Getting flight cancellation compensation isn’t as straightforward as it seems, otherwise, everyone would be getting compensated. Many people tend to ignore it to avoid going through the seemingly tedious process. However, as long as you know your rights regarding this and understand the necessary steps required, you can claim compensation whenever your flight gets cancelled.

This article contains a quick guide to let you know what to do if your flight gets cancelled.

Contact the Airline Right Away

In many cases, you would be notified of the cancellation and possibly the rescheduled date, as these flights often get rebooked. However, you may still need to contact them for other reasons. This may include if you haven’t gotten an official notification from them, if you got notified less than 14 days to the departure date, and also to know the reason for the cancellation. Confirm arrangements for the next date if you want the flight rescheduled or cancel your booking entirely. This contact will also be an avenue to discuss other important matters regarding the cancellation with the airline, some of which are highlighted below.

Describe What Happened

As you contact the airline, you must also be considering how to get compensated. There are different ways to contact these airlines but the most effective would be via email. Describe in detail what went wrong with your flight experience, how much money you claim, and most importantly, include the right quote from the EU Regulation 261/2004 (or EC 261). The EC 261 is the flight compensation regulation to assist passengers with any form of flight disruption.

Know the Law

To claim your rights, you must know the law that applies to you. In this case, it is the EC 261.

You are entitled to a refund if the airline informed you about the cancellation less than 14 days before your flight’s scheduled departure date. The law states that if the airline fails to notify you on time, you could be entitled to €250 – €600 depending on the distance of the flight. To claim this, the reason for the cancelled flight must be within the airline’s control, i.e it’s something they could have avoided had they taken appropriate measures.

Take Advantage of Higher Authorities

The National Enforcement Body (NEB) or an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme is there to help if the airline refuses to compensate you. Oftentimes than not, airlines tend to lie about the circumstances surrounding the cancellation or take advantage of the passengers’ ignorance. If you believe you are entitled to compensation, following EC 261, make use of the relevant authorities. To be more efficient, you can hire a lawyer or make use of agencies like Flightright.

Review Your Itinerary

Take some time to review your itinerary and gather all your documents, as this can help hasten the process. Consider connecting flights that might have been affected, extra charges you may have incurred as a result of the cancelled flight, and more.

Bottom Line

The first step to ensure you get compensated for a cancelled flight is to know your rights and what it takes to make it happen.