travellers below who experience flight-related problems:
- Passengers flying within the EU in a flight operated by an EU or non-EU airline.
- Passengers flying to the EU from outside the bloc in a flight operated by an EU airline.
- Passengers departing from the EU to a third country in a flight operated by an EU or non-EU airline.
You Are Entitled to Compensation of up to €600 If Your Flight Is Cancelled
Passengers whose flight is cancelled are eligible for compensation ranging between €250 and €600. The amount of compensation depends on the distance of the destination and is as follows:
- €250 for cancelled flights with a distance of 1,500 kilometres or less.
- €400 for cancelled flights of more than 1,500 kilometres within the EU and all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres.
- €600 for cancelled flights of more than 3,500 kilometres.
As per the EU rules, when a flight is cancelled, passengers have the right to choose between reimbursement, re-routing or return.
Passengers can choose only one of these options, and the airline may still need to compensate them depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight.
All passengers who are informed about a flight cancellation less than 14 days before the departure have the right to compensation.
However, you must keep in mind that if you are offered re-routing and you reach your final destination with a delay of up to four hours, your compensation may be reduced by 50 per cent.
