There are few aspects that we care more during the year than our air travel. The economic and temporal costs of planning our vacations or our trips to relatives and friends make the transaction of acquiring a ticket a step of extreme delicacy. Therefore, when we mark the date and time of our flight on our calendar, any mishap that influences it becomes an endless ordeal. The weather conditions or an infinity of incidents in airports, airlines and airplanes can disrupt our plans at the least expected time. Now, although such a bad drink is inevitable, it is important to know that every passenger is assisted by a series of rights that should not be waived. In this sense, there is a significant degree of disinformation on the part of airlines and travel agencies, which makes it even more essential to take the initiative and act in time to claim these compensations.
The search engine of the traveler Liligo, which is responsible for offering its users information on travel offers and the possibility of exchanging information with the tourism sector, has recently developed a study that collects the most common cases in terms of passenger incidents air, as well as the corresponding compensations and services to which they are entitled before, during and after the date on which their trip is scheduled. This study, which can be accessed by clicking here, distinguishes between cases related to delays, cancellations, strikes and overbooking, but also mentions other incidents related to luggage or passengers with special needs. In this article we explain the key factors to take into account in the most common incidents:
Your rights in case of delay
What are you going to find in this article?
Delays are perhaps the most frequent incidence when traveling, and therefore are also the case whose compensations vary more depending on the magnitude of the setback. In this way, only delays exceeding five hours and in which the passenger makes the decision not to travel, are entitled to reimbursement. If the delay occurs on the outbound flight, the refund would correspond to the entire ticket, while if it is returned, it would be attached to the return itinerary. In addition, depending on the distance of the flight, the passenger may receive additional compensation that can reach the 600 euros in journeys of more than 3500 km. On the other hand, in delays of at least two hours, the airline is obliged to inform the passenger about their rights in terms of compensation and assistance. Also, if the flight suffers a delay of two or more hours and the route exceeds the 1500 km, the airline is obliged to offer food or even accommodation free of charge depending on the time that passengers must wait.
In case of cancellation
When it comes to cancellations, the key factor is to investigate the causes that have led to them. Thus, in extraordinary circumstances of a political nature or adverse weather conditions that put the safety of passengers at risk, the airline should give the option to recover the economic amount of the ticket or relocate the passenger on the next flight, also taking responsibility for the expenses of maintenance associated with said option. If, on the other hand, the circumstances leading to the cancellation are the direct responsibility of the airline, compensation will be granted provided that the incident is notified less than two weeks before the date of the flight and if the flight differs in more than two hours compared to the original schedule. Finally, if cancellation occurs due to strike reasons, airlines are obliged to assist and compensate those affected, as stipulated in Regulation (EC) 261 / 2014 on Passenger Rights.
In case of overbooking
Sometimes it happens that the airlines sell more seats than the capacity of the aircraft allows, a situation that is allowed by law. However, in such circumstance, the airline has the obligation to reach agreements with passengers to voluntarily renounce their place. If the volume of waivers required is not produced, the airline has the right to refuse boarding, but also the obligation to offer compensation to passengers who can reach the 600 euros.
Delayed or lost luggage
If the passenger does not receive your luggage until two or three days after arrival at the destination, you have the right to reimbursement of the expenses that this inconvenience entails. On the other hand, in case of loss of luggage, the right to compensation, which can reach the 1.131 euros, is present, unless prior to the invoicing a "special declaration of the value of the delivery of the luggage" was made. Also, if the luggage is damaged, the passenger who submits a claim within seven days of receiving it is entitled to compensation.
