When the airline should provide the hotel. The wait is worth a lot. Reasons that the airline cannot influence

Much to our chagrin, not all trips go smoothly. A special place in the list of popular difficulties among travelers is occupied by a hitch with a flight. This happens not only on charter routes, but also on regular ones. What to do if there is a flight delay, which is the responsibility of the airline's passengers? What free services and compensation can they expect?

Possible reasons for delays

There is no need to explain that the reasons can be very different. Sometimes this data can differ even among the employees of the airline and the airport. To establish the cause, the courts make inquiries to various airport services. So, it could be:

Aircraft malfunctions.
Weather.
Delay of the ship and so on.

Are you trying to figure out what passengers are entitled to in case of a flight delay? When the flight is delayed due to circumstances beyond the control of the airline, then it will not be possible to claim material compensation. But it should provide certain conveniences in the waiting process.

This is where the first difficulties await the travelers, not many of them understand their rights, for example, what is supposed to passengers with a flight delay of 3 hours, and it is unprofitable for the airlines themselves to offer. Therefore, the flag is in your hands, or rather, the FAP (Federal Aviation Regulations).

Carrier's obligations in case of flight hitch

The first thing the airport / carrier must do in case of a delay is to inform travelers about the changes in the schedule and their reasons.

If passengers do not receive information, and it is not possible to find a company agent, then the Federal Air Transport Agency and tour operators should be notified of the situation. The former are in charge of the airline, while the latter are responsible to travelers for the services provided, since they have entered into an agreement with the carrier.

Ticket return

If, due to the fact that your flight is behind schedule, you have decided not to wait for the departure of the vessel, but to travel with another airline or go home, then accordingly, you have decided to terminate the air carriage agreement. It is forced, accordingly, one can count on compensation in the amount of 100%.

Such denials also include:

Re-routing by the carrier.
The flight is not scheduled.
Unsuccessful departure of the traveler due to the lack of a seat in the cabin corresponding to the date and flight indicated in the boarding ticket, due to a prolonged inspection by an airport employee, as a result of which no prohibited items and substances were found.
Sudden illness of a passenger or his close relative with confirmation of this fact by a medical certificate.
Failure to provide the traveler with the class of service corresponding to the purchased ticket.

In case of a forced refusal, the airline puts a corresponding mark on the ticket or issues a document explaining the circumstances of this refusal.

Travelers' rights in case of flight delays

So what are passengers entitled to in case of flight delays? Even if you do not have to wait long, but about 1 hour, you still should not let the situation go by itself. Immediately after receiving information about the delay, you should go to the registration desk and ask for detailed explanations. With such a slight delay, you are unlikely to get an answer, since the employees themselves do not know what the matter is, but the main task of the conversation is to put a stamp on the delay. In subsequent proceedings, it will become irrefutable evidence.

The reasons for the delay may vary, but each traveler should be aware of what is expected of passengers in the event of a flight delay. The list of obligations of the airline includes:

Travelers with children under the age of 7 must be given a pass to the mother and child room.
Luggage storage until departure.

Agree that it is much more convenient to wait for the postponed flight, freeing your hands from luggage, and settling in comfortable conditions with the children. The list of further services included in the carrier's obligations depends on the length of the delay.

Delay time

Depending on the waiting time, the passenger is provided with the following services:

So, what are passengers entitled to in case of a flight delay of 2 hours or more? An air passenger has the right to demand from the company the opportunity to make 2 phone calls at his expense to any city in the world and send 2 SMS.
What else are passengers entitled to if the flight is delayed by 2 hours or more? The carrier must provide them with a choice of drinks in the right amount.
Hot meals are provided for passengers with a flight delay of 5 hours or more. After that, feeding is carried out every 6 hours during the day and 8 at night.
There was a flight delay of 6 hours, what are the passengers? After this time, all travelers must be provided with the following:

Hotel room before departure. The rest room is provided after 8 hours of delay in the day, after 6 hours - at night.
By car to the hotel and back.

