How to Claim a flight late or canceled? This is one of the questions you ask us most, especially now that the holiday season is approaching and that, with it, fears begin about possible flight delays, cancellations or the much feared overbooking.
It would be preferable for vacations to flow smoothly, but we know that cancellations and delays are the order of the day and we, the users, often for not knowing our rights, end up not claiming a canceled or delayed flight and, for Therefore, we lose the compensation to which we may be entitled after these situations that disrupt us so much.
And we tell you from experience. When we traveled to Greece, the flight had a delay of more than 3 hours and because we ignored our rights, in the end we ended up arriving later at our destination and without compensation.
How to claim a delayed or canceled flight
Flight Claims
If you are in a similar situation, the first thing you should keep in mind is that as an airline user and customer, you have your rights, no matter how much they do not want to make them clear or they tell you that you cannot claim the delay of a flight, Cancellation or overbooking. You must not forget that as established by European Regulation, any passenger who is affected by a delayed flight of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified with less than 14 days or an overbooking can receive compensation of between 250 euros and 600 euros, regardless of the value of the flight ticket.
For example, if you have purchased a low cost ticket for 30 euros and arrive more than 3 hours late at your destination, you are also entitled to compensation of between 250 and 600 euros, depending on the flight travel distance.
Yes, as you are thinking, in many of the occasions in which you have been affected, if you had claimed, they would have compensated you!
We tell you more details what you can or cannot claim, who can help you and above all, how to claim a late flight, canceled or overbooking.
What can i claim?
Prepare to be surprised by the number of situations you can and should claim:
- In order to claim this compensation, the flight must have taken off in the EU, or the airline operating the flight must have its headquarters in the EU. And yes, in most cases, this will be so, so you already have a very important part in your favor.
- You are entitled to compensation for your flight delay after 3 hours of delay.
- You have the right to compensation for cancellation when they notify you less than 14 days in advance.
- You are entitled to compensation for overbooking if you are denied entry to the plane without your agreement.
- You receive between 250 and 600 euros of compensation, depending on the distance between the origin and the destination.
- Keep in mind that after 2 hours of delay, on a flight of less than 1500 kilometers, the airline must provide you with free food and drinks. If the flight is between 1500 and 3500 kilometers, the time space is increased to 3 hours and if it is more than 3500 kilometers to 4 hours.
- If the delay is more than 5 hours, as a passenger you can choose to cancel your trip. If this is your case, the airline must reimburse you the full amount of the ticket or offer you an alternative transport.
- In addition, you must provide accommodation or cover the expenses thereof, in addition to transportation to / from the airport, if the delay is extended until the next day. If this is your case, never leave the airport without having a copy of all the documentation in case you are denied this service.
- And last but not least, remember that you can claim even for flights of the last 5 years. Make memory and if you have the documentation, do not miss it!
What can I not claim?
As we mentioned earlier, as passengers we have rights, but there are circumstances in which the airline is not responsible for the incident, so it is not required to pay any compensation time.
We detail the cases for which you will not be able to claim compensation for delay, cancellation or overbooking: When the arrival delay is less than 3 hours.
- When the airline notifies you of the cancellation of the flight more than 14 days in advance.
- If, for any reason, you did not make the billing within the term imposed by the airline.
- If more than 5 years have passed since the delay, cancellation or overbooking of the flight.
- If you booked the ticket at a special rate, not available for different reasons, for the general and usual public.
- If the delay or cancellation of the flight has been caused by “Extraordinary circumstance”, which is not the responsibility of the company.
Compensation for delay, cancellation or overbooking
What are the exceptional circumstances for which I cannot claim compensation?
Although we are emphasizing that we have to claim and that as passengers we have our rights, there are some circumstances, unrelated to the influence of the airlines, for which although there are delays or cancellations, it is not required to indemnify you.
Some examples of these "Extraordinary circumstances" would:
- Strike of air traffic controllers.
- Extreme weather conditions.
- Political instability.
- Security risks.
- Air traffic disturbance due to a natural disaster.
- Lightning strike during the previous flight.
- Turbine damage caused by collision with a bird.
