A Brief Guide to Claiming EU Flight Compensation

Could a delayed flight mean a payday? It’s possible that you could be compensated for delayed travel plans if they involve a European flight. The European Union (EU) offers pretty comprehensive rights for travelers. The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out if your flight will qualify you to be covered by EU traveler rights. Here’s a look at what it takes:

• Your flight is within the European Union. It doesn’t necessarily have to be operated by an EU airline!
• Your flight with an EU-operated airline arrives from outside of the EU.
• Your flight travels from an EU country to a non-EU country. It doesn’t necessarily have to be operated by an EU airline!
• You have not already received benefits or compensation for flight-related problems during the journey in question from a non-EU country.
• What will qualify you for compensation? The EU has some guidelines regarding the types of situations that can merit compensation. Here they are:
• Your flight was canceled.
• Your flight was delayed.
• You were denied boarding.
• Your flight was overbooked.
• Your flight was upgraded or downgraded.
• Your luggage was lost, damaged or delayed.

Airlines only need to provide compensation if a delay is the fault of an airline. They are actually off the hook if delays occur due to “extraordinary circumstances” that are beyond anyone’s control. One FlyerTalk member discovered that a sick pilot was an extraordinary circumstance, and the airline didn’t pay. Don’t forget that you can simply refuse to take a flight in exchange for a full refund if it is delayed by five hours or more!

How Much Compensation Can You Expect?

You may be wondering exactly how much you can expect to be compensated if an EU flight is delayed. EU law gives passengers the ability to claim up to €600 per passenger in compensation when flights are delayed by three hours, and not a minute earlier! The length of your delay is typically the biggest factor when compensation totals are tallied. Delays lasting two to three hours for longer flights will often get you around €250 to €400. Keep in mind that distance also plays a role in determining how much will be paid out to you. A flight with a two-hour delay that only covers 900 miles may not get you anything. However, you could be given €250 once you wait three hours. What about the €600 compensation rate that gets mentioned a lot? You’ll likely need to be booked on a flight that covers at least 2,000 miles to ever see that number. What’s more, your delay will definitely need to hit that three-hour mark in order to qualify for the maximum payout amount of €600.

One thing to remember when going after compensation for a delayed EU flight is that you should actually be calculating the distance covered using your point of departure and the final point on the itinerary. You should not begin calculating miles starting from the airport where you miss your connection if you’re traveling on a multi-leg itinerary. Many travelers who are forced to miss connecting flights wrongly assume that they wouldn’t qualify for much compensation because they don’t know about this rule! You also shouldn’t assume that you won’t be entitled to much if you’re traveling with a group. An airline isn’t allowed to force a group to split compensation. Each passenger is entitled to full and sole compensation!

What About the Actual Process of Filing a Claim for EU Flight Compensation?

You have a few options here. You should contact the airline you traveled with directly if you intend to file a claim on your own. What if your flight was operated by an airline other than the one you booked your ticket with when you paid? The airline that will compensate you is the one that operated your flight. What about if you booked your flight using a third-party travel company like Orbitz or Expedia? You still need to contact the airline that operated your flight directly.

Airlines sometimes have specific ways that travelers must file claims for EU compensation. Take a minute to do your research to see if you should fill out an online form, mail a letter or send an email. The airline will probably want you to simply explain what happened. There is a chance that you will be compensated promptly. However, there is also a chance that your claim could be ignored or denied. Some people might feel intimidated about pursuing legal action due to language barriers, costs and a number of other factors. The good news is that there are now many companies that exist exclusively for the purpose of helping travelers claim compensation from EU airlines based on EU passenger rights. Five minutes of research online should help you to find a company that offers this type of service. Keep in mind that these companies do charge fees for their services.

There’s one last issue to cover.

Will Great Britain Do Away With Compensation Rules Once Brexit Happens?

The good news is that the government has stated that it has no intention of changing the current compensation rules that are enforced by the EU.