We all hate delays – long periods of time spend in airports, often made even more miserable if you are travelling with young children, are abroad or soon to be late for that all important meeting.
But, even worse than a delay is the all too common cancellation.
If you find your flight is over-booked or cancelled entirely less than 14 days prior to departure you are entitled to compensation, thanks to the European Denied Boarding Regulation.
Your entitlement depends on where you were flying to, the timings of any alternative flights offered and when the cancellation occurs.
An example is as follows:
Passenger A books a short haul flight and arrives at the airport in good time on the day of departure.
Passenger A is advised at check in that the flight is cancelled.
The airline offers no alternative flight leaving no more than 1 hour and arriving no more than 2 hours after the original flight.
Passenger A is entitled to €250 refund.
However, often airlines do their best to avoid paying this. If they can prove that the cancellation was caused by “extraordinary” circumstances they may not be forced to offer any compensation. This could include bad weather, industrial action or technical problems. However, they must not be reasons which occur typically from time to time on a specific aircraft.
If your flight is cancelled due to “extraordinary circumstances and you are seeking compensation it may be a judge who has to decide whether steps were taken by the airline to provide a replacement plane.
