Flight cancellations happen more often than you think, and if you’ve ever had to deal with one before, you must know how frustrating it is. The good news however is that you can be compensated for a cancelled flight. Whether it is monetary compensation or via complimentary food and drinks, vouchers, and more. In this article, we will highlight everything you need to about being compensated.
What is the Flight Compensation About?
Flight cancellation compensation is covered under the EU 261/2004 regulation, and it is an EU law designed to protect the rights of air passengers. Under this regulation, you may be entitled to a ticket refund or replacement flight. You may also get up to €600 in compensation. This law covers all kinds of flight disruptions, from delayed flights to cancelled flights, missed connecting flights, and denied bookings.
Your Rights Under the EC 261 Law
To claim compensation, you must first know and understand your rights under the EC 261 law. If your flight is cancelled, the law ensures you get monetary compensation between €250 and €600. This is calculated based on the flight distance, as expanded below:
- For short distances – up to 1500km – you are entitled to €250 Compensation
- For medium distances – Between 1500km and 3500km – you are entitled to €400 Compensation
- For long distances – More than 3500km – you are entitled to €600 Compensation
You can also request a ticket refund or flight replacement at no cost to you. In the case of a connecting flight getting cancelled, you can request to be flown back to your original destination. This law is only covered if you were informed of the cancellation less than 14 days before the date of departure.
Other eligibility criteria you must meet include:
- Your flight is departing from an EU member state.
- Your flight is landing in an EU member state, and the airline is headquartered in the EU.
- The airline is fully responsible for the cancellation.
- This is about a flight operated within the last six years.
Your Next Steps
Once you have established that you are eligible for compensation, you can take active steps to get the cancelled flight compensation.
The first step will be to approach the airline and request the reason for the cancellation. Common reasons include bad weather, pilot unfit to fly, staff strikes, and security or mechanical issues, among others. However, should the reason be within the airline’s control, you may proceed to fill out the compensation form.
Gather all relevant documents, including your valid booking ticket, receipts, vouchers, and more. You can also seek help from attorneys or an established firm to help you through the process.
Bottom Line
Getting your flight cancelled is not a pretty experience, which is why you must work towards getting compensated properly. Get familiar with your rights as an air passenger and how the EC 261 regulation covers you. Beyond flight cancellations, this law also covers you if you are faced with any form of flight disruption within the airline’s control.