How Does Flight Delay Compensation Work?

Have you experienced a flight delay or cancellation in the last six years?

Do you think you may be entitled to compensation?

If your answer was yes to both of the questions above, then head over to our website www.flightclaimsonline.co.uk, where our team of experts are ready and waiting to set your claim in motion. All our claims handlers are experts at making the process of claiming fast and easy and are trained, experienced and qualified to see your claim right through to completion. Unlike other firms, here at Flight Claims Online we pride ourselves on our personalised and efficient service. Thanks to our dedicated customer care team, we are now considered one of the top flight delay compensation claim specialists in the UK.

We maintain close working relationships with all of major airlines, and have helped thousands of clients retrieve the compensation they deserve. We are experts in Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, the main regulation that governs flight delays and we ensure all our clients receive the compensation they deserve.

A claim with us takes on average 30 days from start to successfully claiming compensation. Although it is rare for a claim to go to court, if it does we won’t bog you down with unnecessary details and will give you just the facts and general guidelines for eligibility before dealing with everything else behind the scenes.

On top of this, we provide an easy to use flight delay compensation calculator on our website so you can see just how much compensation you could get.

If processing a claim still sounds too daunting or stressful, don’t worry. Our claims handlers will make the entire process easy. All we require are a few personal details and your flight number, and leave the rest to us. From the information you provide we will cross-reference against our database to determine the cause of the flights delay or cancellation and check if you have an eligible claim.

Eligible Factors

All eligibility criteria are set out in Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. The following checklist will help you see if you are entitled to flight delay compensation:

-          The delayed flight must be from or to a destination within the EU (This only applies to the following departure countries from outside Europe: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion Island, Mayotte as well as Saint-Martin, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands).

The cause of the delay must have been due to one of the following factors:

-          Technical or engineering issues with the aircraft;

-          Issues of communication between the airline & departing Airport;

-          Delays caused by pilots or cabin crew;

-          Strikes by airline staff;

-          The arrival at the destination airport was delayed by over 3 hours.

Flight Distance and Length of Delay.

The amount of flight compensation you may be eligible to is based on the length of delay and the distance of the flight. The time of delay is calculated by how late the aircraft arrived at the destination airport, not how late it was leaving the departure airport.

Flight Distance

Flight Destination	Flight Distance	Arrival Delay	Compensation (EUR)
All flights	Up to 1500 KM	3 hours+	250
Within EU	More than 1500 KM	3 Hours+	400
Between EU &Non-EU	Between 1500 – 3500 KM	3 Hours+	400
Between EU &Non-EU	More than 3500 KM	4 Hours+	600

Flight Delay Compensation: An Introduction

There’s no worse way to start your holiday or business trip than with a delayed flight. Just when you start to get into ‘relaxation’ mode, an announcement comes over the tannoy system to ruin this mood. While short delays are manageable, what happens if it exceeds three hours? Well, in this case, Regulation 261/2004 suggests you could receive up to EUR 600 in compensation.

Flight Delay Compensation: An Introduction

In terms of qualifying, the flight must have departed from an EU country, landed in an EU country, or been with a European airline. As long as the delay was more than three hours, you’ll be eligible for compensation…as long as the airline is responsible for the delay.

Sometimes, airlines can get just as frustrated as you when the airport staff are striking, when weather prevents them from flying, or when they’re not in control of the problem. Therefore, you won’t be eligible for compensation when the airline isn't responsible for the delay. However, you WILL be eligible when the airline is the direct cause; for example, airline staff strikes, poor communication from airline to airport, and pilot or cabin crew problems.

Under Regulation 261/2004, the amount of compensation you can receive is dependent on the details of the flight itself. If you’re flying from an EU country to another EU country, either EUR 250 or EUR 400 will be available depending on whether you flew under 1,500km or over 1,500km respectively. If your destination airport was outside the EU, the following applies;

•    Up to 1,500km - EUR 250

•    Between 1,500km and 3,500km - EUR 400

•    More than 1,500km - EUR 600

50% of the compensation amount will be available when your flight exceeds 3,500km and the delay is between three and four hours; the overall delay is based on your arrival time at the destination.

Getting Help

Did you know that there are some fantastic services out there who offer free advice and a ‘no win, no fee’ policy on all cases? This is true, and we pride ourselves on our customer service within the industry. All you need to do is provide the flight information and we’ll use our database of flight data, weather reports, and even news reports to assess the cause of the delay. If the airline was responsible, and the flight was delayed by more than three hours, we’ll get to work and aim for the compensation you deserve.

