Published on : 07 July 20203 min reading time
Travelling by plane can provide you with great experiences, but sometimes you are faced with unexpected dilemmas. In the event of a flight or luggage problem, do you know that you are protected by air passenger rights?
Delay, cancellation, denied boarding or lost luggage are really stressful situations. Every traveller knows it, and we are the first to know it! That’s why airline companies are committed to helping air passengers know their rights. This way, if you encounter a problem during the trip, you will not feel helpless.
Here’s why it’s interesting to know your travel rights
A flight disruption can provide you with compensation. There are 8 million people in the world who are unaware that they may be entitled to compensation for flight disruption under European Regulation EC 261.
Don’t miss it. Even if your disrupted flight occurred several years ago, it is often still possible to file a claim. If you have experienced a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight in the last 3 years, there is a good chance that you can receive compensation of up to €600 in compensation for the damage suffered.
There are 3 key steps to getting compensation. If you answer yes to these questions, there is a good chance that you will be eligible for compensation:
– Has your aircraft departed the EU (or landed in an EU country, with the flight also operated by a European airline)?
– Were you more than 3 hours late at your destination?
– Was the airline responsible for the delay?
(Of course, most of the time, the law is much more detailed – so the best way to know if your flight is eligible for compensation is to use our eligibility checker.)
This does not only apply to Europeans. Anyone flying from Europe, or on a flight operated by a European airline to Europe, is eligible.
You also have rights when travelling outside the EU. Take the United States, for example. Although the laws governing flights operated by US airlines are not as comprehensive as European regulations, travellers whose boarding is denied or who experience baggage problems could receive significant compensation.
Vouchers issued by airlines are not your only option. In the event of overbooking, if you accept a voucher from the airline, you could lose all rights to a much higher compensation.
In fact, compensation that could reach $1,350 more… When a flight is overbooked, don’t devote yourself to leaving your place. If you are denied boarding in the United States, you may receive between $250 and $1,350 in compensation. In Europe, you can get up to 600€.
All hope is not lost… even when your luggage is! Under the Montreal Convention, you can claim financial compensation if the baggage you checked in is lost, delayed or damaged. Remember to obtain a Property Irregularity Report form before leaving the airport.