In recent years people looking to get compensation from airlines if their flight suffered a delay or cancelled, has seen a marked increase.
Previously many airlines have refused or have been slow to pay out compensation, but thanks to more awareness in the media and the internet from claims companies such as the UK based www.bestflightdelaycompensation.com and the Arnhem, Netherlands based claim company, EU Claim BV, consumers have realised their right to claim and have recieved thousands in compensation.
What Are Flight Delays? And How Does It Work?
A good example as to what flight delays are and how people can claim compensation for this is looking into the details of a Easyjet flight that was scheduled to fly from Fuenbralada, Spain to Bristol, UK. The plane was cancelled for over 48 hours due to a fuel leak and which left nearly 170 passengers stranded in the Spanish resort.
People who were booked on this flight are able to claim compensation from Easyjet for three reasons.
- The flight was delayed for over three hours.
- The flight started and ended within the European Union.
- The airline is an European Union carrier.
Compensation can also be claimed on flights, which start or terminate outside the European Union – but only if the flight falls into two categories.
1.If the flight flew out from a European Union country and landed in a nation outside the EU, compensation is possible regardless of whether the airline in based in the EU or not.
2.If the flight flew out from outside the European Union and landed within the EU, compensation is only possible if the airline is based in the EU. If the airline is not based in the EU, compensation is not possible.
The average amount of compensation a passenger can expect to receive is £510.
image credit: bbc.com
According to bbc.com, many passenger went onto Facebook to voice their frustrations at the delay and at Easyjet:
On Facebook, Michelle Rounce from Plymouth, said: “The most frustrating thing for us as a family of four has been the lack of information.
“I appreciate we are using a budget airline, but to not have an Easyjet rep at the airport seems crazy.”
And another passenger, Catherine Hodsman from Exeter, said: “Lots of us are also running out of essential medication but we’re kept at the airport with a promise of a flight all day and unable to be ‘let out’ to find a pharmacy.
“It’s unacceptable, we are now on day three of this and I find it hard to believe that a company the size of Easyjet doesn’t have the resources to have sorted this much quicker.”
Further criticism was leveled at Easyjet on twitter.com:
On Twitter, Patrick Sachon tweeted the airline to say “At Fuerteventura at midnight our flight is cancelled but no one is telling where we’ll stay tonight. What’s going on?”
And Johnny Young said: “For all of the families it’s a financial problem, but there is another level of stress because many people are missing their work.”