As well as help with compensation, we can also provide advice as to future airline practices. For example, for delays over two hours, all airlines have a responsibility to pay for food, drink, and communication expenses for passengers. For even longer delays and cancellations, they should even provide accommodation and transport to the accommodation.

Complete Guide to Your Rights with Flight Delays and Cancellations

For their own protection, you may find that airlines provide information regarding flight delays on their website, or in documentation which may explain that you not entitle to compensation. However, this isn't to say that flight delay compensation can’t be retrieved. In the past, we’ve seen hundreds of passengers receive flight delay compensation using Flight Claims Online, and the same may be true for you if you were travelling to/from a European airport.

As you’ve probably discovered yourself, there’s very little information available regarding this topic…but we’re on a mission to change this!

Flight Delay Compensation 

In conjunction with Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, we help passengers claim the compensation they deserve after experiencing a cancellation (or even a delay). Not only is this possible, the process is incredibly easy with Flight Claims Online because we know you’re already stressed and frustrated with the airline. Rather than frustrating you even further, we aim to guide you through the process effortlessly.

Will you receive compensation? This all depends on the cause of your delay, the length of the delay and flight distance between the two airports.

1. Cause of Delay

Firstly, we should note that compensation will only be achievable when the airline is directly accountable for the delay, cancellation or overbooking. Common reasons include;

•    Lack of communication between airline and airport

•    Technical or engineering issues

•    Staff strikes (airline ONLY)

•    Issues with cabin crew or pilots

Since the airline isn't directly responsible, you won’t be eligible for compensation for;

•    Air traffic controller clearance (or lack of!)

•    Extreme weather

•    Security alerts (threats of terrorism)

•    Political unrest

•    Severe technical faults (aside of routine checks)

•    Strikes from airport staff

2. Length of Delay

Secondly, how long was your flight and how long were you kept waiting? In terms of ‘delay time’ this is the difference between your expected and actual arrival time. The following table should give you some guidance;

Destination	Distance	Delay	Compensation (EUR)
All	Under 1,500km	3+ hours	250
Inside EU	Over 1,500km	3+ hours	400
Between EU & Non-EU	1,500-3,500km	3+ Hours	400
Between EU & Non-EU	Over 3,500km	4+ Hours	600

Depending on the airline, you may be given vouchers for refreshments, accommodation, transport (to accommodation), and expenses for communication (phone calls or WiFi). Of course, the accommodation vouchers will only be applicable where overnight delays or cancellations apply. Also, we should note that help should be provided for those with reduced mobility. For those who don’t use vouchers, you’ll be asked to keep receipts and claim a refund later.

Furthermore, any reimbursed expenses will be for purchases considered ‘reasonable’ (i.e. you can’t have a five course meal and expect the airline to pay for it!). Before heading into the third consideration, not everybody will be entitled to compensation. The following customers will be ineligible;

•    Those with a multi-mode ticket (planning to travel on ferry, rail, or another mode of transport).

•    Those who bought the ticket with a holiday package.

•    Those travelling with a free/special ticket (this includes staff discount tickets).

3. Departing and Destination Airports

Finally, what airport did you leave and where were you heading? To be protected under the regulations, you either need to be departing/arriving in Europe or the flight needs to be with a European airline. Unfortunately, the regulation doesn’t currently cover departures from the Channel Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, or the Isle of Man.

Contact Us Today

With this, you should have everything you need to know regarding flight delay compensation. Using the table above and our three considerations, feel free to send a message if you feel that you’re owed compensation. With a quick phone call, we can discuss the process in more detail and take the first step towards the money you deserve.

Thanks to our advanced policies, you won’t pay a penny if you don’t win and our fees are much lower than others in the industry at 25%. Furthermore, we offer a flight delay claim calculator so you can see how much you’re likely to receive.

Why not try it today? We’ve made the process simple so your days of frustration can come to an end!

Flight Schedule Changes - Can I Get Compensation?

When planning our trips away, whether business or pleasure, we don’t account for delays, cancellations, and changes to the flight schedules. Unfortunately, they do happen with airlines…and there’s something you can do about it. Although it’s not widely advertised, some passengers will be eligible for flight delay compensation and we’ve made the claiming process easier than ever before.

