Compensation for flight cancellation is the right that a person has to receive an amount of money for failure to carry out a contracted flight.
This compensation is due to the non-performance of a flight. The consumer buys an air ticket with the legitimate hope that the service will be fulfilled according to the conditions of the offer.
In the event that the flight service is not fulfilled as contracted by the client, for reasons attributable to the airline, the user will be entitled to compensation. This amount can be made in cash, transfer, check or even a travel voucher. The travel voucher can only be a form of compensation if the traveler accepts it.
Client Rights
The rights that the client has when he suffers a flight delay are the following:
- Information: while the delay lasts, travelers must be continuously informed.
- Attention: Depending on how long the flight delay is, the traveler should be served in these ways:
- Food and drink.
- Accommodation.
- Transportation between accommodation and airport.
- Phone call.
- Refund/Compensation: this right is compensation itself. Travelers have the right to be offered these options by the company:
- Reimbursement of the cost of the ticket. You must do it no later than 7 days after not having performed the flight service.
- If it was also a connecting flight, you will be entitled to a return flight to the point of departure.
- Alternative transport to the final destination as quickly as possible and under comparable transport conditions.
- Alternative transportation at a later date that suits the passenger.
- In the event that the traveler does not accept any of these options, they can buy a ticket on their own and demand compensation corresponding to the cost of this new ticket from the airline.
- In addition, the traveler is entitled to financial compensation depending on the distance traveled by the canceled flight. Varies between €250 and €600
These rights are established in a regulation that works only for flights departing from the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Also those leaving a third country to the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, as long as the airline is from the European Union.
When is the passenger not entitled to compensation for flight cancellation?
The airlines will only respond in the event of issues attributable to them. In case of extraordinary causes, the right to compensation will not arise. The regulation that regulates these situations stipulates the following extraordinary causes:
- Political instability in the country of origin/destination.
- Weather conditions incompatible with the performance of the flight.
- Security risks.
- Unexpected deficiencies in flight safety.
- Strikes that affect the operations of an air carrier in charge of carrying out a flight.
Nor will the traveler be entitled to compensation for flight cancellation in the following cases:
- The airline has informed you of the cancellation 14 days before the flight.
- The airline has informed you of the cancellation between two weeks and 7 days before the flight and has offered you an alternative transport that departs a maximum of two hours before and arrives at the final destination less than four hours later than the original flight.
- Nor will the traveler have the right to compensation if the airline reports the cancellation less than 7 days in advance, but has offered an alternative transport that leaves a maximum of one hour in advance and arrives at the final destination with a maximum of two hours delay. compared to the original flight.
