The Best Way to Get Compensation for a Delayed or Canceled Flight
Lost or improperly handled baggage, broken equipment or flights with insufficient seats are some examples of situations where you may be eligible for some form of compensation from airlines . Bad weather or missed flight – no. Here’s how and when to seek help.
First, your air travel and compensation entitlements vary from airline to airline and also from country to country. The US Department of Transportation says that by law you must be compensated if you are unintentionally “knocked out” due to an oversold flight. In Europe, you may receive compensation for a canceled flight or delay of five hours or more. The Points Guy article also notes that on more rare occasions, broken equipment, such as a faulty seat or a malfunctioning air conditioner nozzle, or a service that jeopardizes the safety of passengers, may be a fair case for compensation, but much more difficult to justify.
Once you decide you have a good case, you need to keep all the documentation, focus the complaint on the underlying issue, and obviously be polite. As noted in the article:
The key to successfully resolving a problem with a flight for any reason is to report before leaving the airport where either the problem occurred or where you were first notified of the problem.
If you are unable to speak to someone in person right away, you should first reach out to the airline’s team on social media. These groups are empowered to help … You can also file a complaint and request compensation using the standard complaint forms that most airlines have on the Internet. Remember to be short, emotionless, and state in advance what you consider fair compensation. However, this option should be your last resort, as you are likely to do better on the phone, in person, or through social media.
You can also file a complaint with the airline’s customer service department . Limit your email to two pages, include documentation and your contact information, and keep it professional. In each case, you must clearly understand what, in your opinion, the airline should take to remedy the situation. Read the article below to find out more.
How to get compensation for a wrong flight | The points guy