Cancellation & Delays - Your Rights

[pollensa]

I'm posting this after our flight got cancelled due to the snow last Monday. What is interesting is that even if the cause is out of the airline's control e.g. bad weather, you are still entitled to transfer or refund & airport assistance. This wasn't made clear at the time.


If your flight is cancelled you are entitled (under Regulation (EC) 261/2004) to the following;

1. Refund or re-routing

1. If you decide not to travel you are entitled to a refund, within seven days, of the parts of the tickets not used. If it is a connecting flight and you have already made part of the journey and do not want to continue with it, reimbursement of the total price of the ticket (including parts of the journey not made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to your original travel plan) within seven days and a free flight back to point of departure.

You are not entitled (under Regulation (EC) 261/2004) to reimbursement of any other components of your trip such as hotel and transfer costs

or

Re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible or, if you agree, at a later date. (If the airline flies you to another airport in your destination city then they must pay for the transfer to the airport you were booked for or to another close-by point of your choice)

2. Compensation

(The airline is not obliged to pay compensation if it can prove that the cancellation was caused by "extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken". Such extraordinary circumstances might occur "in cases of political instability, meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes that affect the operation of an operating air carrier".)

Length of flight Delay to destination Compensation due
Up to 1500km Up to 2 hours €125
Up to 1500km More than 2 hours €250
1500km to 3500km Up to 3 Hours €200
1500km to 3500km More than 3 hours €400
More than 3500km Up to 4 hours €300
More than 3500km More than 4 hours €600


3. Assistance at the airport
Meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to waiting time

Two free telephone calls, emails, telexes or faxes

Overnight hotel accommodation and transfers

See The UK's Consumer Watchdog for the Aviation Industry | AUC Home

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission_Regulation_261/2004

Link to info from Ryanair http://www.ryanair.com/doc/faqs/EU261_EN.pdf

Link to info from Easyjet http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Book/regulations.html#delays

 

[El Gordo]

Compensation

Very interesting, however I think the compensation you state is when someone is denied boarding because of overbooking.

The regulations seem so complicated!! Why do we need to be a lawyer to interpret them!!

Sorry you had such a bad experience.

 

[pollensa]

Very interesting, however I think the compensation you state is when someone is denied boarding because of overbooking.

I don't think that that's the case as this regulation refers to Cancellation of a Flight not the booking - see easyJet.com - Carrier's Regulations for similar information on Easyjet's website.

I posted the information because we were given the impression by both Easyjet & Ryanair that they were doing us a favour by providing us with new flights when it was 'out of their control' when in fact they were obliged to do so and in fact should also have proveded meals, overnight accommodation etc.

We are actually entitled to more than we realise - they just don't like to publicise it!

 

[El Gordo]

Cancellation - Your Rights

Thanks Pollensa for the link to Easyjets Policy. Its much clearer on their site what you are indeed entitled to. They should get commended by the "Plain English Society"!!

I wonder if they are as forthcoming when you are delayed in letting you know your entitlement?

 

[pollensa]

I wonder if they are as forthcoming when you are delayed in letting you know your entitlement?

Of course not! If we had realised that when our flight was cancelled we would have kept & sent our receipts for the one day car hire & fuel (40 EUR) & meals that we needed before getting the next flight one day later. Luckily we had accommodation.

So it's worth having this info to hand when you go to the airport.

I've noticed that there are now some large notices throughout the airport saying 'Sus Derechas' - 'Your Rights' & I'll try & remember to have a look at these when we next go. Has anyone here ever read them?

 

[alcanadakid]

Pollensa,

These are very useful links. Being an Easyjet fan, I will now keep a copy of their T's and C's with me whenever I travel with them.

Many thanks

 

[romanb]

Easyjet are definately not forthcoming with entitlements when our flight was cancelled in August they cited the reason as being extraordinay circumstances which means you are not entitled to compensation and even with receipts it was a real battle to obtain any refund it took at least 5 letters and several telephone calls before we managed to get the transfer cost refunded (we were told that they would pay the cost before agreeing to take a flight from a different airport). The food vouchers were only issued after I went back and requested them (not offered).

 

[Deanscroft]

You might be entitled to it but getting it is something different. I have been trying to get replacement flights from Easyjet since the beginning of December after my flights from Palma to EMA were cancelled. 3 months and 30 emails later I am still waiting.
Deanscroft

 

[cherylbb]

Looks like the rules for compensation for flights delayed over 3 hours could change. An interesting article, if the European Court of Justice upholds its decision you could be entitled to claim between 250 & 600 euros. Airlines & travel firms are challenging the ruling, should know by the end of the year.

BBC News - Flight delay compensation payments move closer




.

 

[Sparky]

Very interesting Cheryl, thanks for sharing it with us .

 

[El Gordo]

Looks like the rules for compensation for flights delayed over 3 hours could change. An interesting article, if the European Court of Justice upholds its decision you could be entitled to claim between 250 & 600 euros. Airlines & travel firms are challenging the ruling, should know by the end of the year.

BBC News - Flight delay compensation payments move closer
.

This is good for those that are delayed but will be costly to all. We will have to pay for this through higher fares

 

[Sparky]

Yes Gordon i am afraid you are right, the airlines will just pass it on to the passengers as they did after the "Ash Cloud" .

 

[cherylbb]

Yes, I agree, fares will probably rise to cover costs.
The rest of europe already complies with this ruling, only the UK doesn't so it looks like it will happen eventually.

 

[joelise80]

Looks like things have changed regarding delayed flight compensation so posting this link to see if it can help anyone -http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays
I have submitted a claim to Jet2 following an 8 hour delay on our way home last year so lets see if they do the right thing...

 

[Carol]

Will be claiming for our son with EasyJet.
Yesterday checked flight was boarding in Bristol and left for the airport in Palma - son checked and found it had been cancelled! This was less than 2 hours before departure.
Son did not get text until 2 hours later saying it was a ‘technical’ issue. Problem that the next available flight back is Tuesday and we stopped the car to re book before returning to Pollensa. We return as well on Tuesday but to Heathrow and later in the day so having read EasyJet and CAA website are going to book a taxi for him and make a claim for it. We have saved easyJet money because he would have been put up in a hotel!
Anyway - life goes on at least we are not snowed in with reducing food supplies like our daughter in Somerset!

 

[Shaun&Caro]

(Not so) Easyjet

On Sunday 25th we returned to the UK from Palma. It was the scheduled 22:15pm depature. We were texted in advance by Easyjet that there would be a delay, and to turn up as usual.
The check in staff told us it was because of a fault on an earlier plane (broken overhead baggage cabin), which led to it being taken out of service. The staff at the gate told us it was a technical fault but they did not have further details.
The delay ended up being the best part of four hours
Easyjet's response to my EC261 compensation claim: bad weather out of our control, so nada. This was the first mention of bad weather after 6 hours at Palma airport.
Maybe I am being cynical but bad weather seems like an easy get out clause.....