Other compensation

All voiced services should be provided to the passenger completely free of charge. There can be no excuses in this case, since the air carrier must take care of passengers under any conditions. Well, if the flight was delayed due to the fault of the organization, then get out with a hot lunch and hotel room she will not succeed. In addition to this, passengers are entitled to:

Cash payment of 3% of the ticket price, multiplied by the number of hours of delay.
Compensation of 0.25% of the minimum wage multiplied by the number of delayed departure hours.

In total, for a delayed departure, an air passenger will be able to return up to 50% of the ticket price (depending on the duration of the waiting). If the flight has never been flown, there is no doubt that the full ticket price will be refunded in addition to any other compensation. All these amounts are valid on Russian territory, in EU countries the amount of payments is much higher. Depending on the departure time and distance, an air passenger who received a message from the carrier about the cancellation of a flight in less than 2 weeks can expect to receive compensation in the amount of 600 euros.

Important information

If the flight is delayed by 14 hours, what are the passengers? With such a long delay in the flight, you should not wait long for the air carrier to pay for food and hotel. You can do everything yourself, the main thing is to save all payment documents (receipts, checks, etc.), since all the funds spent will then be returned, but, however, this will be done through the court.

Don't know what passengers are entitled to if the flight is delayed by 5 hours or more? But what if docking was supposed to be? You shouldn't worry about transplants. If you were supposed to connecting flight, then the carrier will in any case have to secure a seat on another aircraft, following to your destination. You will not have to pay a penny for a ticket, even if you are placed in business class. But if you had purchased a ticket into business class, and free places is in the economy, then it is imperative to insist on the return of the difference!

The flight delay time is calculated based on the data specified in the boarding ticket. The carrier, at its sole discretion, may be provided additional services for the duration of the hitch, but they do not cancel the required ones.

How to deal with a delayed charter flight

If you are going to make a claim, you will certainly need a certificate of flight delay / cancellation. The boarding receipt must indicate the actual departure time and stamp by hand.

If you fail to provide mandatory services while waiting for your flight, purchase them yourself, but be sure to keep all receipts. Upon arrival, present them to the tour operator, his task is to deal with the charter carrier and claim compensation.

What you need to know about charter flight delays

Regular and charter airlines share different types responsibility. In the latter case, all responsibility lies with the tour operator who chartered the vessel, and not with the carrier itself.

If there is a flight delay, what are the passengers? The law states that regardless of the reasons for changing the schedule, the carrier is obliged to provide the passenger with the services specified above within the specified time frame.

The main thing that needs to be done is to get a stamp at the check-in counter about the delayed departure. If it is, then you will be able to return your own funds that could have been spent due to the fact that the carrier did not provide the necessary services or did it in violation of the established time frame.

Showdowns with reimbursement of funds can reach the court, but most often this does not happen, all claims are considered pre-trial. You can apply for a compensation payment within 6 months from the date of the flight, the carrier / tour operator must consider it within 30 days.

Compensation payments for flight delays on Russian territory

The obligations of air carriers and the rights of travelers on the issue of obtaining compensation for changing the departure time of a ship of a Russian carrier or a foreign organization that delayed a flight in Russia are regulated by the Air Code of the Russian Federation.

To receive a payment for a change in departure, you need to put a stamp at the check-in counter and also obtain a corresponding certificate from the airline representative. Claims are accepted within six months from the date of the flight delay.

The claim must be accompanied by a stamped plane ticket and a certificate confirming this fact. In addition, if you paid for the services yourself, all payment documents must be attached (receipts for food, hotel, transport, etc. during the delay period). The claim must be sent by registered mail with an inventory by mail or delivered personally to the airline's agents. Make sure to make a copy of the letter for yourself. If the demand is to be handed over to the representative personally, do not forget to take a receipt from him. A response should be expected within a month from the date of dispatch.

If the flight is delayed by a European airline or within the EU

If the flight schedule of an airline registered in the EU or at an airport in EU countries has changed, then what are the passengers entitled to if the flight is delayed by 3 hours, for example? In this case, passengers are paid compensation, which can only be denied for several reasons:

Terrorist act.
Synoptic conditions.
Strike.
Sabotage.

