Air passenger rights: if a flight is canceled at a European airport

This summer, many European airports are operating with annoying failures, this should be recognized as a reality. What to do if the flight is cancelled?

The reasons for disruptions in the work of airports are strikes of flight crews, loaders, security services, technical problems, lack of personnel, technical problems. But the passengers suffering from it do not care what exactly caused problems in their journey. Belgian Daniel Rotier says that his trip from Brussels to Verona (Italy) turned into a nightmare:

“On June 7th we were informed by email that our flight on June 8th has been cancelled. The only alternative offered was to try to get a seat on the June 10th flight in two days. We asked the owner of the Brussels apartment if we could stay longer. He allowed, but set a different price. Ryanair did not provide any explanation. We tried to contact them by mail, phone, but there was no answer.”

Daniel is currently seeking reimbursement for the additional costs. But not everyone knows that this is possible, and therefore they do not store travel documents or at least their copies.

According to the rules of the European Union, if the flight is canceled, the air carrier must:

1. return the money for the ticket or
2. change the date of departure, even in another airline;
3. provide the passenger with compensation for the expenses incurred in such a situation, including for accommodation.

However, Steven Berger, a representative of the European consumer organization, notes that airlines often deliberately leave the passenger in the dark about his rights, but act, of course, in accordance with their own interests:

“In the event of bad weather or a strike by airport employees, which are external circumstances, you are not entitled to compensation, and in a number of other cases you are. The amount of compensation is different, depending on the distance of your flights. This amount can range from 250 to 600 euros.”

Dublin Airport was the first to begin compensating passengers for late check-in due to external reasons beyond their control. Summer and holiday season are in full swing, but many major carriers are forced to admit they are not ready for travel demand to return to pre-Covid levels. Thousands of flights are cancelled. In the current situation, passengers are advised to keep all their tickets and receipts, and boldly defend their rights.

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