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Cancelled Flights and Your Rights

Cancellation Of Flights 

According to the UK European consumer centre (trading standards institute), if you're flying from the EU or to the EU on an EU carrier, you're entitled to the following:

• Refund or re-routing - you will be given a choice between a refund of the ticket or of re-routing to your final destination. You are not entitled to reimbursement of any other components of your trip such as hotel and transfer costs.

• Compensation - If there is a delay in getting to your destination due to re-routing, compensation is owed at the following levels:

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The airline is not obliged to pay compensation if it can prove that the cancellation was caused by "extraordinary circumstances, such as political instability, meteorological conditions, security risks, unexpected flight safety shortcomings and strikes.

Assistance at the airport - Free meals and refreshments as well as two free phone calls/emails/faxes should also be provided when waiting for the re-routed flights. In the event of re-routing when the flight is the next day free accommodation and transfer to and from that accommodation should be provided by the airline.

Delay of Flights 

If you're flying from the EU or to the EU on an EU carrier, the airline may be obliged to provide the following assistance if your flight is delayed.

Overbooking and Denied Boarding

'Overbooking' is when airlines take more reservations for a flight than there are seats on the plane. This is not illegal. Airlines do it deliberately because they usually expect some of the passengers not to turn up. Usually it there are no problems, but occasionally too many people turn up for a flight, so some of them get left behind (or "bumped").

If you are "bumped" off a flight at an airport in the EU or at an airport outside the EU when flying to an EU airport on an EU airline, then the airline must pay you compensation. This is called Denied Boarding Compensation.

To be entitled to compensation three conditions need to be satisfied:

• You must have a valid ticket;
• You must have a confirmed reservation;
• You must have checked-in by the deadline given to you by the airline.

If you can meet these conditions the airline must compensate you in three ways.

Refund or re-routing - you have the choice between a refund of the ticket or of re-routing to your final destination. You are not entitled to reimbursement of any other components of your trip such as hotel and transfer costs.

Compensation - the airline must also pay you compensation in cash, cheque or bank transfer.

Incidental Expenses - Free meals and refreshments as well as two free phone calls/emails/faxes should also be provided when waiting for the re-routed flights. In the event of re-routing when the flight is the next day, free accommodation should be provided by the airline.

If you have volunteered to surrender your reservation on an overbooked flight, this must be in exchange for benefits under conditions to be agreed between you and the carrier. This might be in the form of vouchers. In addition to this you will have the choice between a refund of the ticket or of re-routing to your final destination.

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