Whenever one sets off on a business trip or travels as a tourist, one hopes that everything will just go smoothly. And yet, no one is immune from flight disruptions—for example, when your flight is delayed or cancelled altogether. Other flight-related issues include overbooking and damaged, stolen or lost luggage.
Fortunately, according to the Flight Compensation Regulation (EC No 261/2004) passengers are entitled to reimbursement of up to €600 in the event of flight cancellations, long delays, or denied boarding—provided they occurred due to the airline’s fault.
Today, we’ll share with you some tips on how to claim flight delay compensation as well as get reimbursed for damaged or lost luggage.
Flight delays and cancellations
Statistics show that almost every third passenger in Europe experienced a flight disruption, so the chances are pretty high that sooner or later this might happen to you (or happened already.) This is why it’s crucial to be well-prepared and know your rights as a passenger.
So what are the first things to do if your flight was delayed or cancelled?
- First off, it’s worth approaching an airline representative and learning what options are available to the passengers of the disrupted flight, such as free food and drinks (or vouchers to buy them,) free phone calls, alternative flights or accommodation if the flight is delayed overnight.
- Study the flight cancellation or flight delay compensation rules to find out if you’re eligible for the payouts from the airline. In order to get compensation, your claim must qualify a number of requirements specific to a particular airline.
- Make use of flight claim compensation services that can spare you lots of time and nerves as they handle all the communication with airlines, regulatory bodies and other third parties.
Issues with lost or stolen luggage
Each year, almost 28 million bags are delayed, damaged or lost by airlines. As in the case with delayed and cancelled flights, you might be entitled to compensation under the Montreal Convention on air carrier liability.
Specifically, you may get up to €1,500-1,600 in reimbursement. The airline calculates the actual sum based on the purchase prices of the items that were stored in your suitcase or bag. That’s why it’s crucial to provide the airline with as many details on the luggage contents as possible.
Please note that compensation payout is only possible if the luggage was lost, delayed or damaged due to the airline’s fault. For example, if it turns out that the suitcase was damaged because of some inherent defect, you will not be eligible to get any compensation.
Additionally, knowing the best time to book flights can help you avoid peak travel times when the risk of delays and lost luggage is higher. Planning your travel wisely can mitigate the chances of encountering these issues.
Flights inside and outside the EU
When claiming flight delay compensation, it’s also important to know what rules apply depending on the flight destination. For example, under EC 261/2004, passengers qualify for compensation if the disrupted flight meets one of these requirements:
- The flight was within the EU and was operated by any airline (European or non-European);
- The flight departed from the EU and was operated by any airline;
- The flight arrived in the EU and was operated by an EU airline.
The same regulation applies to a few non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, as well as some territories like the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, etc.
Depending on the distance of your flight, the compensation sum might vary from €250 to €600. For the flights that took place entirely within the EU, the maximum amount of compensation can only reach €400. To estimate the total amount, you might use a flight delay compensation calculator.
Credit cards with insurance or compensation benefits
If you’re an active traveller, it might be a sound idea to get a travel credit card that covers possible expenses caused by flight disruptions. For example, there are cards with travel insurance that might enable you to get compensation for a disrupted flight even if it wasn’t due to the airline’s fault but because of bad weather or an airport strike. Another common feature is delayed or lost luggage insurance so that you can get reimbursed without having to negotiate with the airline.
There are plenty of travel card offers on the market, some of which are associated with a specific airline or a hotel chain and provide benefits to its customers, while others are more generic.
A common prerequisite to qualify for a disruption reimbursement is that you must use the travel card to pay for the ticket. There are also other requirements that might vary among different card issuers.
Final thoughts
Although flight disruptions can obviously be a frustrating experience, the good news is that you might be entitled to flight cancellation or flight delay compensation, as well as get reimbursed for your lost or damaged luggage.
Still, it might require lots of effort and time to finally get the desired payouts from the airline, so you will need a solid knowledge of passenger rights and air legislation along with persistence and patience. Delegating these tasks to a flight claim compensation service might be a sound idea if you’re not willing to handle it all by yourself.