Why flights are canceled at the airport. What to do if a flight with connections is canceled

22.02.2021

So the flight is canceled. Worst of all, if you found out about it at the airport, it is better - in advance, but in any case, you now have several options for further action. In most cases, the airline will send you to your destination on one of the following flights, with larger aircraft, if possible.

If there are several flights a day to your destination, from there you do not fly anywhere and there are no urgent matters there (for example, we are talking about returning to Moscow on weekends from a business trip in St. Petersburg), then this is the option you need to choose.

The ability to use an alternative route will come in handy if you are waiting for some important event, for example, a concert or a conference, for which you will not be in time on the next flight either. By the way, for this reason, it is always better to buy tickets with a margin of time to arrive at your destination at least one day before the event. Saving time (or money for an extra night in a hotel) can result in the fact that with a short trip, you will arrive at the destination airport and immediately fly back on the same plane.

If you are flying with a decent airline, then all options for further actions when canceling a flight will be offered to you and organized by its representative office. You can find representatives at the airline's office located at the airport, or at the check-in counter, or at the gates - in general, you can catch them somewhere. By the way, do not forget to ask about your baggage: you may need to collect it at the transit airport, or maybe it will be re-checked for another flight without being issued.

If you can't find anyone at all (which is extremely unlikely, but still), you will have to call the call center, and then demand compensation for communication costs.

Subsequently, you can receive monetary compensation for the very fact of the flight cancellation. In Europe, it is regulated by directive EU261 / 2004, according to which 200 euros are paid for a distance of up to 1500 km, 400 euros for a distance of more than 1500 km in Europe or 1500-3000 km in other directions, and in other cases 600 euros. However, if the delay on the next flight or on an alternative route does not exceed 4 hours, then all amounts are divided in half.

In practice, this means that you can either get your money back, or buy a ticket from another airline, for which you will be entitled to compensation, while you can also sue for compensation, for example, for a missed concert or for a non-refundable hotel reservation. However, you will have to prove all this in court, so stock up on nerves. “Reducing the price” is also an individual question in each case, there are no fixed amounts here.

What to do if your flight is canceled

What to do if the flight was canceled due to the fault of the airline

Traveling by plane makes life easier and more comfortable for people. Instead of two days on the train, a person spends only a few hours on the road. People plan their vacation or business negotiations based on the exact flight schedule.

If the flight is delayed or canceled altogether, tourists are late for connecting flights, business trips are disrupted.

This happens often. Therefore, you need to know what to do when the flight is canceled and where to go for reimbursement of ticket costs.

Airlines do their utmost to prevent flight delays or cancellations without good reason. Sometimes a person finds out about a canceled flight right at the airport. Then you need to contact the representative of the air carrier.

If the flight is canceled on the day of departure the company must explain the reason for the cancellation and, if possible, choose another flight.

In a situation where a passenger has checked in, but the flight is delayed from 2 to 4 hours, then you can take advantage of some privileges.

Plane tickets are much more expensive than other types of transport, so compensation for a failed flight is important here. If the flight was canceled 14 days or more in advance, and the passenger did nothing during this time, the ticket price is not refundable. If the carrier has notified the client 13 or less days before departure, the refund amount depends on the duration of the flight.

When the airline has announced the cancellation of the trip a few days before the flight, the passenger can choose one of two types of compensation.

fully receive the money spent on the ticket. In case of a flight with transfers, only the company guilty of the flight cancellation will refund the cost;
the air carrier can send the tourist on another flight, not necessarily his own company. The main thing is that the final destination coincides.

A canceled or delayed flight is a major disruption to the entire airport. Therefore, any change in the flight schedule does not always happen through the fault of the airline, often it is influenced by a number of unfavorable factors.

errors in the schedule;
inability to check-in and take on board all passengers due to overbooking, that is, more tickets were sold than available seats on the plane;
employees did not have time to clean up the aircraft before the next flight;
not all places have been bought out and this is financially unprofitable;
the carrier cannot voice compelling reasons for failure to fulfill its obligations to customers.

There are a number of circumstances in which the flight is not operated, but the company is not responsible for this. The air carrier is not to blame if the flight was obstructed.

Travel companies organize charter flights. What to do if your flight with connections is canceled? The flight is possible when a sufficient number of tickets have been sold for the organizer to benefit from it. Charter flights are often delayed, or even postponed indefinitely.

This happens because a charter flight is a non-priority flight in the flight schedule.

And if the plane has technical problems, then tourists will have to sit and wait for them to be eliminated, the replacement of the vessel is not provided here.

When canceling a charter, all claims must be made only to the travel agencies that organized it. The contract for the provision of travel agency services must specify the amount of compensation in case of transfer or cancellation of the flight.

