Hello everyone,

On a trip from Freetown in Sierra Leone to Berlin my first flight got canceled due to operational reasons. Luckily, I was able to book myself into the next possible flight, which is 24 hours later.

What are my odds that the airline will pay my compensation? I sent a feedback form referring to SHY articles 6 and 10, detailing the sections, paragraphs, distance, and payable amount. But I am afraid they will say: it was causes beyond our control.

If that happens, who can I appeal to? can I find proof online somewhere of the real reason why the flight got canceled? The law references a Turkish authority, but will that yield any positive result? Or is it better to file a claim with AirHelp and the like?

Also, I contacted the airline via phone, filed a feedback form, wrote an email to the office in Freetown to get a hotel in advance. No result. The departure time of the flight is in the middle of the night, the airport is two hours away from the city. Hence it would have been a very major inconvenience to go to the airport to end up at a hotel at, let’s say, 3 AM. So I booked the hotel and sent them the invoice. Will they pay for it? I believe they should, because in article 2 (scope.) the event of the flight cancellation is the only one in which you should get the assistance without having to report to the check-in counter at the encounter.

Would love to hear from you all, will report the outcome.