If you have a problem when travelling.

The EU has increased your rights:

If you have a problem ...

The EU has established a number of citizens’ rights which guarantee that aircraft passengers are treated equitably.

Your carrier is responsible for transport you and also your luggage and must respect your rights.

 

• Overbooking and Cancellation

If you are denied boarding or if the flight is cancelled, the airline must provide you with financial compensation and assistance. As long as you have checked-in in time, these rights apply to any flight, even a charter flight :

- Departing from any EU airport, or

- Departing from a Non-EU airport with an EU carrier, on a flight arriving at an EU airport.

 

• Denied Boarding

If the airline has overbooked the flight, the carrier must call for volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for agreed benefits, including reimbursement of their tickets (and in some cases a free flight to their departure point), or continuing their trip under satisfactory conditions, being adequately cared for while awaiting a later flight.

If you do not volunteer, the carrier must pay compensation as follows:

- 250 € for flights up to 1,500 km,

- 400 € for flights more than 1,500 km inside EU territory and for other flights from 1,500 km to 3,500km.

- 600 € for flights over 3,500 km outside of the EU.

Compensation may be reduced by half if the delay is no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours respectively.

The carrier must also:

- Give you the choice between reimbursement of your ticket (and in some cases a free flight to your departure point), or continuing your trip on a later flight.

- Provide catering, communications, and if necessary an overnight stay with transfers.

 

• Cancellation

If the flight is cancelled, the carrier must:

- Give you the choice between reimbursement of your ticket (and in some cases a free flight to your departure point), or continuing your trip on a later flight.

- Provide catering, communications, and if necessary an overnight stay with transfers.

- Offer compensation equivalent to that provided for denied boarding, unless you were informed sufficiently in advance.

- Inform you of alternative means of transport.

- Pay any compensation within 7 days, either in cash, by bank transfer or by cheque, or, with your signed acceptance, a travel voucher.

If you are not happy that your rights have been satisfied, you should immediately complain in writing to the carrier.

 

• Long Delays

Immediate Assistance

If you have checked-in correctly, even for a charter flight, for a flight:

- departing from any EU airport, or

- departing from a Non-EU airport with an EU carrier, on a flight arriving at an EU airport, and the carrier announces a delay:

- of 2 hours or more for flights up to 1,500 km,

- of 3 hours or more for flights more than 1,500 km inside EU territory and for other flights from 1,500 km to 3,500km.

- of 4 hours or more for flights of more than 3,500km outside of EU territory,

- the carrier must provide catering, communications, and if necessary an overnight stay with transfers.

If the delay is more than 5 hours, the carrier must offer to reimburse of your ticket (and in some cases offer a free flight to your departure point).

If you are not happy that your rights have been satisfied, you should immediately complain in writing to the carrier.

 

• Further Complaints

If an EU carrier is responsible for a flight delay anywhere in the world, you can demand compensation up to 4,150 SDR* for the damages incurred. If the company rejects your complaint, you are entitled to start legal proceedings against them. The complaint can be against the company with whom you have a contractual agreement, or the actual carrier, if they are not one and the same.

 

• Luggage

You are entitled to demand up to 1,000 SDR* in damages following the destruction, damage, loss or late arrival of your luggage on an EU carrier flight anywhere in the world.

If the company rejects your complaint, you are entitled to start legal proceedings against them. Any damage caused to checked-in luggage must be notified to the carrier in writing within 7 days of reception. This delay is increased to 21 days if reception was late. The complaint can be against the company with whom you have a contractual agreement, or the actual carrier, if they are not one and the same.

* 1 SDR – Special Drawing Rights = 1.18€ as at 30.9.2004.

Please contact Europe Direct for today's exchange rate.

 

• Injury or death caused by an accident

A formal complaint may be lodged on your behalf relative to injuries or death following an accident on an EU carrier flight anywhere in the world. You are also entitled to an advance payment to cover immediate costs and expenses. If the company rejects your complaint, legal proceedings may be started against them on your behalf. The complaint can be against the company with whom you have a contractual agreement, or the actual carrier, if they are not one and the same.

 

• Package Holidays

Notwithstanding the above mentioned rights, you are entitled to claim damages from your Tour Operator if they have not provided all of the services under the EU contract you made with them, regardless of your destination. These rights also cover contracted flights which did not take place. Furthermore, if the Tour Operator does not supply a substantial part of the services contracted, they must provide you with assistance and offer alternative solutions including transfers and travel, at no extra cost.