Cancellation of a scheduled flight destroys both personal and business plans of the passenger. But knowing the algorithm of actions in such a situation, you can reduce problems to a minimum.

When a company employee called in advance and informed about the cancellation, the tourist can choose: take another flight or take compensation for the ticket.

If the news about the disruption of the flight found the air passenger already at the airport, then you need to ask the employee of the company at the check-in counter for the reason for the transfer or cancellation of the flight. The airline must explain. In case of confirmation of the carrier's fault, the tourist will be offered to take another flight or get money for the ticket back.

In case of a long delay in departure, an employee of the company must put a mark on the ticket that the flight is delayed. It will make it easier to get compensation in the future.

When people cannot fly out due to overbooking, the carrier is obliged to return the money to the “extra” passengers. Additional compensation is also possible, which depends on the flight range.

It is important to know that the deadline for filing a complaint for a flight disruption on domestic lines is 60 days, on international lines - 7 days. The claim can be sent by email.

keep the ticket and boarding pass with a note about the delay or cancellation of the flight;
checks for unforeseen expenses - taxi to the hotel or lunch;
take a picture of the line on the board at the airport with information about the cancellation or delay of the flight;
invite the neighbors on the flight to unite and jointly submit documents.

The traveler has the right to receive compensation for the cancellation of the flight only through the fault of the company. According to Russian laws, a tourist can receive a refund of 25% of the minimum wage (minimum wage), but not more than half of the ticket price. In November 2018, the minimum wage is 11,163 rubles.

Not so long ago, Russia began supporting the Montreal Convention, which helps passengers to resolve conflicts with air carriers. Under this convention, a tourist can receive a refund for waiting or disrupting a flight at a special SDR rate. It is summed up at the rates of five major world currencies and today is 93 rubles. Based on this, the maximum compensation on an international flight is 4694 SDR, which in terms of rubles exceeds 430 thousand rubles.

Such compensation can only be obtained through the courts.

The air carrier is given 60 days from the date of application for a refund for an unused ticket. Money may be credited to the account earlier, but this does not happen often.

Upon learning about the cancellation or delay of the flight, immediately contact the representative of the carrier. Due to the fact that airlines try to maintain their reputation, they try to deliver the tourist to their destination on another flight as soon as possible or negotiate a refund of the ticket price.

Canceled plane flight

Discrepancies in the schedule
If the crew did not have time to prepare or remove the plane
If at the check-in counter there are problems with boarding a passenger due to overbooking. Overbooking is when an airline sells more seats than it actually has on the plane, because statistics say that not all passengers come to their flight.
If this flight is not profitable for the airline
Other situations in which the carrier was unable to prove and explain about the circumstances that influenced the failure to fulfill his obligations.

Weather conditions and natural disasters (fires, snow drifts, floods)
Martial law and hostilities
Termination or restriction of the carriage of goods in certain directions;
An airline personnel strike or aircraft malfunction threatening a passenger.

If you were warned about flight cancellation 7-13 days in advance and offered a new flight, and fate played a cruel joke with you and the new flight was also canceled, then you have the right to demand compensation depending on the duration of the flight and the duration of the delay. If the flight is delayed for more than 2 hours, then you should already go and receive your compensation from 125 euros and above.

The flight can be canceled for any reason, as well as through the fault and without the fault of the air carrier. In this case, the airline employees must explain to you why the flight was canceled and if they are to blame for this, then it is possible to offer you a flight by another company (free of charge). If you are flying with a national company within the European Union, then you may require special benefits, depending on the situation.

If the flight was postponed for more than 8 hours during the day and for more than 6 hours at night, then the air carrier is obliged to provide you with a hotel and a round-trip transfer at the expense of the airline. And know that according to the law, you should not be accommodated in the same room with a stranger, and you have the right to demand a separate number.

The proceedings will always take place in the country in which the flight was canceled. You can file a complaint at the airport. If there is no office of your airline at the airport, then a complaint can be written on the company's website, but to be honest, such complaints are not considered or are simply deleted, and we had experience with this. It is best to write a complaint and send it by registered mail to the airline's office (in this case, you must keep a copy and all related documents related to the flight - you will need this in court).

If the flight is canceled or delayed, then it is in your interests to collect as much information about the flight delay (photo of the departure board, a mark on the air ticket about the delay or a written receipt), receipts for the cost of food and drinks, etc. With more evidence on hand, everything this will facilitate litigation with the company or in court.

