Tips for claiming a flight cancellation

Has your flight been unexpectedly canceled? It is true that nobody will be able to compensate for the loss of time that this entails, but luckily these types of incidents are included in the Regulation (EC) 261/2004, so you can claim compensation. How? We tell you in this article.

I found these information and the ones that I bring you below on the website of AirHelp, the world's leading company in flight claims, which also tells you all the details and tips for claiming a canceled flight or late.

If you are traveling from the European Union or to the European Union ...

If you are flying from the territory of the European Union or to a country of the European Union, you should keep your boarding pass or any document that includes the reservation confirmation code. It is also important that you know what the exact reason for cancellation and make it clear if you want to be offered an alternative flight or prefer to have your money back. If it is an alternative flight, you will have to write down the arrival time, since based on this you can claim.

Under no circumstances do you accept future trips as compensation, since in this way you will be giving up your deserved compensation.

If you travel within the United States ...

If something similar happens to you traveling in the United States, you will also have to keep your boarding pass or a document that shows the reservation numbers. You can request an alternative flight or negotiate compensation with the airline, although the latter is not mandatory.

If it is an international trip ...

In this case, you must also keep the boarding pass or a document stating the reservation numbers. You have to ask for the exact reason for the cancellation and request an alternative flight. Also, you should keep all receipts for extra expenses produced due to the cancellation of the flight, since thanks to it you can file a claim with all the expenses you want to recover.

Extraordinary causes that prevent claiming compensation

You should know that you do not always have the right to request compensation. If the company warns well in advance (at least 14 days in advance) you will have nothing to do. In the same way, if it is between 7 and 13 days before and it offers you an alternative flight no more than 2 hours before and it arrives with a delay of less than 4 hours with respect to the original flight, you will not be able to claim either. In fact, even less than 7 days before the flight can offer you an alternative as long as the delay is less than 2 hours compared to the original flight.

Others extraordinary cases in which you cannot claim:

- Volcanic eruptions or ash clouds

- Weather causes

- Air traffic controller strikes

- Terrorist attacks

- Technical problems at airports

- Health emergency

- Damage from the impact of a bird

If it was not for any of these cases, you can request a claim form or print a flight cancellation claim form to fill it out properly. If your claim is not accepted, you can always claim at AESA (State Aviation Safety Agency), in which case you can receive compensation if it is resolved in your favor. If the company still refuses to pay, you can go to trial.

In short, to claim a canceled flight it is important to have things clear and follow the steps I have mentioned above. That or trust companies like AirHelpThey take care of all the paperwork so you don't have to worry about a thing. Otherwise, it is not bad to know some advice in case you get stuck at the airport.

Recommended article: The weirdest things forgotten in airports.

Martin Lewis' Flight Delay Compensation Claiming Tips (April 2024)