Atmospheric conditions are considered a reason for refusal only if all flights from that airport have been postponed.

To receive compensation, you need to study the regulations, and if your situation fits the provisions described there, then you can safely write a claim statement addressed to the air carrier. Send the letter and expect a response. If the carrier refuses to reimburse compensation, you can send a letter to the consumer protection society of the country from which the departure was made. If there is a refusal, then file a claim in the court of the same country.

The amount paid will depend on the length of the delay and the distance between the departure and arrival airports.

Another way

The second way to get compensation is to contact Compensair for help, which completely takes care of all the paperwork to collect payments from the air carrier, from the initial application to pre-trial work with local consumer protection authorities in the EU countries and legal proceedings. By the way, you can check the possibility of receiving compensation from a specific delayed flight on their website for free.

For the work done, the service deducts a fee only if the result is positive. You don't have to pay anything, Compensair will transfer you the amount minus the commission, usually its size is 25%.

What to do if your flight is delayed? Unfortunately, more and more passengers find themselves in such a stressful situation every year. Such a nuisance is almost always associated with many attendant problems, especially if the flight was chartered or if a transfer is awaiting at the place of arrival, an important event is being held.

Who is to blame for the delay or cancellation of the flight

A delay in departure is an unpleasant event that, unfortunately, every tourist can face. The most common reason for this is aircraft breakdown. In this situation, the culprit of the delay is the air carrier, which did not take care of its passengers and ensuring safety.

Departure may be delayed for other reasons, for example:

Schedule failure;
The plane did not arrive at the airport from another flight;
Rowdy;
Bad weather.

Responsibility of the carrier company in the Russian Federation

By law, the airline is not liable to its customers in several cases:

If the flight is delayed or canceled due to natural disasters, regardless of where it happened natural phenomena: at the place of arrival or departure;
If the delay was caused by changes in social conditions that could affect flight safety;
If strikes have begun in the country;
If a quarantine is established, which became the reason for restricting traffic in certain directions of flights;
Malfunction of the aircraft, which could threaten the safety and health of passengers.

EU carrier liability

The airline is not responsible if the cancellation or delay of departure is due to extraordinary circumstances.

In all other cases, the blame for the delay lies with the air carrier, in particular:

For overbooking;
For inconsistencies in scheduling;
Other reasons.

Cancellation or delay of a flight at an airport in the Russian Federation

Flight canceled in advance

If the passenger finds out that the flight on which he is going to fly is delayed or canceled in advance, he should ask the airline about the alternative. Such a flight may be provided by both the original carrier and a third party company.

Important! If for some reason the alternative did not suit the passenger, he has the right to demand a return money.

Flight canceled before departure

If the waiting time for a flight at the airport exceeds 2 hours, the passenger may request:

Free stay in the room for mother and child;
Two ways to contact your family and warn of a delay;
Free drinks.

If the flight is delayed for more than 4 hours, the passenger has the right to free meals. Thereafter, it should be provided every 6 hours (8 hours at night).

In case of 8-hour waiting time (6 hours at night), the passenger is provided with:

Hotel accommodation;
Delivery by transport to the hotel and back;
Luggage storage.

Attention! All these services are provided completely free of charge.

Receiving compensation in the Russian Federation

For a flight delay or cancellation, the client is paid compensation in the amount of 25 percent of the penalty minimum wage (now 100 rubles) for each hour of delay, but not more than 50 percent of the ticket price.

Now the State Duma is considering a bill to increase the size of fines for carrier companies by 4 times. Such measures are necessary because air carriers often enjoy small amounts of penalties and do not fulfill their responsibilities.

If the flight was delayed or canceled at an EU airport

Procedure and passenger rights

The actions of the air carrier and the client at the EU airports are almost identical to the analogous rules in force in Russia. The client can be presented with both an alternative and an offer to wait for another flight.

