Shortage of staff at airports
The situation at the airports is currently getting worse. More and more flights are experiencing long delays or are even canceled altogether. In addition to the significant rush of passengers after the Corona travel slump, the reason for this is, among other things, the lack of staff in airports and airlines. If the flight is delayed or canceled, airlines often leave passengers alone to deal with the situation. But air travelers have rights. Claims for compensation and alternative accommodation are regulated in the EU Travel Regulations.
Canceled flights
In the event of a flight cancellation, passengers are entitled to compensation depending on the distance of the canceled flight, regardless of the ticket price. For flights with a distance of up to 1,500 km 250 euros, for a distance between 1,500 km and 3,500 km 400 euros, for a flight distance above 3,500 km 600 euros.
Package travelers can also request a reduction in the travel price - but this can be offset against the compensation claim.
Delayed flights
Even if flights are delayed, passengers are entitled to assistance.
Depending on the flight distance, a flight is considered delayed from a certain time onwards: for a flight distance of up to 1,500 km from two hours, for a distance of 1,500 km up to and including 3,500 km from three hours and for a flight distance of over 3,500 km from four hours. If the delay is five hours or more, the flight is considered canceled and passengers can then claim compensation of 250 euros.
How can injured parties proceed?
In order to proceed optimally, those affected should document the circumstances precisely and ask for confirmation from the airport operator. The airline concerned should then be contacted - in the case of package tours, the tour operator should also be contacted. If there is no response from the airline, you can contact the Arbitration Board for Public Transport (SöP). They will then contact the operators free of charge and usually obtain a refund as soon as possible. However, the SöP is not responsible for all airlines.
In order to assert claims against some airlines, the Federal Ministry of Justice must be contacted. Alternatively, travelers can also use passenger rights portals or debt collection service providers for a commission to get their money quickly.
Last option: lawsuit
If this still remains unsuccessful, passengers can file a lawsuit and enforce the claim in court. However, if possible, this should be used as a last option, as a main hearing is usually associated with high costs.
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Source: SWR Marktcheck / Author: Angelika Scheffler-Ronen
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )