Air Travel Tips - passenger rights tips

Travelling by plane is one of the safest ways you could choose to travel with. Because of that, it became significantly more popular in the past decade or two, contributing to the rise of more and more air passengers. As of today, there are millions of air passengers that travel each year. However, most of them do not realize the most crucial fact about their travels. What they do not realize is that they have passenger rights. No matter what, there are going to be some inconveniences while you travel at some point. Experiencing a flight delay, or in some cases, straight-up cancellation can be annoying or even traumatizing. This, however, does not have to mean you should avoid travelling by air. If you, unfortunately, do experience these things, do not worry, as today we are here to help you by going over your rights as a passenger.

What Rights do You Have Exactly?

As an air passenger, you have more rights than you might originally think. No matter if it’s a delay, your flight being overbooked, they lose or damage your bag, or something else entirely, if you know what to do, you can get hefty compensation for your troubles. If you are unsure what your rights are, worry not as we will go over the passenger rights and what tips and tricks you can use to get something out of a bad situation. Here are some bad situations and what you can do about them.

What makes you Eligible for Flight Delay Compensation?

Sometimes, out of nowhere, you can experience flight delays or flight cancellations. This can really put a wrench in your travel plans disrupting your business trip, or holiday, or even make you late for your connecting flight. It goes without saying that this is a major issue for you. That being said, even in this situation, there is a saving grace in the form of compensation. However, you will not be able to claim compensation in every situation. In most cases, you are eligible for compensation if you arrive at your travelling destination a minimum of 3 hours later than planned. Depending on the airline you are travelling with, you can get different amounts of compensation. For example, Wiz air compensation and Transavia compensation for a delayed flight are up to €600 regardless of the price of your ticket.

Keep in mind that you are only eligible for compensation if the flight delay is due to reasons that are outside of the airline's control. The most common reason is bad weather; however, it can also be some third-party issues such as employees on a strike or air traffic control. In these cases, sadly, you will not be able to claim compensation, but these circumstances are rare.

What to do if you are bumped off a Flight?

Getting bumped from a flight is certainly the worst. This usually happens when the airlines oversell their flight and more passengers show up than the plane can take. In the case of this happening, the airline will see if there are any volunteers that are willing to skip out. They usually offer flight vouchers, a seat on the next flight to your destination, or in some cases hotel vouchers. On the other hand, if you are bumped from the plane without your consent, the airline has an obligation to provide you with a written statement containing your rights as a passenger. Additionally, they must give you an offer for compensation if the arrival of your substitute transportation will arrive more than one hour late to your destination. The amount of compensation you can expect is from 2 to 4 times the price of the original one-way ticket.

Furthermore, if the amount you can get from the airline compensation is not enough to cover what you potentially lost, for example, a missed business meeting, special opportunity or occasion. In these cases, you can attempt to negotiate a more suitable compensation for yourself. If necessary, you can even take the airline to court, but make sure that your case is valid before you do so.

Damaged or Lost Baggage

Getting off a plane only to find out your baggage is damaged or lost is definitely not what you want. These days, airlines have better systems to handle and track your baggage, but there is always a possibility of something unexpected happening. However, if you do happen to find yourself in this unfortunate circumstance, expect hefty compensation for it. In this situation, an airline is liable and must provide you with compensation up to the amount of their liability limit. That being said, providing proof of lost or damaged baggage on the spot can be quite challenging. However, it is necessary that you provide proof if you want to receive compensation for it. One of the simplest ways you can do that is by taking a couple of photos of your luggage when you are packing for the trip.