4-hour flight delay compensation

What sort of 4-hour flight delay compensation should you expect

Whenever flying there is a lot of personal organization involved, gathering luggage, getting to the airport in time, having all of your documents prepared and ready, passing security and so on.

But you get to the airport on time and the flight departure is delayed by 4 hours and now you’re stuck on an uncomfortable seat with another 300 people around you, what do you do?

With Colibra.io you get your 4 hour flight delay compensation

In 2014 the European Union created article 261 providing passenger care, according to which passengers get 4-hour flight delay compensation in cases where the company has been found at fault for the delay.

There are other circumstances which need to occur in order for a passenger to be eligible for flight delay compensation.

The company must be found at fault for the delay

One of the main problems of claiming flight delay compensation is proving that the company is at fault for the delay.

These circumstances may be technical difficulties, problems with flight crew or logistical problems – this kind of reasoning is under the control of the company and they are fully at fault for the delay.

However, there are elements out of their control like – medical emergencies, security threats, workers strikes, bad weather or other extraordinary circumstances.

According to recent trials in 2017 “worker strikes” are no longer considered a valid reason for rejecting a flight delay claim, and a company is liable if they refuse passenger compensation on those grounds.

Company must be of European origin or departing from Europe

The company at fault must be of European origin or the flight must be departing from one of the European airports. Even if it’s an intercontinental flight, if the company at fault is based in Europe, they should provide 4 hour flight delay compensation and it can be up to 600 EUR.

You should know your rights

There are many cases when passengers were affected by delayed flights, but did not know what their rights were, and while companies are obliged to provide information on flight rights, they have more interest in you remaining misinformed.

So, the best defense against these kinds of problems is an application like what we at Colibra provide which is a traveler’s wallet.

According to EU 261 you are entitled to a compensation 

Whenever the flight is delayed for more than 3 hours, you are entitled to a flight delay compensation which should be proportionate to the distance of your flight – the longer the distance the larger the compensation. You should expect:

  • Flights shorter than 1,500km must be compensated for 250 EUR
  • Flights above 1,500km and below 3,500km must be compensated for 400 EUR
  • Flights above 3,500km delayed more than 3-4 hours get 300 EUR
  • Long distance flights above 3,500km with a delay above 4 hours get 600 EUR

In case of flight disruption, you are also entitled to certain benefits, such as free meals and refreshments, access to phone or internet.

For overnight stays you get sleeping accommodations like hotels or motels within reasonable distance from the airport as well as transportation.

What if the company is refusing – use Colibra

In cases where the company is refusing compensation due to “extraordinary circumstances” you are faced with a bureaucratic wall, your best bet is to use an application like Colibra to always get justice.

Our application does automatic transactions into your account whenever you are experiencing a flight delay, even if it’s only 1 hour.

Information By Flight Type – Learn more about your rights!

Information By Delay Duration – Learn more about your rights!

Information By Airline – Learn more about your rights!