A passenger, while waiting for his flight after a delay, has the right to expect to receive the following range of additional services:

Receipt of food and drinks commensurate with the waiting time;
Hotel accommodation (if the delay lasts at least one night);
Transfer to the hotel;
Two messages, calls, emails.

The representative must inform the passengers of the delayed flight on how to proceed correctly.

Receiving compensation

Any passenger of a canceled or delayed flight has the right to apply for compensation, his citizenship does not matter.

The amount of the payment is set depending on the waiting time, the distance of the flight to the destination.

Delay, cancellation of departure to the USA

What rights do passengers have

Each company has the right to independently decide whether they will provide free services with a long delay in departure or not.

Timeline for a refund for a ticket

Under current legislation, there is no clear time frame within which a refund must be made for a canceled flight. Most often, money is transferred within six months.

For information! In the EU countries, money transfers are made within seven working days - this period is established by law.

Procedure for obtaining compensation

If the company has ignored the claim for compensation, the passenger can try to resolve the issue amicably.

The best option is to send a certified letter, since the passenger will have proof that the addressee has received his appeal. The complaint is considered within 30 days, after which a reasoned response must be given.

In practice, it is rarely possible to resolve the issue with an air carrier peacefully on their own. Therefore, it is best to immediately contact lawyers who can represent the interests of the passenger in court.

Timeline for filing a complaint

In the EU, each party has the right to determine the period during which the client has the opportunity to apply for compensation.

In the Russian Federation, a complaint can be filed within six months.

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Passenger actions in case of flight cancellation

In case of flight cancellation or delay, the passenger must proceed as follows:

Do not panic. First of all, it is worth approaching the airline's check-in counter for information;
Mark a delayed or canceled flight. This will be required to receive compensation;
Depending on the waiting time for the next boarding, you can count on free meals and hotel accommodation (in Russia and EU countries). In the United States, each airline has its own services for passengers on canceled flights.

During your entire stay at the airport, you need to collect receipts for food and accommodation. In the future, they can be attached to the pre-trial claim.

Watch a video on what you are entitled to if your flight is delayed

July 12, 2018, 22:40 Jul 12, 2018 22:40

Has the airline canceled the flight? Delayed your flight? Sold two tickets for one seat? Or are you late for your plane? The site has found answers to these and other questions.

It is easy to buy a plane ticket and find yourself in a few hours on the opposite end of the world map if everything goes smoothly: the ticket is purchased, the flight is not delayed, there are no problems with control.

What if something went wrong? Website website figured out what is supposed to be a passenger, and where it is useless to argue with the system.

Not everyone is entitled to a hotel if the flight is delayed

The Cabinet of Ministers was concerned about the comfort of passengers who were "stuck" at the airport. If the waiting time for departure is delayed due to the fault of the airline due to flight delays, cancellations due to weather conditions and technical reasons, the carrier is obliged to arrange a free hotel for the passengers. But not for everyone, but only for those who wait more than eight hours in the afternoon and six hours in the evening, or are in transit with a 24-hour wait.

There is one more caveat: you can count on preferences only if you managed to pass the checkpoint across the state border. And if you are sitting near the check-in counter, then you will have to wait for departure in the common hall. Remember, recently it is forbidden to sit on the floor and lie on the chairs at the airports.
Hotels will be located in free customs zone, that is, in the same place as duty-free shops. This will be done after some time, but for now the comfort of passengers is recorded only in a government decree.

What can a passenger count on if a flight is delayed? Image: Victor Huseynov / KP

Flight delay by the airline

If your plane is delayed due to force majeure (the weather does not allow or a technical malfunction of the plane), then you can count on pleasant bonuses from the airline that will brighten up the exhausting wait. For sitting at the airport from two to five hours, you can count on free drinks and food (as a rule, vouchers are given that can be exchanged at the airport cafe), two free phone calls or fax messages, and e-mail... If the wait is delayed, then there are two options: either a free hotel room and a transfer to it, or a refund for the ticket.
As a rule, the carrier is in no hurry to offer refunds and tries to fulfill its obligations.