- Radar fault.
Despite all the above and although it should not be so, you have to look at the details with a magnifying glass, as the airlines will normally try to make such excuses to avoid indemnifying you. This is one of the many reasons why we recommend leaving claims for delays, cancellations or overbooking in the hands of professionals, so that they can prove that the airline was solely responsible for the incident.
In this way you will ensure compensation and also avoid the complicated and exhausting efforts, leaving them in the hands of true experts.
Compensation for flight delay, cancellation or overbooking
Having already clear what you can claim and what not, now comes the most interesting: the compensation you can receive as a passenger.
- If the flight distance is up to 1500 kilometers the compensation for delay, cancellation or overbooking is 250 euros.
- If the flight distance is between 1500 and 3500 kilometers or more than 1500 kilometers for intra-community flights, the compensation for delay, cancellation or overbooking is 400 euros.
- If the flight distance is more than 3500 kilometers the compensation for flight cancellation, delay or overbooking is 600 euros.
Compensation for delay, cancellation or overbooking
How to claim a late flight, canceled or overbooking?
And now that you know your rights, you already know what you can claim and the money that corresponds to you as compensation, surely you are wondering, how to claim a late flight, canceled or overbooking ?.
For this process there are basically three options that are reduced to claiming on your own, with a lawyer or with the help of an expert.
As we said before, the safest and also easiest option is to go to experts such as Flightright, specialists in these processes, knowledgeable about all the complaint processes and the excuses that the airlines make for not indemnifying you. Think that they will fight for you against any refusal of the airline and, if necessary, take your case to court.
In addition, another important thing is that they only charge their commission if they get your compensation. If they don't get it, you don't pay anything at all. Better impossible, don't you think?
Claim personally or through lawyers
The personal route is probably the first option you think when you find your flight delayed or canceled. To think that the claim is only a matter of delivering a couple of papers is the common belief and we assure you that there is nothing further from reality, besides the expectations of success in this case are very low.
If instead you choose to claim with the help of a lawyer, you should consider their fees. If you do accounts, insurance that may end up not compensating you financially, in addition to the time you should invest in paperwork, meetings ... etc.
Manage the claim of your delayed, canceled or overbooked flight with Flightright
As we have already mentioned several times throughout the post, Flightright is without a doubt, the easiest way to claim your compensation for flight delay, cancellation or overbooking. They will handle all the paperwork as well as worry about your rights and get your compensation.
Manage the claim of your delayed, canceled or overbooked flight with Flightright
How much will it cost me to claim my compensation with Flightright?
After all that we have told you, surely you are thinking that if you leave the claim to the experts, this will not be free. Indeed it is not, but the best thing is that Flightright does not charge you anything in advance.
When they get your compensation, something that happens in 99% of the cases, they will pay you immediately, subtracting their commission, which is 27% + VAT.
And if you did not get paid, neither do they.
How do I make the claim with Flightright?
1. Enter the Flightright website.
2. Enter the number and date of your flight, and the Flightright calculator will tell you what the compensation is for you.
3. If you confirm the claim, Flightright will begin with all the steps to collect your compensation and if necessary and always under your confirmation, take your case to court.
4. If your case falls within 99% of Flightright success stories, you will receive the amount of compensation, withholding a commission of 27% + VAT. And the best thing is that in case you do not charge the compensation, you will not have to pay absolutely anything, not even for the management.
Manage your claim with Flightright here
What documentation do I need to claim compensation with the airline?
As you have seen in the previous point, the claim process with Flightright is very easy. Despite this, it is important to have some documentation to be able to provide it if necessary:
- Ask the airline to confirm and provide a document stating the reason for the delay, cancellation or overbooking.
- Important: take photos, save boarding passes, proof of expenses, invoices, tickets or any other type of documentation that is important to prove the incidence with the flight. We know that after a delay or a cancellation is what you least want, but remember that thanks to that, you can claim later.
Claim flight with delay, cancellation or overbooking
** This article is written as part of a collaboration with Flightright, but always based on our experiences, with original content and without any brand having influenced us in any case.
