Securing Compensation from an EU Based Airline

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Securing Compensation from an EU Based Airline main

Now and then an airline’s incompetence will let you down. When this happens, you may well be entitled to compensation. Under EU 261 regulations you may be protected under European law should your flight be delayed, cancelled or you are denied booking through no fault of your own. With this in mind, let’s take a look at whether you can claim compensation under this regulation.

Making Sense of Compensation

As you can imagine, to make sense of EU regulations in relation to airline compensation you have to be familiar with legalese. Not too many of us are. Thankfully, you can use a company like Flightright that can pursue compensation on your behalf. What these websites do is basically providing you with a search bar that navigates all the data of the last delayed flights and then lets you know the exact amount of money you´re entitled of as a passenger of that flight. After inserting your flight´s airports of departure and destination, follow the links that come as a result to receive your compensation while waiting for your next flight or notifying your boss that you´re not going to make it in time to that important meeting out of town. Looking into these sites can speed up the claim, and you can gain an understanding of how to fill out the form and have your questions answered by professionals. It is a good idea to use companies of this kind as the whole thing can be a bit of a headache otherwise.

EU 261 at a Glance

So in brief, here is a quick look at the regulations. From here, you can decide if you can pursue a claim against the airline. You can make a claim up to six years after your flight. You are entitled to claim if:

  • The flight departed or arrived in an EU country.
  • The airline is EU based.
  • You checked in on time.
  • The airline is the responsible party.
  • Your booking was not subject to a special rate. For example, you get discounted flights because you work for the airline or a subsidiary company. If you booked conventionally, online or through a travel agent, you’re eligible to claim.

Securing Compensation from an EU Based Airline lounge

The regulations come into play should one of the following happen:

  • Delays – If your flight arrives at its destination three hours late or greater, you can make a claim.
  • Cancellations or flight brought forward – Should your flight be cancelled or brought forward, you may be able to claim compensation. It depends on a number of factors.

Here are the scenarios which may entitle you to claim:

  • Notified between 7-14 days of the change, and leaves more than two hours than scheduled or arrives more than four hours than scheduled.
  • Notified less than 7 days of the change and leaves more than one hour than scheduled or arrives more than two hours than scheduled.
  • Notified less than 14 days of the change and no replacement flight offered.
  • For any cancellation, you are entitled to a full refund.
  • Denied boarding – Overbooking can happen, and if you are denied booking, for this reason, you should be entitled to claim.
  • Missed connecting flights – If your departure airport is located in the EU, the connecting flights are all part of the same booking, and you reached your final destination three hours later than scheduled or greater, you can make a claim.

Making a claim for compensation from an airline is difficult. Often, airlines will use excuses to avoid paying compensation. If they cite bad weather as the problem, you should check your claim in a compensation calculator such as the one provided by Flightright. The chances are, they are just trying to avoid compensating you for the inconvenience they caused

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