AK-SERVICE-TIP

Automatically saved draft

AK expert Birgit Auner has valuable tips

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Stock Adobe, AK Stmk)

If the anticipation of a long-awaited vacation is dampened by an hour-long flight delay, those affected can assert claims. Birgit Auner, consumer protection expert at the Styrian Chamber of Labor, knows what these are and how to proceed correctly.

According to the EU Air Passenger Regulation, passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by three hours or more. This applies to all flights within the EU or from the EU to a non-EU country. Flights from a non-EU country to the EU are also covered if they are operated by an airline from the EU. Depending on the route, the compensation amounts to 250 to 600 euros.

Delay does not mean departure delay, but delay at the flight destination. The compensation can be reduced by 50% depending on the distance and arrival delay or can be waived completely in the event of exceptional circumstances, such as a storm. There is also an entitlement to meals and refreshments depending on the waiting time.

Refund, alternative transportation or rebooking
If a flight is canceled at short notice, you have the right to choose between a full refund of the ticket price including return transport to the place of departure, alternative transport to the final destination as quickly as possible or a rebooking at a suitable later date.

Claims for compensation must always be addressed directly to the operating airline. Those affected can contact the consumer protection department of AK Steiermark via the online form www.akstmk.at/flug