A flight delay or cancellation is an easy way to put dampen the mood of the family or big group trip that you have been planning for months.
You have rights as a passenger in the EU, and going after flight delay compensation is how you defend them. Flight cancellation compensation is determined based on a variety of factors, and we will get into that a little later, but what is important to note is that each passenger is entitled to fair compensation. Even if the same booking number is used for everybody because one person made the flight arrangements, appropriate compensation is an amount per passenger.
Defending these rights to collect flight cancellation compensation and making the system work for you is an uphill battle, but it’s one becomes easier for you and the rest of your group, by taking advantage of the proper channels and resources. We are going to explore how flight cancellation compensation works as part of a large group or family, as we outline what you can expect, and what you should do in response.
How Flight Cancellation Compensation Works with Families and Large Groups
Every passenger is seen as an individual in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. If it was caused by extraordinary circumstances, the airline could get off the hook, but if not you will have requests to file for however , many people were in your group.
Passengers aren’t grouped together, although we are sure that airlines wish it were the case. The European Passenger Rights Regulation EC 261/04 protects passengers against flight cancellations, lengthy delays, overbooked flights, and more.
Here is an example for you to consider. If your family of 5 is traveling via British Airways from the United States to London and a delay of more than 3 hours occurs, each ticketed passenger is entitled to compensation up to 600€. And yes, this includes children in your group, but it doesn’t include babies that were meant to travel on the lap of someone in your group. If your claim is legitimate, the airline would then owe the group up to 3000€.
What You Need to Prepare For
Before we move on, here is a quick refresher on your rights, the expectation of comfort, and how it can impact your groups flight cancellation compensation request.
When going through with a compensation claim, potential payouts range from €250-600. The amount you are granted will depend on a variety of factors.
Short distance flight delays (anything below 1500km of travel), will lead to compensation of €250. Medium distance flight delays (between 1500km and 3500km) can lead to payouts of up to €400. Long distance flight delays (anything over 3500km) calls for compensation of €600 per passenger.
With this in mind, preparing yourself for the fight to come, especially if it heads to the courts, goes beyond collecting your groups ticket numbers, receipts, email communication, and more. Be ready for the airline to make it a challenging process, and explore all potential avenues for making it less so.
Leveraging Professional Legal Advice and Guidance
Consider bringing in the professionals who are prepared to fight for your rights as a passenger who is requesting compensation for flight cancellations in the EU .
Your odds of a successful fight for compensation go up when you sign a power-of-attorney (POA), because airlines understand that it will be harder for them to slow the process down with trap doors and hurdles. If you are going after flight cancellation compensation as a group, even though each individual is due to be paid, the appropriate signatures must appear on any POA documents.
How Travel Refund Works for You
TravelRefund is here to help make the process easier for you and your family, so the compensation process isn’t drawn-out and a waste of time. We want to ensure you and your family, or group have the best trip, with little to no worries.
To process your groups case, we will need to collect and review personal information, trip details, and where the delay or cancellation occurred for all involved. This information will make our job easier, and it will make the process a bit smoother as well. Gathering all of the necessary documents and validating your compensation claim isn’t as much of a process as it might sound, and it will be far smoother than going after your flight cancellation compensation on your own.
Compensation for Flight Cancellations
We are constantly expanding our capabilities and improving this process for each one of our clients. TravelRefund operates on a no cure, no pay basis, either you get your compensation, or you don’t. When you turn to us for assistance with collecting compensation, we see it as a simple success/fail scenario.
You will never get a bill from us that is not accompanied by an even larger payment from the airline. Learn more about your options when making a compensation request for free by filling out our online form .