Know your rights in case your flight is delayed or canceled. We tell you what to do to solve problems in case of unexpected incidents. Take note and fly safely!
Has your flight been affected by a strike? If you are abroad and you are looking for how to get home or you have just upset the start of your vacation and want to arrive to the airport in time, here at Melbourne Deluxe Chauffeurs you will find them.
When am I entitled to compensation?
If you have been informed at very short notice that your flight has been canceled, airlines usually compensate passengers for the inconvenience. Depending on the company you fly with, you should expect a full refund or an alternative ticket with another company that will take you to your destination.
If your flight is destined to or from any airport in the European Union and is delayed for three hours or more, you are legally entitled to receive the same compensation as if it were a canceled flight. This same rule applies if you fly with a company whose headquarters are in the European Union, such as Ryanair or British Airways.
The only circumstances in which an airline has no legal obligation to provide any type of compensation is if a flight cancellation has occurred due to reasons such as a volcanic eruption, extreme weather conditions or strikes.
Will I receive any kind of compensation if I find myself stuck at the airport waiting for a new flight?
If you have been given a ticket for another flight and the waiting time is more than two hours for a short distance or four hours for a long distance one, your airline is obliged to provide you with vouchers for food and drink that can be exchanged in the bars or restaurants of the airport. If the delay has nothing to do with your airline, there are travel insurance that can compensate you for the delay. Many travel insurances include compensation for lost, delayed or canceled flights, depending on the company with which you have contracted said insurance.
How do I claim compensation for a delayed or canceled flight?
If you find yourself in a situation right now that involves this type of lawsuit against an airline, you can find help in one of the new start-ups such as Flight Right, which can carry out these types of procedures on your behalf and without you have to worry about nothing. Alternatively, you can find models of legal action to claim delays or cancellations through AESA, the State Agency for Aviation Safety.
What to do if you miss your connecting flight due to a delay or cancellation?
Unfortunately, if you book two flights with different companies and lose the connection due to the cancellation or delay of the first, the second will not be refunded. For this reason, from Skyscanner we always advise that it is possible to book both flights with the same company, even if it is a little more expensive.
Who pays for my food and accommodation if I have to stay several days waiting for a new flight?
Food and accommodation are only paid for by the airline if you fly on EU-based airlines or if the flight departs from an airport in the European Union. Although non-EU airlines are also required to accommodate you on an alternative flight, by law they do not have to provide you with food and drink. The expenses caused by this inconvenience can be claimed from your travel insurance. Accommodation, for its part, is facilitated depending on where you are, for how long and if you do not have friends or family in the area who can take care of you.
Know your rights
- Over-sale.- (the famous overbooking). As long as you have not been informed at least 2 weeks in advance or there is a force majeure cause (natural catastrophe, security alert, etc.), the company is obliged to compensate you with between $ 250 and $ 600, plus living expenses. generated, so, save all tickets and vouchers! It is very likely that the airline will try to agree with you. Sometimes they offer an amount of money, alternative flights … you choose what suits you best.
- – If the delay lasts for more than 3 hours, you are entitled to compensation, and this goes from $ 250 for flights between 0 and 1,500 km, $ 400 between 1,500 and 3,000 km and $ 600 when the distance is greater 3,500 km. In addition, the airline is obliged to provide you with assistance, food, accommodation (depending on the delay) and alternative transport to take you to your destination.
- – If you arrive at the airport and have not been notified at least 14 days in advance that your flight does not depart, claim! Even if you have been notified by email (regardless of the shipping date) and you have not opened it before the 14 days deadline, you are entitled to the same compensation as in the case of delays.
- Loss of a connecting flight due to delays – In this case, your rights as a passenger vary depending on whether all the flights that make up the trip are part of the same ticket (same contract) or if, on the contrary, the reservations have been made separately. If they all belong to the same contract, you will have the right to a new flight that takes you to your destination or a refund of the corresponding proportional part. Now, if you have created your own connections, making separate reservations (there are therefore different transport contracts), no company is obliged to take care of possible flight losses caused by previous delays.
At Melbourne Deluxe Chauffeurs we take pride in being among the leading providers of transfer services in Australia, professional pioneers of transportation, with a constant vision to continuously upgrade our services to suit all your needs and aspirations.