Reimbursement of the air ticket, air travel is now very frequent and it often happens to have to deal with the problems due to a delay or a canceled flight.
We thus find ourselves wondering about the possibility of obtaining a refund of the plane ticket and the modalities of this procedure. In this short guide we will try to clarify the rights of each passenger.
Perhaps not everyone knows that the European Union provides for the passenger the right to reimbursement of the plane ticket. The methods of providing the refund vary according to the problems encountered by the passenger, the type of refund will differ depending on whether it is a malfunction of the airline, a personal renunciation to use the ticket or exceptional circumstances.
Accepting the airline’s terms and conditions when purchasing your air ticket does not mean losing your rights as to how to be treated as a passenger. In fact, in the European Union there are laws that determine how passengers must be treated by airlines and that regulate the procedure for reimbursement of air tickets.
Passenger rights are governed by EC regulation 261/2004 , better known as the Passenger Rights Charter . It is a document that is applied to passengers traveling within the European Union, regardless of the type of airline and the flag itself.
The aim of the regulation is to establish protection for travelers and set minimum rights in the event of:
- delays
- flight cancellation
- overbooking
It should be noted that if the delay, cancellation or denied boarding (overbooking) takes place outside the European Union, the regulation cannot be applied. In this case, the protections for passengers are those ensured by local legislation and by the rules governing the transport contract.
INDEX
- Flight delayed: what to do?
- Flight cancellation: passenger rights
- What happens to the passenger ticket in case of overbooking?
- Air ticket refund: when is it not possible to get it?
- How to make a complaint: instructions for use
Flight delayed: what to do?
In the event of a delayed flight , the passenger is entitled to compensation for damages only if the delay exceeds three hours. The Charter of Passenger Rights establishes that the airline must compensate passengers for damage caused by a delay of more than 180 minutes .
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The airline is obliged to assist the passenger during the wait with meals, drinks, adequate hotel accommodation, in the event that one or more nights are required. He will also have to provide for the transport costs from the airport to the place of accommodation and vice versa.
In the event that the delay was at least five hours , the passenger has the possibility to cancel the flight, without having to pay penalties, and obtain a refund of the flight ticket for the part of the trip not made.
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Flight cancellation: passenger rights
If the flight is not performed, lands in an airport that does not correspond to the final destination or is forced to return to the original airport, it is defined as canceled.
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In this case, the passenger is entitled to a refund of the price of the air ticket , for the part of the journey not made, or to obtain a ticket for an alternative or return flight .
In both cases the airline will have to provide assistance to the passenger : hotel accommodation if necessary, meal vouchers and transport costs. The company may in some cases ask the traveler to anticipate the expenses and then provide for the reimbursement, once the supporting documents such as receipts and invoices have been presented.
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What happens to the passenger ticket in case of overbooking?
The over-reservation, commonly called overbooking, is carried out by companies in order to maximize the earnings. This technique consists of selling more airline tickets than the actual availability of the aircraft. It may therefore happen that, at the time of check-in, the passenger no longer finds a seat as they are all assigned.
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In this case the airline can:
- reimburse the price of the air ticket for the part of the journey not taken
- use the right of re-routing byoffering the passenger a ticket for another flight
During the wait, the passenger is also entitled to receive adequate assistance. The company must in fact provide meals and drinks, and hotel accommodation, when necessary.
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Air ticket refund: when is it not possible to get it?
The Passenger’s Bill of Rights lists a number of circumstances in which a refund of the flight ticket cannot be obtained.
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These circumstances are defined as exceptional because they are events out of the ordinary .
Exceptional circumstances are considered:
- Strikeof ground airport personnel and / or air traffic control;
- Adverse weather conditions and calamities such as earthquakes, hurricanes or tsunamis. In some cases even when rain, snow and fog are so strong as to prevent a flight;
- Political reasons such as terrorist attacks or political unrest that undermine people’s safety;
- Health reasons: a crew member or passenger needs medical assistance and thus prevents or delays take-off;
- Airport reasons, for example long lines at security checks or air traffic restrictions.
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Reimbursement and compensation are two different hypotheses which in some cases can be added together. In some situations, in addition to reimbursement, it is also possible to request financial compensation.
The refund concerns the refund of the sum already paid for the purchase of an airline ticket. The compensation is instead a sum to be paid in respect of damage suffered.
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The two conditions can be added in the event of a flight cancellation, overbooking or delay of more than five hours, when an alternative flight is not provided in the terms explained above.
In Italy, it is possible to appeal to the European Regulation up to two years after the flight date . It also remains the possibility for passengers to opt for the voucher , which in any case must not be imposed but offered as an alternative to reimbursement of the airline ticket.
How to make a complaint: instructions for use
If you want to make a claim for the refund of the flight ticket in the event of flight cancellation, delay or overbooking, the passenger must contact the airline that issued the ticket. In the event that the traveler has opted for “all inclusive” solutions, he must contact the Tour Operator with whom the trip was organized directly.
The passenger must submit the complaint within two years from the date of the flight following the instructions provided by the airline itself.
If the individual airline does not provide for specific complaint procedures for the reimbursement of the airline ticket, the traveler can follow the complaint forms prepared by the European Union.