Flight cancellation compensation

If your flight is canceled, then the reasons why the flight was canceled and the period for which you were notified are of key importance. If you do not go into details, then when canceling a departure, the carrier is obliged to offer an alternative flight or return the full ticket price and compensation: for a route up to 1.5 thousand km - 250 euros, up to 3.5 thousand km - 400 euros, over - 600 Euro.

But do not rush to rejoice, there are so many subtleties in this part of the rules that it will not be so easy to achieve a real payment of money. So, there will be no compensation in excess of the ticket if:

- The plane does not fly due to bad weather, terrorist attack, riots and other force majeure conditions;
- You were informed about the cancellation 14 days in advance. It is believed that this is a convenient time and the passenger may well receive a refund for a ticket and buy another;
- Reported 7-13 days in advance, but offered an alternative flight, which can be taken off at almost the same time (the difference is 2-4 hours between departure and arrival from the scheduled one);
- The information reached you 7 days before departure, but an alternative flight is offered 1 hour apart from the planned one;
- If the replacement flight flies strictly according to the canceled schedule;
- In all other situations (and there are not so many of them), you can get compensation. And not only for your ticket, but also for other tickets, if the route was multiple.

The airline must compensate for the extended waiting time for the flight at the airport. Image: Maria LENTS / KP

Two tickets for one seat

Such an unpleasant situation is called the beautiful word overbooking. Your seat can be sold to another person. Is it an extraordinary accident for you? This is normal practice for an airline. Many carriers knowingly sell slightly more tickets than passengers. If we discard those who give up their ticket or will not show up for boarding, it’s just the norm. But there are also unpleasant situations when everyone showed up, or in the case when the plane was replaced with a less spacious one.

Here the golden rule applies: whoever is ahead, that and the chair. Go through electronic registration for the flight as soon as it starts, or arrive at the airport to the opening of the check-in counters.

What can you expect in such situations:

A seat in business class at an economy price and vice versa;
On the offer to fly on a later flight at the expense of the airline and for compensation;
For damages in the amount of 250 to 600 euros, but there are also a lot of tricks here. Final payments depend on the length of the flight, conditions offered by the airline, etc .;
For hotel, food and mobile communications, if you are still left out.

And most importantly, if there are no volunteers who agree to fly on another flight, then the airline reserves the right to remove any passenger from the plane. For example, the one who came to the registration last.
If overbooking has burst into your life, then do not forget to put a mark on the ticket at the check-in counter that you will not be taken on the plane due to the fault of the airline.

How to get the full ticket price back

Airlines are ready to refund the full cost of the ticket in rare cases and not to everyone. If you had a fight with a friend and do not want to fly together, then this is not an argument at all. A boss who suddenly didn’t give a vacation will also not be able to get the full ticket price.

The carrier recognizes as significant:

Death of a close relative (mother, father, child, spouse);
Refusal to issue a visa (of course, documented);
Emergency hospitalization (of course, confirmed by all medical records).

The second and third options will be relevant only for the traveler himself. If his companion also decides not to fly alone, then he will not have to rely on full compensation. For him, this is not a significant reason at all.

How not to be left behind? Image: Alexander GLUZ / KP

Lost my plane ticket. How to recover?

The situation is unpleasant, but fixable. To save themselves and the passenger from such misunderstandings, airlines are increasingly selling e-tickets on the plane. Having such a virtual coupon, you do not have to worry about a paper document. It is enough to have a passport and remember the time of departure.
If, nevertheless, the usual paper ticket was bought, then it makes sense to take care of its safety. It did not work: we do not panic, although airlines are not obliged to restore tickets, they go to meet the passenger:

What to do if you miss your flight

If registration is completed and the plane has not yet departed, then there is a chance to fix everything.

