89% of passengers affected by an incident with their flight do not claim for compensation
Almost 9 out of 10 people affected by an incident on their flight do not request compensation from the airline, according to data from the specialized company Reclamio.com. Among the causes of this fact are the lack of information about the rights of passengers and also the obstacles that some companies put during the process.
“The number of passengers who end up not complaining is high. Airlines should inform passengers of their rights, but they fail to do so and take advantage of the fact that many people are unaware that denied boarding, flight cancellations or delays can entitle them to compensation;n of up to 600€ if the reason for the incident is attributable to the company, as stated in European regulations”, says Noemí Ferná ndez, manager of Reclamio.com.
Another reason that makes most passengers desist from filing a claim is the obstacles that some airlines put in the way of the process. We receive cases of passengers who knew what their rights were and wanted to claim their compensation, but after months of insisting by mail and telephone and receiving successive letters and phone calls, they were unable to claim their compensation;fono and after receiving successive excuses from the airline, they have finally given up on making the claim on their own, explains Fernández.
The Reclamio.com team reminds passengers of their rights in the event of an incident with their flight. First of all, the affected passenger is entitled to a economic compensation.
It is very important to keep all the documentation related to the flight to be able to file the claim later and obtain the compensation, which is 250€ in flights up to 1.500 km distance; 400€ on flights between 1,500 km and 3,000 km distance; and 600€ on flights over 3,000km distance.
Secondly, the company must offer you the possibility to choose between one of the following options:
-Refund of the cost of the ticket and, if you have a connecting flight, a return flight as soon as possible to the airport of departure;
-Alternate transport to the final destination as soon as possible, with the airline itself or another airline and under comparable transport conditions;
-Alternate transport at a later date that suits the passenger under comparable transport conditions, if seats are available.
If the airline does not offer a choice and the traveler purchases his/her own ticket, he/she should also keep the receipt and the new boarding pass to file a claim.
Thirdly, the airline is obliged to provide free assistance: drinks, meals, accommodation, round-trip transportation between the accommodation and the airport and two phone calls, fax messages or e-mails.
In the event that you do not provide assistance and the traveler pays for the expenses, it is important to retain the tickets for later reimbursement, provided they are necessary, reasonable and appropriate. The passenger has up to 5 years to try to make a claim.