In many cases, a delay (or even an advance) to the flight time will allow for compensation since you bought the ticket with the promise of a specific flight time. Today, we want to cover your rights with pre-arranged cancellations and changes rather than delays caused by strikes, weather, or engineering/technical problems.

If you don’t see your question answered here, please feel free to get in touch with us directly. Not only will you get the answers, we’ll tell you how we can help (no-obligation support, of course!).

Compensation Eligibility and Airline Notifications

Firstly, there will be restrictions depending on the extent to which your flight has been brought forward or delayed. However, in many cases, you’re eligible for compensation if the flight schedule was altered after buying the ticket thanks to European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004.

Why only ‘many cases’? Well, the airline is within their rights to make adjustments to the flight schedule as long as they make passengers aware more than two weeks before the flight. If you didn't get two weeks’ notice, get in touch with us today!

Why Do Schedule Changes Occur?

In truth, these sorts of changes actually happen because airlines sell their tickets before they even know if a runway is available for the flight. While we can all buy tickets a year before flying, runway slots can only be booked three months in advance. Only once the runway is booked can the airline confirm the actual schedule, get correct staff in, etc.

Moved to Another Flight Altogether

What if you get moved to another flight rather than a simple time change? In this scenario, you’ll be entitled to either a partial or full refund through flight delay compensation because they would have cancelled your original flight (it therefore counts as a cancellation!).

Importance of Delayed/Advanced Times and Potential Compensation

With most airlines, they’ll say that significant delays deserve compensation. The problem? Unfortunately, every airline has a different definition of ‘significant’ as you’ll see below;

•    Virgin - 12+ hours

•    Easyjet - 5+ hours

•    Thomson - 5+ hours

•    Ryanair - 3+ hours

•    British Airways - 2+ hours

With this in mind, each case is normally unique depending on the delay/advance and the specific airline. If you want to see how much compensation you could be entitled to, feel free to use our brilliant flight claim calculator.

For more information, you’re welcome to ask one of our brilliant team members directly!

How Does Flight Delay Compensation Work? The Facts! (1)

You’re ready for your holiday, or perhaps even a business meeting, you arrive at the airport early, and all is going well…until the dreaded announcement comes over the annoy to inform you of a delay. We all know how frustrating this can be, but not everybody is aware that flight delay compensation may be available (in some cases, the compensation can cover the cost of the flight!). Ultimately, the compensation you receive depends on the circumstances surrounding the delay itself.

If your flight happens to leave before the original departure time and you are only notified within 14 hours of the flight, you could qualify for compensation. Currently, as a passenger, your rights are protected by law. Flight Claims Online uses European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 to retrieve compensation affected passengers are entitled to.

Today, we want to break down some of the most common questions regarding this topic so you can feel confident moving forward. If you think you’re owed flight delay compensation after reading this short guide, free to get in touch with one of our professional advisers and they’ll provide tailored advice to you!

Why Are Delays So Common?

In truth, there are certain inefficiencies with flights that are almost unavoidable. While airlines book runway slots approximately three months before the flight, tickets for said flights have already been available for more than nine months. Therefore, one small issue with staff or runway availability can lead to scheduling errors (and, you guessed it, delays).

For those who have been moved to another airline or flight, you will likely qualify for flight delay compensation and may even get a full refund.

How Much Am I Owed?

With this information in mind, the next obvious question regards the compensation amount itself. The compensation you receive will depend on a number of factors, including;

•    The airline in question

•    The extent of the delay

•    The reason for the delay

•    Your arrival time (at the destination)

Luckily, flight delay compensation is a fairly common these days, which means there are some brilliant tools online; for example, our website provides a compensation calculator where you can get an accurate estimation of what you’re owed.

If you read the small print from the airline, you’ll probably find a section explaining the delay time required before compensation is awarded. However, what you have to realise is that your rights are also protected by the European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. The airlines have some suggested delay times what they ‘consider’ to be a delay worth of compensation:

•    Virgin - 12+ hours

•    Easyjet - 5+ hours

•    Thomson - 5+ hours

•    Ryanair - 3+ hours

•    British Airways - 2+ hours

Make a Claim Today

Although the process can be a little confusing, Flight Claims Online aim to make it much easier when retrieving the compensation you’re owed. With our professional and reliable service, we know the industry like the back of our hands and will put you in the strongest possible position to receive the right flight delay compensation for your claim!