Were you overbooked by CityJet? Find out what she owes you:
Selling more plane tickets than available seats is a common and completely legal practice, although it can be unpleasant. Update on your rights if you are a victim.
Images have toured social networks. A passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville was violently ejected from the plane by security personnel. The reason ? The plane was overbooked and CityJet needed four seats for its employees. Four passengers were then drawn to leave the aircraft. Three complied without problem, not the last. The situation has escalated. This may not be your case, but this incident is an opportunity to remind passengers of their rights in the event of overbooking.
Today, all airlines including CityJet use overbooking (overbooking in French), in Europe and worldwide. Legal, this practice consists in selling more tickets than available places. The goal is to optimize the filling of the plane because it is rare for all passengers to show up. According to the Algofly website, almost 5% of them cancel a trip each year.
In case of overbooking, it is therefore possible that you cannot board, but CityJet must then take care of you.
Are the rights to compensation applicable on your flight?
A 2004 European regulation regulates this practice for so-called “European” flights:
Those who take off from an airport located in a country of the European Union, whatever the airport of arrival and whatever the nationality of the carrier;
And those who take off in the direction of the EU, as well as in Norway, Iceland or Switzerland, whatever the departure airport, provided that the airline is European.
If you ever agree to get off the plane and give up your seat?
In the event of overbooking and without waiting for the end of passenger registration, the Irish company must first call on volunteers who “agree to renounce their reservation in exchange for certain services, according to terms to be agreed between the passengers concerned. and the air carrier ”, explains European law.
If you volunteer to give up your flight, you will be entitled to compensation:
– Refund of the ticket within seven days, or re-routing to your final destination as soon as possible;
– To cover your catering costs, accommodation (hotel), travel (taxi) until the next flight;
– Freely negotiated services.
Otherwise ?
If there are no volunteers or there are not enough volunteers, the company may refuse to board a passenger against their will. Generally, it favors the last people to show up at check-in.
If this happens to you, your ticket will be refunded, or you will be redirected on another flight, under the same conditions as if you were a volunteer. The company will take care of you (accommodation, catering, right to two phone calls).
You also receive compensation:
– 250€ for flights up to 1,500 km (but only € 125 if you arrive within two hours of the schedule originally planned);
– 400€ for flights of more than 1,500 km within the European Union and those from 1,500 km to 3,000 km (200 € if you arrive within three hours of the schedule originally planned);
– 600€ for all other flights (€ 300 if you arrive within four hours of the schedule originally planned).
Compensation is paid in cash, by bank transfer or check. If the CityJet carrier offers a refund in the form of travel vouchers and / or other services, it must have your written consent. You can refuse to prefer hard cash.
Protect your rights and assert them
Passengers who have already tried to complete the procedures themselves were disappointed with the responses received by their carriers. Sadly, airlines are generally reluctant to pay these benefits.
Indemnification startups have the keys in hand to recover what CityJet owes you
Call on lawyers to help you obtain the compensation to which you are entitled in the event of delay or cancellation of your flight.