Flight canceled by Air Moldova: what compensation for travelers?
As they prepare to embark on the Air Moldova flight which will take them from Pisa to Charleroi, they are told that their flight is purely and simply canceled, without further explanation.
After three hours of waiting, they are offered alternatives to reach Belgium by plane. Either a Bologna-Eindhoven flight the following Tuesday, or a Pisa-Charleroi flight the following Thursday. For these two solutions, Air Moldova announces that it will only take charge of one hotel night while waiting for these next flights. But the small family cannot afford to delay their return by two or three days and therefore decides to rent a car to finally return to Belgium by road.
Compensation and reimbursement of tickets
In the event of a flight cancellation, European regulations are very clear and several types of compensation and compensation are provided.
Except in cases of force majeure (political instability, weather, strikes, security risks), the right to be compensated depends first of all on when the airline informs you of the cancellation and the alternative flights it offers. The amounts depend on the length of the flight in kilometers and are added to the potential reimbursement of tickets.
In the case of this family, therefore, as the cancellation was announced at the last minute and the flight is less than 1,500 km, the compensation amounts to 250 euros per passenger (therefore 750 euros for Christelle, Rémi and their son) in addition to the reimbursement of the 265 euro banknotes. All hope of obtaining the compensation due is therefore not lost, even if it may take time. A complaint exists for passengers who believe that their rights have not been respected.
Right to be “taken care of”
When a flight is canceled, moreover at the last minute, the airlines are also obliged to take care of the passengers. For example, if an alternative flight is offered several days later, the cost of food and accommodation must be borne by the airline during the entire waiting period. Likewise, if another flight is offered with change of departure and arrival airports, passenger transportation before departure and after arrival must also be provided by the airline. Obligations that persist even if the flight is canceled due to force majeure.
What are the remedies?
Framed by very specific laws, overbooking remains too little known to users. As Cédric Musso reminds us, only 10% of eligible air passengers claim their right to compensation each year.
This is explained by the fact that airlines too rarely inform about this right. They do not disseminate information concerning remedies in the event of overbooking, delay or flight cancellation.
However, solutions and support exist, for several years facilitating the procedures for the consumers concerned thanks to compensation assistance platforms. These sites are open to everyone. All you have to do is file a file with the flight number, the names of the passengers and the nature of the incident. We will then see if the file is admissible in light of the regulations and if so, we propose to accompany the passenger in the initiation of friendly procedures with the airline. If the conflict is not resolved amicably, the rest of it goes to court.
It is therefore unlikely that they will receive the same treatment as Air Moldova passengers. As part of this particularly violent eviction, an investigation was opened to examine and review how the company’s teams deal with overbooking situations.