Flight delays can be a very frustrating and unpleasant experience. Even more frustrating is not getting any flight compensation for a delay, that’s not your fault, but for a flight you paid for.
Or in other cases – you’ve missed your connecting flight or they deny boarding due to overbooking. So, how can you defend your rights when they are violated? The European Union has a law that is specifically aimed at protecting air passengers rights and giving the opportunity to claim compensation.
This is the EU Regulation 261/2004 which sets very specific rules about air passengers rights and the compensation they get to receive if a flight was delayed by fault of the airline.
If you are a regular traveller on the European air routes then it’s highly recommended to get to know the protection you have from the EU.
Am I Eligible For Compensation For a 1 Hour Flight Delay?
It’s very important to know and remember that not all cases can be considered a violation of air passengers rights.
Remembering just a few simple rules can help you a lot in a situation with a flight delay. Firstly the delay must be at least 1 hour or more, and this includes the whole trip and the landing time.
If the delay is before the flight, but after you land it’s less than 1 hour, then you won’t be eligible for a compensation. A good tip is to use professional boarding pass wallets.
The second rule you must remember is the responsibility for the delay. If it’s the airlines fault, then you are eligible for a compensation.
On the other hand, if the delay is caused by unforeseen extraordinary circumstances out of the airline’s control, such as strikes, bad weather, technical faults, etc., then you can’t claim a compensation.
The third and final rule to know is that you must be on an EU regulated flight which departs from one of the European airports or/and is carried out by an airline registered in the EU. Otherwise, you won’t be able to claim compensation.
The easiest way to claim a compensation, if all the criteria is met, is to use Colibra, which pays your compensation without any conditions every time you experience delayed flights.
What Am I Entitled To For My Delay?
The first thing you should remember is that the amount of the compensation doesn’t at all depend on the price of your ticket.
When all conditions for compensation have been met, then you are eligible to file your compensation claims. Luckily the European Regulator has very clear terms about the amount of the compensation (depending on the distance) and what it depends:
- Flights less than 1,500 km: €250;
- Flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km: €400;
- Fights more than 3,500km, delayed by 3-4 hours: €300;
- Flight more than 3,500 km, delayed by more than 4 hours: €600.
As you can see for yourself, the compensation amounts are based on the distance of your flight and the time dilation. In certain cases, you are entitled to the so-called right to care, which gives you a number of essential for your comfort and well-being.
These essentials include a meal or meal vouchers, refreshments, access or Internet or a phone, and some means of overnight stay (a hotel room or transportation).
You are entitled to such essentials if your flight delay is for more than 2 hours, so in the case of a 1-hour flight delay, you won’t be able to receive them. For delays above 3 hours you are entitled to compensation, but make sure that the scheduled time at arrival also exceeds the 3-hour mark.
What if my flight was cancelled?
All rules for delayed flights apply for cancelled flights with some exceptions. In order to complain to the airline and claim flight cancellation compensation, the following condition should be met – you shouldn’t have been notified of a flight cancellation at least 14 days in advance. In this case, you are entitled to claim from the airline not only a full refund of the ticket’s price but a compensation as well.
How To Claim My Compensation?
So here comes the most important question – How do you claim flight delay compensation? Assuming that your flight delays meets all condition for a compensation, to whom do you turn to when you’re eligible?
The main problem in these cases is that the majority of the passengers are not familiar with their rights as EU air passengers.
The formal process is quite prolonging and requires a lot of effort and nerve to go through. And at the end of it you don’t even get a guarantee that you’ll receive a compensation.
Most airlines know that and therefore tend to prolong their communication with passengers as long as they can, hoping that the passenger will eventually decide to give up their claim.
It’s important to hold on to your rights, but if you’re not that type of person feeling comfortable to claim on your own, then it’s an option to hire a lawyer.
Lawyers, however, will demand an upfront payment no matter the outcome of the case, so this is not the most financially smart move for you.
So, you have the right to claim a compensation for you flight delay, but you don’t have the time or the nerve to follow the whole procedure to the end – what do you do then? The answer is very simple – use Colibra.
The Colibra Way To Claim
Here is where Colibra comes in very hand. It’s a very simple to use mobile application, which pays you the amount of your compensation without any conditions every time you flight gets delayed over and hour and more.
So what do you need to do? Well you have to register your boarding pass no later than 20 minutes before take-off whether or not there is an expected delay.
The most important things you should remember about Colibra are:
- You don’t need to worry about getting reliable information about the cause of the delay;
- You don’t need to invest any of your time, money and nerves in claiming your compensation;
- There are absolutely no costs for using Colibra as the app is free;
- You have a guaranteed payment within 24 hours after landing.
Basically Colibra offers you an effective solution to receiving your compensation whenever your flight is delayed.
Don’t let your rights be violated and claim what is rightfully yours. Download our app and never worry about getting your compensation!
Information By Flight Type – Learn more about your rights!
Information By Delay Duration – Learn more about your rights!
- Flight Delay Compensation
- 2 Hour Flight Delay Compensation
- 3 Hour Flight Delay Compensation
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- 5 Hour Flight Delay Compensation
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- 7 Hour Flight Delay Compensation
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