The galley of air passengers to assert their rights not respected by UTAir
Getting compensated in the air transport sector often proves to be an obstacle course for passengers.
In the event of financial damage suffered by the traveler as a result of the delay in his flight with UTAir (missing his connecting flight, not being able to go to hotel accommodation paid in advance, etc.), the companies must then compensate the client when the amount lost is more than 100 euros. But this rule is often little respected.
Example of non-pecuniary damage caused to the passenger, giving rise to compensation: His seat is oversold (overbooked).
To optimize the filling of aircraft and overcome possible last minute cancellations and cancellations, many commercial carriers overbook, (or overbooking, in French). Indeed, according to compensation specialists, almost 5% of passengers cancel a trip each year. The approach therefore consists in offering more space for sale than a flight contains and thus achieving an occupancy rate close to 100%, depending on the defections. The flight management system is used by all the major companies in the world in order to better calibrate the supply on demand over time, according to the reasons and requirements of the clientele.
The practice of overbooking is in no way illegal. An airline may sell more tickets than seats available on the plane. In this case, you cannot board and you are the victim of a denied boarding which involves compensation. Overbooking is also taken into account in European regulation 261/2004 and where it is noted that the air carrier (UTAir) can refuse the boarding of passengers against their will. When you buy a plane ticket, you accept the conditions of sale which give important rights to the airline company ”.
When an air carrier plans to refuse boarding on a flight, it first makes a call to volunteers agreeing to renounce their reservation in exchange for certain services, according to terms to be agreed between the passengers concerned and the air carrier, notes European law. In the majority of cases, the company takes charge of punctual accommodation, catering and telephone calls, details the site of the French administration. In addition, if you cannot wait for a next flight, the carrier must reimburse you for the ticket.
However, when the number of volunteers is not sufficient, the company may refuse to embark passengers against their will. In this specific case, the latter must, in accordance with the provisions of European law, offer assistance and compensation. It is set at 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km, 400 euros for flights within the European Union of more than 1,500 km and between 1,500 km and 3,500 km for other flights, and 600 euros in the case of flights over 3500 km.
Air carriers do not respect all the rights of their travelers
In the event of a delay of more than two hours, passengers must be offered free food and drink by the company. But only 46% of the passengers concerned were able to benefit from it. Finally, in the event of a delay of more than three hours, 75% of the passengers have not been reimbursed for their journey, which is contrary to the regulations provided. Another black point mentioned: disputes relating to baggage incidents (loss, damage or delay) which take place for 10% of thefts. In 85% of cases, companies do not comply with European legislation which requires compensation for passengers affected by this type of inconvenience.
Firms that operate remotely to facilitate procedures for travelers
Very often, initiating an out-of-court settlement with the airline, or even legal action, remains complicated for the consumer. To facilitate the process, startups specializing in compensating travelers injured by the delays caused by the various air operators including UTAir have found the vein by offering to help the traveler. Passengers who are victims of disputes enter their date and flight number on these sites, so that these companies can start the process of obtaining compensation. But these sites are not free. They are remunerated by taking a commission, of the order of 25% for the most part, on the amount of the allowance won. However, these companies undertake not to charge anything if no compensation has been obtained from the airline.