On cancelled flights, under EU Regulation 261/2004f the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation.
Therefore holidaymakers have certain rights if their flight is cancelled or delayed based on this grounds-:
- The flight must have departed from an EU airport and be operated by any airline, or it must be arriving into an EU airport and be operated by an EU airline. The ‘EU airport’ also includes the following countries; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
- Firstly airlines must offer an alternative flight or a full refund if your flight was cancelled.
- You can also get a full refund if the flight wasn’t cancelled but was delayed for more than five hours and you no longer wish to travel.
- Airlines must also offer you meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation as appropriate whilst you wait for a rearranged flight for both delays and cancellation.
- They should also cover any transport costs between the hotel and the airport.
- You should keep any food, transport or accommodation receipts to use when making a claim for compensation.
Here are some of the key questions around the claims process:
What rules apply?
-EU law protects passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled under the Denied Boarding Regulation.
-This applies to flights either departing from an EU airport or those that are both arriving at an EU airport and operated by an EU airline, such as Ryanair.
Are passengers entitled to a refund?
Yes, passengers can claim a refund from the airline. If they have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, they can also claim the full cost of the return ticket.
What if a passenger still wants to travel?
Ryanair must offer an alternative flight as soon as possible after the cancelled flight. This will be ‘at worse’ on the following day, Ryanair said.
Do they get any assistance while they wait?
Delayed passengers are entitled to claim reasonable expenditure for food, soft drinks, phone calls and accommodation.
What about compensation?
If less than 14 days notice is given for a cancellation, airline travellers can claim up to 250 euros (£221) under EU regulation 261, depending on the timing of the alternative flight.
Customers given more warning are not entitled to a payout.
Is compensation automatic?
No, disrupted passengers must write a letter of complaint to the airline.
They should keep as much evidence as they can, such as boarding cards and receipts to claim expenses.
A template letter can be found on the website of consumer watchdog Which?
