Continue on chaos at European airports. Every day, there are dozens flights cancelled and even more those who suffer heavy delays. For The Sun 24 hours, between July and August about 140 flights would be at risk due to the lack of personnel afflicting the main continental airlines, first of all those based in the United Kingdom. After two and a half years of the pandemic, traffic is finally returning to pre-Covid levels, but 35% of insiders are missing. Contagions also contribute to making the situation worse, which often force staff to stay at home, exacerbating an emergency that shows no sign of abating.
Passengers are primarily at the expense of this situation, forced to suffer severe inconvenience and lose money and days of well-deserved holidays.
Canceled and delayed flights: the rules in Europe
What to do if the airline cancels your flight or if the latter is delayed by hours? In these cases, reference should be made to EU Regulation 261 of 2004 which regulates the policy on cancellations and delays. Subject to the provisions, if the trip is canceled the passenger has the right to be rescheduled on another flight or can request a ticket refund. Not only that, if the cancellation occurs less than two weeks before take-off you can also ask for compensation.
But let's see, in detail, what the law provides in case of cancellations or delays.
Delayed flights: when are you entitled to a refund?
In the event of delays, you are entitled to a refund when:
- the flight is delayed by two hours or more on routes up to 1.500 km;
- the flight is delayed by three hours or more for inter-community flights of more than 1500 km and for all other trips between 1500 and 3500 km;
- the flight is delayed by four hours or more for other airlines.
In these cases the passenger is also entitled to meals and drinks commensurate with the waiting time or hotel accommodation if necessary.
Canceled flights: refunds, compensation and rescheduling
As mentioned, according to EU Regulation 261, if a flight is cancelled, passengers can choose between a refund, an alternative flight or a return flight. You also have the right to assistance at the airport.
If the cancellation takes place less than two weeks after take-off, you are also entitled to compensation but with some exceptions. Compensation cannot be claimed, for example, if the passenger is informed of the cancellation between two weeks and seven days before departure and the company offers an alternative flight with departure no more than two hours before the departure time scheduled arrival and landing no more than four hours after the scheduled arrival time. No compensation even if the passenger is informed less than 7 days before the scheduled departure time and the company offers an alternative flight with departure no more than one hour before the known departure time and landing no more than two hours after the scheduled arrival time. The airline is not required to pay compensation even in the event of "exceptional circumstances”, such as natural disasters or strikes not directly related to the company.
Excluding these cases, in those foreseen, the amount of compensation can be equal to:
- 250 euros for journeys of up to 1500 kilometres;
- 400 euros for inter-community journeys longer than 1500 kilometers and for all other journeys between 1500 and 3000 kilometres;
- 600 euros for flights exceeding 3000 kilometres.
How to request refunds and compensation for canceled or delayed flights?
To request refunds and compensation for canceled or delayed flights, you must first keep your ticket or reservation carried out and any boarding pass. If the passenger has incurred expenses relating to meals, drinks and hotels during the waiting time, receipts and receipts must also be kept.
At that point it will be necessary to follow the procedure on the website of the various airlines. Ryanair, for example, allows you to request a refund by logging into your MyRyanair account. With Enginstead, it will be sufficient to compile a form on the site or contact the paid contact center.
