Overbooked plane, what to claim from its airline?
At airports, there is nothing worse than a passenger who is trapped without a transport solution because his flight has been delayed or canceled for various reasons,… However, the situation can be even more embarrassing, the passenger may not take flight due to overbooking. It still hurts when being forced to get off the plane to make room for another traveler because his seat has been oversold.
According to official statistics released by the major booking platforms, 5% of travelers who already have valid reservations are missing their flights, which appetites the appetite of airlines who do not hesitate to sell air tickets additional to leave with the maximum number of seats filled on board.
Know your rights to get what the airline owes you:
To get compensation, you must first be aware of your rights. Statistics revealed by concordant sources indicate that out of a hundred thousand passengers, only seventy are compensated after having faced such a hassle.
European Union regulations, regardless of the name or nationality of the operating airline, or the travel destination, stipulate that persons affected by overbooking must receive compensation in the amount of up to 600 euros, depending on the distance of their plane trip.
Do not forget to keep all your travel documents because this is your only proof against the air carrier to order it to pay the compensation and compensation that it owes you.
When the flight is overbooked, and it is you that the company has chosen to leave the aircraft, you will be contacted by a customer service agent apologizing on behalf of the operator and inquiring about the possible and remaining solutions to be able to fly to your destination.
You can ask the agent to find you a seat on the flight taking off as soon as possible towards your destination, then the latter quickly establishes contacts with other operators operating the same commercial flight.
In the majority of cases, overbooked passengers must wait at least six hours before being able to board another deployed aircraft to their destination. There are those who find themselves in a more difficult situation by having to wait until the next day to take a similar flight and reach their desired location.
You should not despair at this time because you can spend a pleasant night in a hotel room located near your airport, at the expense of your operator also providing your transport and travel between the airport and your place of accommodation provisional.
A travel voucher, free stay in a respectable hotel, private driver dropping you off at the airport after the end of your stay at the hotel, … it should be worth delaying your trip by a day!
Additional, more tantalizing benefits are brought to victims:
Wait, that’s not all, there is still one advantage that you should not miss, if you have not yet enjoyed the experience of traveling in business class, the opportunity is before you! You can ask your company for an upgrade. There are several carriers that offer you the choice between upgrading or hotel accommodation.
Compensatory allowances, fixed by a European regulation:
All the benefits promised by operators to their overbooked passengers are not enough to make up for the inconvenience caused by overselling their plane tickets.
Law 261/2004 implies that all travelers who are victims of overbooking must be compensated financially. The compensation ranges from 250 euros to 600 euros.