Each airport has a check-in counter for latecomers. You will be urgently included in the passenger list, escorted to the exit and taken on board at the best... This pleasure costs 2,000 rubles and more, depending on the airport.
If the plane departed without you, then you can try to get compensation for the ticket. For a business class document, you will be refunded not only money, but also offered to fly on the next flight. If the non-refundable tariff (promo, economy - each airline has its own), then there is practically no chance of refunding the money. The carrier can only compensate you for the cost of the fare, without refunding all fees.
If the ticket was purchased there and back, and you require a refund for only one part of the flight, then the airline will cancel both travel documents. For the second money you will be returned, for the first - in question.

Not released from the country for debts

Perhaps the most unpleasant situation that can happen to a traveler at the airport is a travel ban. They learn about him only at the stage of border control. Bailiffs provide information about debtors to border guards.

What debts will become a restriction for leaving:

30,000 rubles (utilities, fines, loans, taxes, etc.);
10,000 rubles (alimony, compensation for health damage, moral harm, etc.).

Paying your obligations here and now will not work. So far, there is no such practice in Russia. It turns out that such "surprises" must be prepared in advance.
Restrictions on travel means that the bailiffs are serious about collecting the debt from you. Now your fate depends on the person who runs your case.

We run to the district department of the FSSP, take bills and pay all debts.
We carry the payment document back, taking into account the Russian bureaucracy - this is relevant.
We take a certificate that everything has been paid for and wait 10 days for you to be deleted from the debtor database. Small correction: not only bailiffs, but also border guards.
To calm our conscience, we check ourselves in the database of debtors on the website of bailiffs and write a request to the online reception of the border service with a request to confirm that you are now visiting. The official response will take another 10-12 days.

Helpful advice: if you bought not just a plane ticket, but a whole tour, then by all means take out travel cancellation insurance.

Air travel has long ceased to be the lot of the elite. Traveling by plane is by far the fastest and least tiring way to find yourself in another city, country or even on another continent. And with proper and early planning, it can be even less expensive than travel by train or car.

From that, every year more and more people around the world go on vacation or business trips by plane. Therefore, many have probably at least once faced such an unpleasant situation as a delay in their flight. There may be many reasons for this, after all, air transportation is an extremely complex process, a failure at any of its stages is fraught with a delay in departure time.

Most common reasons for flight delays

Weather conditions

Because of them, the movement of aircraft may be completely suspended, or additional processing of the aircraft will be required, for example, with a special anti-icing agent.

There are frequent cases when passengers of one flight have to wait for the weather to stabilize, and those who fly on the plane of another air carrier safely board. There are no tricks here - the fact is that the so-called weather minimums are different everywhere. Differences in traffic restrictions exist not only for liners of various models, but also for each individual crew. It is extremely dangerous to exceed the permitted thresholds.

Airliner malfunctions identified

If they are insignificant, then they will be eliminated, as they say, on the spot, but if the breakdown is technically difficult, the plane will be sent for repairs, and another aircraft will be found for the passengers.

Representatives of any airline are reluctant to talk about flight delays due to a malfunction. This spoils the reputation. And it scares many passengers, even those who do not suffer from aerophobia. Therefore, most often, the passengers are not informed that the plane needed repairs.

Late arrival of the airliner

This is one of the most common reasons publicly voiced at airports when a flight is delayed - for passengers it sounds the most harmless. And therefore she is often abused.

Failure of ground services

If there is a delay in the chain of all the necessary actions that are carried out at the airport with the aircraft during the connecting time, from the moment of arrival to departure, this will invariably entail a delay in the flight. It can be slow baggage removal, slow cleaning of the cabin, and late arrival of a new crew - there are a lot of reasons.

In most cases, when boarding an airliner is delayed by 20-30 minutes, this is not a big problem for many. But if you have to wait for several hours, then passengers have the right to demand certain compensation.

If you are waiting for the coveted announcement of the start of check-in for your flight for more than an hour, first of all you need to ask the employees at the information desks for an explanation. Of course, one should not hope for a detailed explanation of the reasons for the delay. Most likely, you will be informed about bad weather conditions or late arrival of the flight, which may not correspond to reality.

