Delayed Estonian Air flight: how to get compensation?
Waiting hours at the airport for a delayed flight is not uncommon. Beyond three hours, financial compensation is even provided. However, very few passengers request it.
Lost day, hardship … Being delayed by a plane deserves real compensation. This is also provided for by European regulations. But the devil is in the details: most of the time, these compensations are not paid automatically by the companies. Result: only 10% of travelers claim their due.
Exercise your passenger rights
– How does compensation work?
We speak of a delay from two hours on flights of 1,500 km or less, three hours on flights of 1,500 km to 3,500 km and four hours or more on flights of more than 3,500 km. The passenger must be directed to another flight or reimbursed for their ticket by the company if they refuse to travel. He is also entitled to compensation. But it is not due if the passenger is informed two weeks or more before the departure time, or if a seat is offered on board another flight at an hour close to the originally scheduled time, or if the carrier proves that the cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances (for example a surprise strike by air traffic controllers).
According to European regulations, an aircraft registering at least three hours late that is not justified by extraordinary circumstances (weather, flight safety, etc.) gives the right to a lump sum compensation for its passengers.
Check that your flight is subject to European regulations
It concerns aircraft departing from the European Union, but also from Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, regardless of the nationality of the air carrier and the destination. Watch out for the return! Flights from countries outside this list and operated by non-European airlines are not covered.
Above all, hold on
Contact Estonian by mail or internet. Justify your complaint with your ticket, a delay certificate and especially your boarding pass (if it is electronic, take a screenshot). After two weeks, raise again in writing.
In case of refusal, defense services exist, launched by compensation firms which offer to obtain your compensation, it will cost you a commission of 25%. On the internet, websites are flourishing to offer passengers the opportunity to help them obtain compensation. Whatever your choice, check the remuneration conditions of these intermediaries and always keep the original proofs of your dispute.
You can contact the companies that specialize in resolving air disputes they face passengers whose plane delays. The process is free and must be done online. The answer will be provided to you within a few days, and the company’s share will be deducted directly from the money paid by Estonian Air .
Flight late or canceled or even overbooked? What you need to do to be well compensated
Air compensation specialists say a decision by the European Court of Justice has extended the right to compensation in the event of delay (more than 3 hours) or cancellation of a flight. In addition to the flat-rate compensation (250 euros for flights of less than 1,500 km, 400 euros between 1,500 and 3,500 km, 600 euros beyond), the Court’s decision takes account of additional potential damage: the loss income due to missed work days, loss of a hotel reservation, car rental.