It is impossible to foresee everything in the world. You can buy the most favorable tickets by plane, but not to fly, as it turns out in the arrival hall that the flight is delayed. This trouble is almost always associated for a traveler with a whole avalanche of related problems, ranging from where and for what money to eat during a long wait, and ending with how to get to the desired point of arrival, since a hotel is booked there, important event, there must be a transfer to another flight, etc.

And since few of us have the abilities of clairvoyants, it will be useful to learn at our leisure what to do if the flight is delayed, since panic and anger in such a situation are the worst advisers. First of all, the order of actions depends on how long the delay occurred.

What should a passenger do if their flight is delayed?

Even if the waiting time for the flight is short, say, 1 hour or a little more, you should not let things go by themselves. It is necessary immediately after the announcement to go to the information desk and demand an explanation from the employee. There is usually no response for such delays, but the main purpose of such a trip is to mark the tickets about the delay. This will serve as an indisputable proof in any proceedings in the future.

The delay time and its reasons can be any, but every passenger should know what to do if the flight is delayed. This list includes:

1. Providing space in the mother and child room for passengers with children under 7 years old.
2. Luggage storage until departure.

Having freed your hands from suitcases and accommodated with children in comfortable conditions, waiting for a delayed flight is incomparably more convenient. The carrier provides further services depending on the delay time.

If the flight is delayed by 2 hours and more, the passenger has the right to demand:

1. Opportunity to make 2 free phone calls anywhere in the world, as well as send 2 free messages via the Internet.
2. Drinks (water, tea, coffee, juices) in the required amount.

If the flight is delayed by 4 hours and more, then the list of requirements can be safely included:

1. Hot food immediately, and then every 6 hours during the day and 8 hours at night.

If the flight is delayed by 6 hours or more, all passengers of the flight by the carrier must be provided with:

1. Accommodation at the hotel until the very moment of departure. Hotel room is provided to all passengers of the flight during the day after a delay of more than 8 hours, and at night after a delay of more than 6 hours. It does not matter how many times the delay announcements have been extended at the airport, the countdown is based on the time on the tickets.
2. Transportation from the airport building to the hotel by airport transport.

The passenger has the right to receive all the listed services absolutely free of charge. At the same time, any excuses do not matter, since the rules oblige the carrier to take care of the customers under any circumstances. In cases where the flight is delayed due to the fault of the airline, then it will not get off with a hotel room and a hot lunch. All passengers of the flight are additionally due:

1. 3% of the ticket price, multiplied by the number of hours of delay in departure (clause 5, article 28 of the RF Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights").
2. 0.25% of the minimum wage based on the number of hours of departure delay.

In total, at the expense of compensation, the passenger will be able to return up to half of the air ticket cost (Article 120 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation). Of course, if the flight did not take place, then the passenger will receive back the cost of the tickets, in addition to the compensation due. All the listed amounts of compensation are valid in Russia, but in the EU countries they are much higher. In proportion to the flight time and distance, a passenger who receives a notification from the airline about the cancellation of the flight less than 14 days before the departure date can receive compensation of up to 600 euros.

Important: if the flight is delayed, do not wait too long for the carrier to pay for the hotel or a hot meal. Pay for everything yourself, but keep all payment documents: checks, receipts, as later the money will be returned, but, however, through the court.

Also, don't worry about transplants. If at the place of landing you had to change to another plane, then the carrier is obliged to provide a seat on the plane for another flight with the same point of arrival. You won't have to pay extra for a new ticket, even if you are placed in business class instead of economy. But if the ticket was originally bought for business class, and a new one is offered only in economy, then you must demand your money back!

How to get money from the carrier if the flight is delayed?

To get everything spent back, you need to write a statement on your behalf to the airline, and ask to reimburse all costs, as well as pay the compensation due for the delay in departure. Attach to this statement:

• checks for hotel and food payments;
• a certificate from the airport information desk about the flight delay;
• air ticket.

This claim does not have to be urgently carried somewhere, it can be sent to the carrier's legal address by mail, but no later than 6 months after the date of the delayed departure. Usually, such a claim is enough to get the money back to your bank account indicated in the letter. If there is still no answer, you can safely go to court, because the law is on your side!

If you were to fly on a tour package, part of the cost of which were air tickets, then you can additionally request a refund from the tour operator for those paid days that you spent waiting for departure. You need to hurry to submit this claim to the tour operator's office within 20 days from the date when the signed service agreement expires.

Where to complain?

