Delayed Flight or Denied Boarding? Know Your Rights as an Air Passenger

Being denied boarding due to overbooking or experiencing flight delays happens often. In many cases, it is usually out of the airline’s control, especially in the case of delayed flights due to extraordinary reasons such as bad weather, political instability, etc. 

However, in other cases, especially when one is denied boarding due to overbooking, it is the airline’s fault. In this case, compensation must be given to affected passengers, as their travelling rights demand, and air passenger rights portal like Flightright are making that happen for a lot more people. Here’s everything you need to know as an air passenger if you are denied boarding or your flight gets delayed. 

Your Rights if Your Flight Is Delayed 

Here are the rights you have as an air passenger if your flight is delayed: 

• If the flight gets delayed at departure, then you can claim a reimbursement of your ticket fee and a return ticket, depending on the duration of the delay and flight distance. 
• You also have the right to care for things such as food, drinks, and snacks, and access to phone calls, and emails, for the duration of the delay. 
• If the delay extends beyond a day, the airline must provide accommodations for the night, and transportation to and from the hotel and airport.
• If the delay extends by more than 3 hours, making you arrive late at your destination, you are entitled to compensation between €250 to €600 depending on the distance and length of the delay. However, this doesn’t apply if the delay was due to reasons beyond the airline’s control.

Common Reasons to Be Denied Boarding 

The following reasons can make you get denied booking:

• If you have a severe infection that can endanger other passengers or an allergy that you didn’t inform them of, before the flight day. 
• If you don’t have the correct travel documents or the relevant documents for your pet travelling with you. 
• If you didn’t take the outbound flight of a reservation that included a return ticket.
• If you didn’t take the other flight included in a reservation with consecutive flights.
• If you checked in late for boarding. 

Your Rights if You Are Denied Boarding 

If the conditions above do not apply to you and you are denied boarding a flight, you can claim the following rights: 

• Compensation: You have the right to compensation, depending on the flight distance and ticket price between €250 to €600.
• Reimbursement, re-routing, or rebooking: You can claim the right to a full reimbursement of your ticket fee, a re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible, or rebooking at a later date, at your convenience.
• Care: This will be in the form of food, snacks, drinks, access to make calls, emails, accommodation if the delay exceeds a day, and transportation to and from the hotel and airport.

Conclusion 

A delayed flight or denied booking can disrupt one’s plans, regardless of how little the delay is. To make up for the inconvenience, you have the right to some form of compensation and care to get through the situation. In situations of tardiness with compensation being paid, reach out to your legal service or an attorney to make the process easier and faster.