Flight delay and cancellation: passenger rights and airline responsibilities

On flights of foreign carriers Russian rules apply if it is explicitly written in the contract. If not, then the norms of the carrier's country and, possibly, the norms of international agreements signed by this country are applied (for example, Regulation EC No. 261/2004 on flights to the European Union).

or to cancel the flight and return the full cost of the unused part of the ticket: in case of cancellation and overbooking - in any case, in case of transfer - only after 5 hours of delay. If the flight is a connecting flight and the remaining flight has lost its meaning, then the money for all parts of the ticket will be refunded and delivered to the original airport of departure free of charge.

“According to the Montreal Convention, the airline compensates for the harm caused to the passenger due to flight delays, damage or loss of baggage. The amount of damage is calculated individually for each passenger. This can be, for example, taxi and hotel costs. For confirmation, the passenger encloses checks and receipts &

There is no single rule that all Asian airlines follow. Laws differ in different countries, besides, the rights of passengers in case of cancellation and delay of flights are usually vaguely stipulated in them, so the rules are often set by the carriers themselves. To know what to expect, read your airline's policies carefully.

In China most airlines, including Air China and China Southern Airlines, will compensate 200 yuan for a flight delay of 4-8 hours and 400 yuan for a delay of more than 8 hours. In the minority are airlines that only compensate for delays of more than 8 hours, which pay a maximum of 300 or 200 yuan, or even do not compensate in any way.

Traveling in Egypt aboard EgyptAir and the flight is canceled or delayed, the airline will, at your option, either board you on the next flight free of charge or refund the full ticket price. If the fare for a seat on the new flight turns out to be lower than the fare at which you originally bought the ticket, you will be refunded the difference.

Kingdom of Morocco in 2006 signed an agreement with the European Union under which all Moroccan airlines, including Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia, are subject to Regulation 261/2004. This means that if your flight to Morocco is delayed or canceled, you can count on compensation under European laws.

If your SAA flight is canceled, you will be offered a free alternative flight or a full refund. If at first the flight was delayed and you managed to use the food and accommodation services at the hotel, if the flight is canceled, the airline will reimburse you for food, hotel and transport costs for the first 24 hours.

If you were forcibly removed from a South African Airways flight due to overbooking, you are eligible for a free ticket to the closest SAA flight to your destination, a meal voucher for more than 2-4 hours delay depending on the route, and a voucher for 1000-5000 South African rand (

$ 83-416) depending on the waiting time - they can pay for air tickets or other services of the leading South African airline. If the new flight leaves every other day, you will also receive free meals, two phone calls, fax or email, hotel accommodation and transfer between the hotel and the airport.

If the flight is canceled or delayed, you have the right to cancel the flight, return the ticket and get back its full price, even if it was purchased at a non-refundable rate. This is called a forced return. You are not entitled to compensation for delayed arrival.

“In practice, passengers issue a forced return when waiting for a flight for more than 2-3 hours. Everyone understands that in the event of an involuntary refund, they will have to spend their nerves, time and money to buy a new ticket and, possibly, incur other costs on the spot, and then collect all this from the airline through the courts. "

In Asia refunds depend on the airline, for example, AirAsia will refund the ticket if the flight is canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours. In India, if the airline canceled the flight and did not offer a replacement, it is obliged to refund the full ticket price and compensate 400% of the base fare and one way fuel surcharge, but no more than Rs 20,000.

In Russia, get a stamp on your boarding pass or itinerary receipt for canceled or delayed flight. This can be done at the airline representative or at the information desk at the airport of departure or arrival. In America, such a stamp is not needed, in Europe - only in case of denied boarding during overbooking;

If there is no representative office of your airline at the airport or its employees are not present (for example, everything happens at night), you can also send a claim through the official website of the carrier. Just be prepared to ignore emails and web forms. Duplicate your request by calling the airline.

If there were two tickets, that is, you paid for the flights Moscow-London and London-Edinburgh separately, then only the amount for the canceled sector will be returned. In this case, the ticket from London to Edinburgh will have to be returned according to the usual fare rules. Read what to do then and how to get your money back.

If a connecting flight was purchased with one ticket and the cancellation affected the second part of the trip, you must be provided with alternative flight options. If the airline did not do this, and the trip lost its meaning, the carrier is obliged not only to refund the money for the ticket to Edinburgh, but also to provide you with a free return to Moscow.

Even if you bought tickets from a travel agency, the claim must be filed with the airline that was supposed to operate the flight. The agency through which you bought tickets can help with this: it happens that intermediaries take on the solution of passengers' problems and deal with carriers themselves. For some agents, flight cancellation and flight delay insurance can be included in the ticket price.

Russian legislation does not establish exact terms for refunding funds in case of forced flight cancellation or payment of compensation and fine for a significant flight delay. Therefore, each airline operates within its own concept of a reasonable period.

We recommend that you be persistent in negotiations with the airline immediately - most of these disputes are resolved out of court. You should file a lawsuit against the airline only if you have exhausted attempts to resolve everything amicably and there are irreparable differences between you. Defending your interests in court is not easy.

