Flight Delay: Passengers' Rights to Compensation

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

For a long time, air travel has become part of everyday life. Traveling by air is more convenient, takes less time, and of course, takes less effort. In the shortest possible time, you can be anywhere in the world. No other mode of transport is able to offer such a speed. And if you plan your trip correctly, having previously found out all the nuances, then the cost of a plane ticket can be very pleasant.

Every day more and more people give their preference to air transport. And this is not surprising, because the positive aspects of this method of movement are visible to the naked eye. The number of airline customers is growing rapidly every day. During all this time, a certain part of the people were able to experience such a problem as a flight delay. She is no longer surprised. An airplane is a complex mechanism, and in order to lift this machine into the air, it is necessary to agree on a number of facts. Any mistake or even the smallest malfunction leads to a flight delay problem. The most common reasons for flight delays will be described below. There are quite a lot of similar situations, so they can beclassify into separate groups.

Meteorological situation

There can be quite a few reasons like that. The weather is a very unpredictable thing, and even weather forecasters cannot always provide an accurate forecast. Due to such reasons, the flight may be delayed, or the vessel may have to be treated with special means before departure. The use of such funds is also time consuming.

Very often a situation arises that one airline delays a flight until the weather stabilizes, while the other calmly continues to transport passengers. Some do not understand the reasons for such behavior, others are trying to find what is the personal benefit for the company. In fact, the explanation is more than simple, each company has its own air machines, which differ in model and configuration. Each aircraft has its own temperature threshold and operating conditions. Therefore, all recommendations are clearly implemented, and the company is trying to take care of its passengers as much as possible.

Identified airliner malfunctions

Airplane is a rather complex mechanism, in which even the smallest details are of great importance. Before takeoff, the ship is checked in all respects. Identification of minor breakdowns is eliminated on the spot, it is natural that these types of work also require time. If the failure is more serious, the aircraft is taken off the flight and a replacement is sought. Such situations are rare and are included in the list of emergencies. But all the same, passengers will be delivered todesired destination.

Most airlines really don't like this kind of situation. After all, such delays always leave their mark on the reputation. In most cases, the delay is due to minor repairs. Having learned about the malfunctions of the aircraft, any passenger can panic, so the administration prefers to name other reasons why the flight is delayed.

Late airliner arrival

This is the most common reason for airport authorities. After all, it sounds harmless and does not cause much suspicion among passengers. Therefore, very often at airports you can hear just such a rationale for flight delays. But what is alarming is that in certain cases such a reason is not true.

Ground Services Disruption

Flight delay may occur between arrival and departure. It is in connection with this that various kinds of problems can arise. The reasons for this delay are incalculable. In most cases, the human factor plays a role. This may be the delay of service personnel, prolonged cleaning in the aircraft cabin, or long unloading of the baggage compartment.

In such situations, the flight delay does not last too long, the maximum it can take is about 30 minutes. Usually such a time does not cause much panic among passengers. Everything happens without nerves, and the reasons are quite reasonable. In the event of more serious situations, when the flight departure is delayed due to a disruption in the workground services for more than two hours, then each passenger has the right to claim a refund of part of the ticket price.

Rights of passengers

If the flight is delayed, but the passengers did not hear the announcement justifying the delay, then the first thing to do is contact the employee at the check-in desk. In most cases, the passenger does not receive a clear answer to the question posed. Most often, you can hear some common reasons that should not cause unnecessary excitement on the part of people. And this is logical, because any company values its reputation.

Citizens' actions

No matter how the situation develops, a conscientious passenger must make a special note on the flight delay on his ticket. It is this mark that will give reason to demand a discount or even refund the money for the ticket. It is this right that is guaranteed to every passenger in the event of a long flight delay.

There are special rights for air passengers in case of a flight delay from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The airport administration is obliged to provide free luggage storage, as well as to provide free stay for women with children in a specially equipped room.

Rights in case of a flight delay from 2 to 4 hours guarantee the possibility for passengers to make two calls to anywhere in the world. These calls must be paid by the airline. Free cold or hot drinks are also guaranteed.

Flight delay from 4 to 6 hours includes free food distribution at 6-8 hour intervalshours.

If the flight is delayed for more than 6 hours, the airline must provide passengers with a place to sleep. Naturally, this cannot be a waiting room. The company is obliged to pay the hotel and all transportation costs.

Compensation

Be that as it may, in any case, the delay in departure is the fault of the transport company, even if the weather conditions became the reason. Each passenger can refund a part of the ticket price. The maximum part of compensation is 50%. But at the same time, the administration is obliged to pay all the cash costs of the passenger while waiting for the flight. It can be anything - paying for tickets for other modes of transport, paying for visits to various entertainment venues, paying a bill in a restaurant or cafe. The only caveat is that the passenger must provide all checks, otherwise the refund will not be made.

Special occasions

If the passengers went on vacation, and the ticket is included in the total cost of the tour, then you can make a claim for payment for missed vacation days. If the application is not submitted within 20 days, it will not be considered in the future. Sometimes a flight involves a transfer, which is performed by one airline. Naturally, the passenger will not be in time for the proposed second plane. Therefore, upon arrival, the administration must take care and place the passenger in another aircraft absolutely free of charge. Moreover, if a person was flying in economy class, and there are only seats in business class, then he is obligedput in a high-level department. If the situation happened exactly the opposite, then the company is obliged to pay the difference.

How should compensation be sought?

In this situation, you need to take care of the availability of evidence of a flight delay. The airport administration must request a certificate of aircraft delay. This paper must be stamped, justified reasons. A person while waiting for his flight can use any services. The main thing is to keep receipts, which will clearly show the time. You can go to a restaurant, rent a hotel room, and so on.

Such situations are resolved very quickly, because no carrier needs to create scandals. A bad reputation will affect future work, so it is desirable that the passenger be satisfied.

There are also companies that may refuse to refund money. In such a situation, you can safely sue, attaching all the necessary documents to the case. Seeking the return of money through the courts is a laborious process, but in most cases the truth is always on the side of the victim.

In order not to get into an awkward situation, you should always have extra money with you. Indeed, in such unforeseen situations, they may be very much needed.

Actions in case of violation of passenger rights

This situation is very unpleasant, but leaving everything as it is is not an option. It is necessary to achieve justice and return the money spent. First you need to collect all the necessary package of documents, namely:

• Directly air ticket. It must contain the necessary marks about the flight delay.
• All checks and receipts for expenses that were needed due to the flight delay.
• A clearly written letter that lists all claims and demands.

All collected documents must be enclosed in an envelope and sent to the main office of the company.

If within 30 days the passenger has not received a response from the airline, then you can safely file an application with the court. And after some time, justice will be restored. The rules and regulations described in the article apply to all types of flights. Even if a charter flight is delayed, the rights of passengers remain the same. The carrier bears the same responsibility. The consumer should receive quality service in any case.