In any case, it is necessary ask to put a mark on the boarding ticket that the flight did not take off on time... It will become the basis for claiming certain free services guaranteed by Federal Aviation Regulations.

If the flight is delayed for up to two hours, the carrier must provide all its passengers:

luggage storage;
stay in the room of mother and child those who fly with children under seven years old.

Flight delay of more than two hours

In this case, Russian legislation provides for each passenger:

two phone calls, and not only by domestic, but also by international lines, or two messages by e-mail;
at the expense of the carrier must be arranged distribution of soft drinks.

Flight delay of more than four hours

If it takes more than four hours to languish in anticipation in the terminal halls, then passengers have the right to demand hot food.

Subsequently, the rules stipulate that hot food should be served in the daytime with an interval of 6 hours, and at night - every 8 hours.

Flight delay of 6 hours or more

When the flight is delayed by a quarter of a day or more, the air carrier will have to fork out and pay for the stay at the hotel of its passengers who did not fly out on time.

The hotel is providedif the flight is delayed for more than 6 hours at night, or more than 8 hours during the day; the way to the hotel also paid by the airline.

What compensation can you expect

Additional expenses of the carrier are expected even if the flight is delayed due to its fault. According to the "Air Code of the Russian Federation" for each hour of waiting, the passenger is entitled to a refund - 3 percent of the ticket price... And also - a quarter of a percent of the minimum wage, also every hour of departure delay. True, no more than half of the ticket price.

According to the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights", the airline will be obliged to compensate passengers for the losses they have incurred due to being late to their destination. These can be paid tickets for another type of transport, theaters, musicals, operas, concerts or excursions. Respectively, do not forget to keep all payment receipts and tickets themselves.

If air tickets were included in the price tourist vouchers, then from the carrier you can also demand compensation for paid, but missed days of stay at the hotel. In this case, a claim must be submitted within 20 days after the end of the contract for the provision of tourist services, that is, immediately upon returning home.

When a delay in one flight causes a delay to a connecting flight of the same airline, passengers will be transported free of charge on another plane. At the same time, they will not have to pay extra for seats in business class, if there are no free seats in the economy class. But if you paid for a flight in the "business", and they offer to fly in the budget tail of the plane, demand the return of the price difference.

There is a chance to collect from the airline both moral and material harm due to missed profit due to delay. In this case, the developed project presentations, business plans, forms of contracts prepared for signing, etc. will become evidence.

How to get compensation?

If the carrier does not fulfill its obligations, do not be upset. First, ask the airport administration a certificate of the delayed departure of your aircraft, indicating the reason... And then feel free to go to a restaurant and order any dish, rent a hotel room, get to it by taxi (here the main thing is to use the services of official firms that issue checks) - all this will be reimbursed by the air carrier.

In our country, within six months after an unpleasant incident, you need to send a claim to the airline with a request to reimburse your unplanned expenses. The application form must be accompanied by photocopies of the ticket, flight delay certificate and all available receipts issued in a restaurant, hotel, taxi, etc.

It is difficult to resist such a set of papers in our bureaucratic state - almost certainly the shipping company will quickly resolve the issue in your favor. By law, such requests from passengers can be considered no longer than one month.

But if the management of the airline does not want to solve the problem amicably - write a statement of claim to court... It must also be accompanied by copies of checks, receipts, certificates, as well as an official response from the airline representatives to a request to reimburse costs.

Seeking the return of your funds through the Russian legal system is, of course, not the fastest and most pleasant thing. But if you act decisively, then you can achieve compensation with minimal time losses.

So, to summarize all of the above, when going on an air trip, you must be prepared for the possibility of departure not at the time indicated in the flight schedule. It is necessary to keep all accounting documents received during a long forced stay at the airport (checks, receipts, certificates), as well as tickets paid for, but not used due to delay, for entertainment events in the place where you are flying.

And, perhaps most importantly, always have additional funds on your account - they will be required if the air carrier refuses to fulfill its obligations to organize meals and hotel accommodation for passengers of the delayed flight. But all expenses incurred will then be reimbursed.