For the passenger, it matters with the airline of which country he is dealing. Cancellations and delays of domestic flights russian airlines are considered under Russian law. Complaints of passengers against foreign carriers who have violated their obligations to Russian travelers are also considered in the same way. It is worth noting that when going on a trip, you need not only to buy plane tickets, but also insurance for traveling abroad.

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Delayed flights are common among air carriers. Tourists are ready to wait for their plane, just to fly away on vacation, which is given to them only 1-2 times a year. But what if compensation was paid for the delay or even worse - the cancellation of the flight? Unfortunately, not all travelers are aware of their rights. Therefore, our colleagues at compensair.com have prepared tips for that very unfortunate event.

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Who is eligible for airline compensation?

If in the past 6 years you have had:

• flight delay for more than 3 hours;
• flight cancellation;
• or you were denied boarding;

that is, there is a high probability that the airline owes you up to 600 euros in compensation.

What documents can be used to receive compensation?

It says that airlines are obliged to pay compensation to passengers of delayed and canceled flights in the amount of up to 600 euros to each passenger. This Regulation was adopted specifically to protect the rights of passengers in the event of a violation of air traffic due to the fault of the airline. Moreover, citizens of absolutely any country can take advantage of its provisions in order to receive compensation.

Are there really no restrictions on the Regulation?

The fact is that the EC261 Regulation is valid only in the European Union. Hence, it has several limitations. Namely, one of the following conditions must be met:

1. The airline operating this flight must be registered in the European Union.
2. The departure point must be a city in the EU, and the airline can be absolutely any.

In what cases can an airline refuse payment?

There are several general factors, the presence of which exempts the airline from paying compensation:

1. Terrorism or sabotage.
2. Strikes.
3. Political or civil unrest.
4. Unfavorable weather (in this case, all flights at the airport must be canceled).

How to check your flight and get 600 euros?

To receive compensation yourself, you must:

1. Check the regulations and check if your flight meets the criteria: delay time, distance between cities, and calculate the amount you can get.
2. Form a claim to the airline and send it to the appropriate department.
3. In case of refusal to write a statement to the consumer protection society of the country of departure.
4. In case of a new refusal to form a claim and apply to the court of the country of departure.

Is it difficult to get compensation yourself?

The main difficulty independent work is that most often documents and claims must be submitted in the language of the country of departure. However, you can calculate the possible compensation for free on compensair.com in a couple of minutes.

What documents do I need to provide?

1. Signed Representation Consent Form.
2. Flight information and ticket / booking number.
3. A copy of the identity card for which the ticket was issued (in some cases, in case of disputable situations).

How much do compensair.com services cost?

The service will take a commission only for the result, or rather deduct 25% from your compensation. You will receive your funds minus the commission. But if the airline pays nothing, you don't have to pay for the service.

How to get compensation of 600 euros for a flight delay or cancellation without going to court. what is expected of passengers in case of a flight delay. What the law says. When compensation is due. Compensair service.

Compensair - what are passengers entitled to in case of flight delay or cancellation

Air travel has become part of everyday life... People fly on vacation, on a business trip, for treatment. Often, passengers' plans change dramatically if, for any reason, the flight is delayed. It's not scary when the wait lasts only a couple of hours, but what about those who have had a long flight delay, what are the passengers?

Reasons for the delay

Why is the flight delayed? The reasons are different. Not necessarily the unforeseen delay was the airline’s fault. The carrier is relieved of responsibility if the flight to the plane is postponed for the following reasons:

• bad weather, natural disasters;
• aircraft malfunction;
• terrorist actions;
• military conflicts or civil unrest;
• order from security personnel;
• the strike of the Airport employees.

When selling tickets, the carrier assumes certain obligations. The airline is considered a violator if the aircraft is detained:

• due to the fault of the crew;
• due to inconsistencies in the schedule;
• due to financial difficulties.

Even if the obligations of the airline are not fulfilled for objective reasons, passengers are entitled to compensation for the delay in the flight. This applies not only to regular, but also to charter flights, otherwise the company will face a considerable fine.

© ionutscripcaru / pixabay.com / CC BY 2.0

Is it possible to insure

People have no control over the vagaries of nature. Force majeure happens even with a reliable carrier. Reputable companies such as Aeroflot, S7 or Pobeda are not insured against surprises.

But still experienced travelers trying to protect themselves. When buying an air ticket, they are looking for information about how often flights are delayed in one or another airline. It would be useful to have flight delay insurance, which can be issued separately or in one package with compulsory medical insurance.

