The regulations cover more than just denied boarding, it also covers cancellations and delays.
If your flight is cancelled
If your flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you the option of being reimbursed or rerouted (either on the next available flight or on an agreed date), and must also provide you with meals and telephone calls.
If rerouting involves departing the following day or later, you are entitled to hotel accommodation if necessary.
In addition, you are entitled to compensation, unless:
- you are told of the cancellation at least two weeks before departure, or
- you are told of the cancellation between one and two weeks before departure, and rerouting your flight will get you to your final destination no more than four hours late,
- rerouting will get you to your destination no more than two hours late.
There is an exception to the right to compensation if the airline can prove that the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the airline.
Technical faults do not count as examples of extraordinary circumstances.
Compensation for cancelled flights
You can claim for compensation for your cancelled flight. The amounts are:
- €250 for flights under 1500 kilometres (932 miles – short haul)
- €400 for all longer flights within EU, and for all other flights between 1500 kilometres (932 miles) and 3500 kilometres (2175 miles – medium haul)
- €600 for all other flights (long haul)
Compensation can be reduced by up to 50% if the airline provides you with the option of re-routing your flights and the ultimate arrival time of the re-routed flights would be within two hours of your originally scheduled arrival time for short-haul flights, within three hours for medium haul flights, and within four hours for long haul flights.
Compensation can be paid by cash, bank transfer or cheque. Only if the passenger agrees can it be paid in travel vouchers or other services.
