Flight delayed by several hours: For the inconvenience experienced, you deserve to be compensated
You are with your whole family at the airport, ready to come back from vacation. When suddenly you learn that your flight to be operated by SmartWings is delayed by an hour, then two, three, four, …
In the end, the flight delay amounts to almost 7 hours and you can’t take it anymore. You are exhausted from waiting in an airport terminal, in seats that go well five minutes, with your kids bickering.
Did you at least know that you are, in this case, entitled to claim compensation of up to € 600? This is not a negotiation, but simply European legislation which requires airlines transiting Europe to respect certain rights for passengers. In particular if your flight is more than 3 hours late, or if it is canceled, then compensation is due to you.
The downside is that very few passengers know this, so they dare not ask for the slightest thing from their airline. And for those who dare to claim something, very often the company offers vouchers or an equivalent generally ridiculous compared to the compensation actually due … And for the best informed who know their rights perfectly, accessing this compensation is sometimes of the obstacle course.
Many companies have developed around passenger compensation: you entrust these websites to your file, and they take care of carrying out all the necessary steps for you to be compensated for your flight delay. These startups can help you make a decision when you have the choice between several companies for the same flight and a similar price. On the other hand, you are informed about the complexity of doing the procedures yourself: if your flight was on Smartwings, it may be worth it to entrust your file to one of the many compensation sites that exist and which will therefore take steps for you in the event of a flight delay.
Start-ups guarantee you a 90% success rate thanks to their legal expertise and their partnership with a powerful firm of lawyers and legal experts. They apply a commission rate of 25% inclusive of tax (on average) to the amount recovered for your account. On the other hand, if they fail to recover your compensation, the service costs you nothing.
What criteria should we use to calculate the amount of compensation?
It is a function of the distance mainly for intra-metropolitan flights (Prague to Toulouse for example, the busiest line) the compensation will be € 400 in the event of delay greater than 3 hours (or in the event of cancellation). On the other hand, a Larnaca flight to Bali, for the same delay, will be compensated up to € 600. These indemnifications are understood by passenger, so if your whole family is concerned, you just need to multiply by the number of passengers, … This can quickly constitute a significant sum.
Still, obviously, the delay must not be due to an extraordinary event which was beyond the control of the Smartwings. For example, if a very severe thunderstorm prevented your plane from taking off, it was not something the airline could prevent: you will therefore not be compensated. Many companies, moreover, tell their passenger that the flight was canceled or delayed due to a weather problem (this saves them from paying compensation), but this is not always the case: it is necessary check that the weather conditions were really problematic. For example, if other planes have taken off at the same time, you can claim compensation. It is the role of these different sites that compensate: they will investigate to be sure that the airline does not seek to fool you.
In the case of a mechanical problem, an airline strike (for which you were not warned at least 14 days in advance), a sick pilot, etc. So all these different situations can give right to compensation, because they are all under the direct responsibility of the company.