Please note that cancellation of departure is considered another insured event... And if your contract does not include flight cancellation insurance, the refund money you may be denied insurance. Therefore, when deciding on additional insurance, pay attention to all clauses of the contract and statistics on the chosen route and carrier.

Even without being insured, you do not lose the right to a monetary compensation for lost time and spoiled vacation if the flight is canceled by the airline.

Domestic flights are regulated article 120 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation... Therefore, the amount of compensation is formed by the laws of the Russian Federation and is directly related to the established minimum wage, which is quite modest in our country. After all calculations are made, the payout will amount to a maximum of 50% of the ticket price.

If the plane of the Russian company is detained at one of the airports of the European Union, the rights of the passenger are protected by the EU regulation. The amount of payments will be higher, and a message about the change in departure time received less than 2 weeks in advance is the basis for receiving monetary compensation. Depending on the route and time of delay, the person who submitted the written application pay 250-600 euros.

© @rawpixel unsplash.com / CC BY 2.0

On the protection of passengers' rights

If a flight is delayed, no matter what the reason, the airline is obliged to take care of its customers and provide a comfortable waiting environment. Passenger rights are spelled out in special legislation, including the Air and Civil Code and consumer protection law. Russia is subject to a resolution of the European Parliament, according to which passengers are paid a refund in the following cases:

• he was denied boarding;
• departure is delayed indefinitely;
• flight canceled.

In the event of a flight delay, the airline is obliged to notify customers of the change in departure time. If there is no justification for the reasons why the flight was delayed, and the company's agent is not available, you are left with an appeal to the Federal Air Transport Agency or a claim to the tour operator.

Obligations of the airline

If the flight is delayed even by a quarter of an hour, parents with children under the age of seven are entitled to rest in the room of the mother and child.

If the company delays flights to the fleet of hours or longer, every person is given the right:

• for 2 calls or messages by email or phone;
• storage room;
• beverages.

Awaiting departure 4 hours or more, put food in one of the airport cafes. Airline obliged to feed their clients through 6 o'clock in the afternoon and through 8 hours at night... Lunch coupons are issued by company employees.

If the air carriers delayed the departure of the plane longer than 8 hours during the day and 6 hours at night, passengers are provided with a hotelby providing a free transfer to the place of the overnight stay.

With a delay more than 5 hours you must be refunded the full cost of the ticket.

No additional payment is required. A standard set of services is compulsory for all airlines.

Unfortunately, Russian realities are such that employees of the company often have to be reminded of their responsibilities. In case of non-observance of the passenger's rights, a written claim of the airline must be drawn up. You are protected by the law, which takes into account the material losses associated with the delay or cancellation of the flight.

Let's say a person is late for connecting flight either could not check in booked hotel... The client can collect a monetary compensation from the airline, since he did not have time for a transfer due to the fault of the air carrier. But you will not be able to receive money if the company is not proven guilty, and objective circumstances became the reason for the flight delay.

© / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

Passenger actions in case of flight delay

How can I find out about a canceled flight? Departure information is conveniently tracked on online scoreboard at the airport, or by calling the help desk.

If you find on the electronic scoreboard that your flight is being delayed, stay calm. Watch for schedule changes. Perhaps the delay is negligible.

If passed 2 hourswhile you are still at the airport, take action:

1. Ask your airline representative for an explanation. It is usually found at the checkout or at the front desk. Don't expect him to track down every passenger and talk about their rights. Take the initiative.
2. You will need a flight delay certificate. If a company agent is not available, contact the information department for a check.
3. The company agent must issue you coupons for hot meals, escort you to the break room, and grant you access to the locker.
4. If you have not received the required services, eat on your own, pay for luggage storage, keep receipts.

If the flight is canceled, the person in a difficult situation is guaranteed a seat on board another aircraft. Let the most bought cheap ticket, and you are transplanted into business class, you will not have to pay extra rubles. Otherwise, when instead of a paid business class you are offered an economy class, insist on a refund of the price difference.

What to do if the flight is canceled? You have every right to cancel the flight and return the ticket, even if it was purchased at a non-refundable rate. Such a refusal is forced.

© @jontyson / unsplash.com / CC BY 2.0

Chartered flight

Cancellation of charter flights is not the responsibility of the carrier, but of the tour operator who chartered the vessel. Passengers are offered the same set of services: monetary compensation, food, hotel, transfer.

Refusal of compensation is possible only in case of bad weather, aircraft malfunction, terrorist attacks, strikes. In other cases, consumer protection is the responsibility of the aviation and travel companies... Where to complain if the carrier violated the established deadlines and did not provide the necessary services? Remember for canceling regular flight the airline is responsible, chartered flight is in the area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility of the tour operator. But the rules for canceling a flight are the same for everyone. You have the right to apply for compensation for material damage within six months. The guilty party considers it for a month.

