Your Rights
What are your rights?
The European Union has introduced a regulation to protect you as a consumer. Your passenger rights are laid down in the European Regulation (EC) 261/2004.
Because it is an European Act, it is important that your flight departed within the European Union territory, or your flight was outside of the EU, but was operated by an airline with headquarters in an EU-member state. In general, it is crucial that you arrive at your final destination with more than 3 hours of delay before you are entitled to a financial compensation. The legislation governs different situations:
- Your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours
- Your flight has been cancelled
- You have been refused to fly
- You missed your connecting flight
If you arrive at your final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours, you are likely to be entitled to compensation! If you miss your connection by a delay on your previous flight, the airline should also provide new flights. Learn more
Depending on the time of cancellation, you are likely to be entitled to compensation when your replacement flight arrives at your final destination more than 3 hours later. For short flights of up to 1,500km, 2 hours delay is enough to have a right for compensation, unless:
- The cancellation is announced at least 2 weeks before the scheduled departure time, or
- The cancellation is announced 14 - 7 days before the scheduled departure time, and a replacement flight is offered to the destination which leaves no earlier than 2 hours before the scheduled departure time and arrives at the final destination less than 4 hours later, or
- The cancellation is announced less than 7 days before the scheduled departure and a replacement flight is offered to the destination departing less than 1 hour before the scheduled time of departure and arrival at the final destination is less than 2 hours later than the scheduled arrival time
The airline must provide replacement flights at all times. Learn more
If your plane is overbooked and your entry to the plane is denied, chances are high for you to be entitled to a compensation if you arrive at your final destination 3 hours later than scheduled. Learn more.
If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, you are probably missing your connecting flight. If you are being offered a replacement flight and arrive at your final destination 3 hours later than the scheduled time of arrival, you are likely to receive a compensation.
Compensation
If any of the above situations apply to you, you are likely to be entitled to a financial reimbursement to compensate for the loss. These are fixed amounts, based on the flight distance and are completely independent of the ticket price.
For flights within the European Union:
- €250.00 compensation for flights up to 1,500km
- €400.00 compensation for flights of 1,500 - 3,500km
For flights outside the European Union:
- €250.00 compensation for flights up to 1,500km
- €400.00 compensation for flights of 1,500 - 3,500km
- €600.00 compensation for flights of more than 3,500km
According to the Sturgeon judgment, for flights of more than 3,500km with a delay of 3 to 4 hours, you are entitled to a compensation of €300.00.
Care
In order to make the waiting more bearable, there are also rules for care included in the Regulation. These must be fulfilled by the airlines at all times, unless it would cause an additional delay. The extent of meals and drinks depends on the flight distance and the situation that applies to you.
Situation |
Duration |
Flight distance |
|
more than 2 hours |
up to 1,500km |
Delay |
more than 3 hours |
1,500 - 3,500km |
more than 4 hours |
more than 3,500km |
If your flight has been cancelled or you are denied boarding, the airline should provide you with the same care as well.
What can you expect?
- Meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to waiting time
- 2 phone calls, fax, telex or e-mails
- If the delay lasts until the following day: Hotel accomodaction, transport to and from the airport
In most cases, the airline will take care of these costs by means of vouchers, hotel reservations and bus services. If you incur these costs yourself, keep your bills and receipts. You can also declare these incurred expenses.
New flights
Delayed flights are inconvenient for flight passengers. You lose vacation time, you miss an important meeting or it doesn't even make sense to proceed the trip anymore at all because of delays. To have a right to compensation, it is important that the cause of the flight issue is the airline's fault and is not rooted in extraordinary circumstances. For example, if you are late for your flight or weather conditions don't allow for a save flight, there are no rights to compensation.
However, the airline should provide you with:
- Another flight to your final destination under similar circumstances as soon as possible
- Another flight to your final destination under similar circumstances on a date of your choice, provided there is a seat available
- A return flight to the first departure point on the next occasion if it does not make sense to continue the journey anymore
- The opportunity to refrain from your trip, and to refund your flight tickets that have not been used for the further journey within 7 days
Upgrading and downgrading
If you are offered a seat in a higher class on your replacement flight, no additional payment shall be requested. If you are placed in a lower class, a refund has to be issued within 7 days in the form of a percentage of your ticket price. These are 30%, 50% and 70% for short, medium and long flights, respectively.
In any case, the delay, cancellation or denied boarding of a flight has to be the fault of the airline. If the flight can't be operated appropriately, e.g. due to bad weather conditions and/or strikes, the airline may rely on extraordinary circumstances. In these cases, claims can be rejected. However, only the right to a financial compensation will expire. You are entitled to care (meals, refreshments, accomodation etc.) at any time as in the overview above.
Check your flight
If your flight has been delayed, cancelled or overbooked, please enter your flight details and check if you are entitled to compensation!