Traveling by plane is the population’s favorite option to travel from one place to another. It saves a lot of time, and you can cover a distance that normally takes days to complete in just a few hours. That being said, while airlines remain one of the most reliable forms of travel, an average of 1.9 percent of flights are canceled yearly.
However, you may not know that cancellation in certain circumstances can make you eligible for compensation. You just need to be aware of your air passengers rights so that you may file when it’s due. This article teaches you how to get passenger compensation when an airline cancels your flight.
01Are Your Rights Protected?
As consumers of a service, passengers have a right to a certain degree of quality, not to mention delivery for what they pay. To enforce that, passengers are protected under the European Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, also referred to as EC261. If the cancellation caused a flight disruption, then you are entitled to compensation, usually as follows:
| Flight Type | Distance (km) | Compensation (EUR) |
| Short Distance (Domestic) | 1500 or less | 250 |
| Medium Distance | 1500-3500 | 400 |
| Long Distance | 3500 or more | 600 |
Unless extraordinary circumstances have occurred, most cancelled flights make you eligible for compensation. These exceptional events include political instability, severe weather, or unforeseen technical issues. Remember that not every circumstance is “extreme,” even if the airline may try to pass it off as such. This is why you should get a specialized company such as StopDelay to help you obtain passenger compensation for cancelled flights.
02What Makes You Eligible?
For you to be eligible for airline compensation, certain circumstances have to be met. These include the following:
- The flight should be on an EU airline and/or leave to and from an EU airport, offering EC261 coverage.
- The cancellation was short notice, less than 2 weeks before your planned departure.
- The cancellation was not caused by extraordinary circumstances and was fully under the airline’s control.
- The airline did not offer alternative arrangements, causing you to arrive more than 3 hours late to your destination.
Provided these circumstances are met, you can file for compensation and receive an amount based on the distance and delay. Bear in mind that airlines will try to find wiggle room in these claims, so you should do this through an experienced company that knows all of their loopholes.
03Steps to File for Airline Passenger Compensation
Having your air passengers rights respected can be easy as long as you file in due time. Here is what you should do:
Find Out How Much You Are Eligible For
Different circumstances might make you eligible for specific amounts of money, and you should know how much you are entitled to. You can use a flight compensation calculator for that, and you should be able to get an average number.
Offer the Proof
Next, you should offer proof that you were supposed to be on that flight, as well as of the cancellation. This includes pictures of the board, discussions with the airline, boarding passes, and other things to strengthen your claim.
Ask for Your On-Location Rights
Aside from the airline compensation, you should be entitled to things such as meals, drinks, or accommodation if the cancellation caused a longer delay. This payment differs from the compensation, as you did not willingly give up your seat.
Wait for the Results
Make sure to stay in touch in case they request other documents.
04The Bottom Line
Getting passenger compensation for cancelled flights is often fairly straightforward. You just have to check your eligibility criteria and offer proof of the delay. To reduce the hassle and streamline the process, make sure you use StopDelay’s services!