The passenger can sue for reimbursement of material costs by attaching, along with the checks and receipts, a certificate or mark confirming the cancellation or delay of departure. But in practice, not everyone has the competence, time and patience to achieve the due payments.

© cafecredit / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

About Compensair service

If the carrier or tour operator canceled the flight, and no one is in a hurry to compensate for the damage caused, contact the website for help.

The founder of the service Roman Gilmanov, having spent one day at the Chicago airport, personally experienced all the difficulties that befell thousands of travelers around the world. This is how the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating the Compensair service came about.

Compensair ltd was registered in the capital of Great Britain in 2016. Its main task is to help in obtaining an additional payment in the event of a delay or complete cancellation of a flight. According to the decision of the European Parliament, in case of detention over 3 hours, in addition to standard obligations, the passenger is Compensation from 250 to 600 euros... The final amount depends on the duration of the flight and the time spent at the airport.

The problem is that the service is of a declarative nature, that is, the passenger must initiate an investigation himself or go to court.

Compensair service, by power of attorney received from the client, undertakes:

• file a claim against the airline;
• negotiate with the carrier's representative;
• represent the interests of the passenger in court;
• assume legal costs;
• provide the client with a refund for the canceled flight.

The service charges a commission for its work - 25% of the payment amount. This is not a scam for money, but real help. The reward is charged only if the outcome is successful, the client does not lose anything. This is evidenced by the real reviews of people who asked for help and received the desired result.

For canceled or delayed flights, passengers who travel with European airlines or simply fly from the EU can receive up to € 600 compensation. How to achieve this payment and what services will help speed up the process?

According to the European Parliament and Council EC No. 261, passengers whose flight has been canceled or delayed for more than three hours can receive from the air carrier from € 200 to € 600. This rule applies to flights of European airlines around the world and flights of any companies from European countries. Thus, customers of Russian airlines flying out of Europe can also apply for this money, unlike those who fly them in Russia, the USA or Asia. The fact is that Russia is still about the Montreal Convention, which unifies the obligations of air carriers to passengers.

The key factor in obtaining compensation is the reason for the canceled or delayed flight. “It must be the airline’s fault - for example, problems with the plane or some technical reason,” explains Evgeny Lonsky, Regional Director of AirHelp's International Compensation Service in Eastern Europe. "Other incidents such as terrorist attacks, strikes and bad weather are not eligible for compensation."

The amount of compensation, according to the EU regulation, depends on two factors: the distance of the flight and the delay time. So, if the flight is delayed for more than three hours, and its range is less than 1500 km, the airline must pay the passenger € 250. If the delay is more than four hours, and the flight is more than 3500 km, the amount increases to € 600. Yevgeny Lonsky notes that in case of long delays, the airline must also provide passengers with water, food and a hotel. But this does not exempt the carrier from having to pay compensation. “The law clearly states that if the plane arrived more than three hours late, compensation is due,” Lonsky says.

You can apply for compensation for several years. “It depends on the country in which the airline is registered, or on the country of departure - if we are not talking about a European company. Usually this is a period from two years, as in Spain, to six, as in England, ”says Roman Gilmanov, general director Russian company Compensair, a service operator for receiving compensation from airlines.

How to claim compensation

The trivial way is to contact the airline yourself. The most important thing is to preserve boarding passes, since some companies do not consider applications without them, explains Lonsky. Gilmanov also advises to take a certificate from the employees of the airline or airport that the flight is delayed. As a last resort, you can take pictures of the flight board (charter flights, according to the expert, are sometimes poorly tracked by databases). If the client has to go to court, such a photo can also be evidence of a delayed flight, Gilmanov says.

Next, you need to draw up an online application in English or a written claim to the airline (depending on its rules). To do this, you need to figure out what compensation can be claimed, describe the circumstances in the claim, and also indicate on the basis of which points of the law compensation is due, says Gilmanov. The airline's response can be expected on average 1-3 months, Lonsky adds.

At the same time, companies often ignore initial customer requests or automatically send a refusal, experts say. “The task of the passenger is the next step to prove that his case occurred precisely through the fault of the airline. Therefore, it is further important to study the precedents when the company was found guilty, and draw up a legally competent answer to the objection received, ”says Gilmanov from Compensair. If at this stage the company refuses to pay, you need to go to court european citywhere the main office of the carrier is located.

