Q&A: How And When To Get Flight Compensation In The Times Of COVID-19
Since the world has become more open, and people travel freely, the delayed or cancelled flights are something most of the air passengers are experiencing at least once a year.
However, due to the unexpected COVID-19 crisis, those I just mentioned became the norm. And, trust me, both passengers and employees are equally unhappy. Fortunately, the majority of airlines managed to deal with the unexpected situation, demonstrating flexibility. They have relieved the change of flight policy or are offering coronavirus flight ticket refunds or even a free replacement of dates.
I’ve gathered everything essential on the topic in the following Q&A.
Q1: When are the passengers allowed to compensation for a cancelled flight in the era of COVID-19?
A: According to EU 261/2004, there are “extraordinary circumstances” — events, that influence a flight, and are truly impossible for the air companies to block or control. These are severe weather conditions, strikes of the air staff, medical emergencies and epidemic situations, political or civil tension, etc.
As COVID-19 falls under this category, the air passengers are not entitled to compensation from the airline. However, they can be allowed in case:
- there is no official travel warning
- the airline cancels the flight due to its financial struggles (caused by the massive drop in demand)
If your flight was with Bulgaria air in specific, in this article you can find more information about how to claim your compensation.
Q2: What happens when the passenger cancels the flight on his initiative?
A: In the times of Coronavirus, if the traveller cancels the trip, his refund will depend on the type of ticket purchased, as specified in the terms and conditions. We’d suggest waiting at least 30 days before the trip and contacting the carrier.
Q3: Are the air passengers can get compensated by the airlines if they have already received a ticket refund?
A: Yes, yes, yes! The passengers are entitled to compensation under EU 261/2004 due to the inconvenience or lost profits caused to them. Keep in mind that this applies only in the cases when the airline cancels a flight for economic reasons and not unavoidable conditions.
Q4: Is contacting a claims management company worth it?
A: Positive. The companies of this sort are specialists in helping air passengers get their due compensation from the airlines.
Most of them, such as AvioClaim, are established by lawyers with solid knowledge in European Aviation Law and the EU Regulation 261/2004. So, they will save you loads of time, nerves, and even additional expenses for hiring a regular, hourly-based lawyer.
And the best part is that they operate on a “no win, no fee” basis. What does it mean? It means the claims management companies receive a commission (vary from 20% to 40%) of the compensation amount.