If we are not talking about European companies, then the claim must be filed in the country of departure, but only if the air carrier has a representative office there, says Lonsky from AirHelp.

Photo: Andrew Parsons / Zuma / TASS

What services can help

There are many companies in the world that deal with communication with carriers and can go to court at the request of a passenger. In addition to the already mentioned AirHelp and Compensair, these are Refund.me, Flightright and Flight Delays services. In March, a similar service is launched by the Kupibilet.ru website.

Russians rarely seek compensation, says AirHelp's Lonsky. “Many people think that European legislation applies only to European citizens. But this is not so, being late has no nationality, ”he says. In the AirHelp system, according to Lonsky, there are now about 256 thousand applications, Russian - only 488. Gilmanov from Compensair claims that his company is now working with about a thousand Russian applications. About 80% of the service's customers are Russian-speaking, and half of these people live in Russia.

Most often - in about 60% of cases - airlines agree to pay compensation at an early stage, that is, during correspondence with service managers, Gilmanov says. If the airline rejects the claim for compensation, then it is transferred to the legal service department and 80-90% of such cases are resolved at the level of correspondence between lawyers and the airline, experts say. In other cases, you have to go to consumer protection authorities in European countries, and then to court, and 98% of court cases are won by the services, says Lonsky.

The service commission is a standard value - 25% of the amount of compensation received. Kupibilet.ru will additionally withhold another 10%. Payment for all services is taken only after receiving consent to the payment from the airline. If it is not possible to receive compensation, then the client pays nothing.

How long to wait for compensation

Gilmanov notes that it takes from several weeks to six months to receive compensation through an intermediary. “In the mode of communication with the airline, that is, without a trial, we usually receive money in two months. If we go to court, then the case can drag on for a long time. For example, we recently won a court case in the Netherlands, and the total cycle was more than six months, ”he says. Lonsky from AirHelp calls about the same time frame.

However, in difficult cases, the expectation can be great. Russian Yan Kostin in July last year submitted an application to Compensair for compensation from the company Air France... The reason was not the delay, but the unclear work of the airline's ticket service. In June, Kostin was supposed to fly from Marseille to Moscow with a transfer in Paris. However, a strike of Air France pilots began, which is why a few days before departure he had tickets changed. In the second variant, both flights - from Marseille to Paris and from Paris to Moscow - were performed at the same time. Kostin demanded to change tickets again. New route passed through Rome, while there was a typo in the tickets. “The airline made a mistake in one letter: instead of June (“ JUN ”), it indicated January (“ JAN ”). Therefore, in Rome, I had to communicate with the airline again and change tickets again, ”Kostin told RBC.

Compensair's lawyers, after checking the application, decided that the airline should pay compensation. The money came to Kostin in early March.

As Gilmanov explained, Air France agreed to pay compensation for a long time, but did not transfer money to the service for a long time. “Only after we started working with the consumer protection authorities in the country of departure and only when we sent a letter warning of the start of the trial, the airline transferred the money,” he says.

Is it worth using the services of intermediaries

Dmitry Davydenko, deputy chairman of the public council at Rosturizm, considers “compensation” services convenient. “These are ordinary legal services delivered to the conveyor. If, for example, you have a claim amount of 5-10 thousand rubles, then for the sake of this it is probably pointless to waste time going to a law firm. It is much easier to fill out the form on the website, ”he explains.

He considers a commission of 25% to be justified, especially considering that the services take it only if the claim is satisfied. In principle, the passenger can deal with the return on his own, if there is time and desire. If not, it is quite possible to entrust it to other people, says Davydenko.

However, an expert on civil aviation and the head of the Aviator.ru portal Sergey Martirosyan advises to think carefully before contacting intermediaries. “If a person basically wants to get money from the airline, but does not want to understand the legal intricacies, then it makes sense to turn to services. However, it is often possible to negotiate with carriers on the spot, ”he says.

According to Martirosyan, many airlines value their reputation and agree to compensate for the loss of time with some bonuses - for example, giving a passenger miles or upgrading the class of service on the next flight. Therefore, the expert still recommends that you first write to the carrier and try to agree on the form of compensation. If the airline does not make concessions, then it is worth making a claim, he sums up.

Oleg Smirnov, chairman of the civil aviation commission of the public council of Rostransnadzor, is more categorical. He believes that air passengers should defend their rights on their own. “Instead of entrusting all the work to such services, which earn on ignorance, it is better to understand the laws, starting with the Constitution, and, based on these laws, go to court. And the court will be on the consumer's side, ”the expert concludes.