Do not be greedy and do not try to benefit from an unfortunate set of circumstances: this can turn against you. For example, if you lived in a suite and dined on lobster because of a flight rescheduling, you will have to prove the necessity of these expenses in court, which is unlikely to be possible. If behaved correctly, airlines often reciprocate.

The terms and scope of services are generally set by the contract of carriage, and representatives of the airline are responsible for their reasonable interpretation on the spot. Usually this is food (not necessarily hot) after a 4 hour delay and the hotel and transportation to it if you had to stay at the airport overnight. Airlines usually do not provide a hotel when departing from the city where you live.

When buying a ticket from an American airline, you conclude a Contract of carriage, which clearly states what rights you have if the flight is canceled or delayed. The contract cannot go against the norms of consumer protection, therefore the basic rights (for example, to return money for the unused part of the ticket) are the same in all American airlines.

Basic rules in Asia and Africa are similar to those described above: if a flight is canceled or severely delayed, you will almost always be offered a refund for your ticket or on another flight at no additional cost. When they will be fed, whether they will provide a hotel and whether they will pay compensation depends on the country and even on the particular airline.

In Russia, you are required to put a stamp on the cancellation or delay of departure on the itinerary receipt or boarding pass. It is worth requesting it from an airline employee or at the information desk at the airport of departure or arrival. In Europe, you don't need this stamp for canceled or delayed flights, but don't forget to get it if you're denied boarding due to overbooking.

Dear Ivan Petrov! Your flight with booking code MYE6KC has been canceled. We have booked for you another flight Moscow-Barnaul, number 6E 495, September 21 16:40 - 20:40. We ask you to follow the link to accept the proposed flight, choose an alternative one, or cancel the flight and get your money back. Thank!

Click on the link in the letter or enter the PNR booking code in the field “Check booking (View / Change my booking) on \u200b\u200bthe airline's website and you will see all the flights that are offered to you for replacement. Sometimes airlines ask to call the call center, where the operator will tell you the same. You may be offered a flight with connections, to other dates and even to other cities, but in any case - without additional payment.

If the flight is canceled while you are already at the airport, contact the airline representative. They will offer a replacement flight (possibly with another airline) as well as airport service. If the new flights do not suit you, you have the right to return the ticket and get its full price back. If you are not offered to fly on another flight, ask directly about this possibility.

If your flight is delayed when you are already at the airport, contact the airline representative. If the delay is long, the airline may offer alternative flight options, in some cases with a surcharge. You can also issue a forced return: in Europe - if the delay is more than 5 hours, in Russia and the USA the minimum duration of the delay is not set.

If the flight is delayed for more than 2 hoursThe airline must provide free drinks, two phone calls, or two emails. If you are traveling with children under the age of seven, you must also be offered a mother and child room.

In America, there is no law obliging an airline to provide passengers whose flight is canceled or delayed with food and a hotel. Despite this, most airlines serve passengers. Usually, after 4 hours of delay, they offer food, and if you had to wait for your departure at night, then they provide a hotel and transport to and from it for free. What exactly you can count on is written in the contract of carriage.

The main condition for the payment of compensation is that the flight must be canceled or delayed due to circumstances for which the airline is responsible. For example, for technical reasons, the absence of an aircraft, crew, changes in the schedule not related to force majeure circumstances.

The influence of force majeure circumstances (for example, bad weather or a strike) must be proven by the airline. In this case, the airline does not have to pay compensation, but is obliged to perform transportation and service at the airport, or return the full cost of the ticket if the passenger refuses to carry it.

The amount in compensation for losses under paragraph 2 of Article 13 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights". For example, if you lost a pre-paid tour or tickets for a concert, if the carrier changed the airport of arrival and you had to get to the place by taxi, just remember to keep the supporting documents.
In some cases, refunds are given for a burnt-out connecting ticket and the purchase of a new one.

“In fact, overbooking for a passenger who does not fly because of him is a change in the current carriage contract with new conditions, which, as a rule, provide compensation for the passenger: for example, a new business class ticket, a free hotel, transfer or additional monetary compensation ... Quite often, some of the passengers are ready to take advantage of this. "

In the case of overbooking, the European airline must look for volunteers who agree to fly another flight or to refund the full ticket price. What to offer volunteers as compensation for inconveniences, the carrier decides at its discretion.

If there are no volunteers, the airline can refuse boarding to any passenger of its choice. In this case, the passenger must be compensated 250 € for flights up to 1,500 km, 400 € for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and for all flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km, 600 € for all others.

In America, if more tickets are sold on a flight and more passengers come to boarding than seats on the plane, then the airline first looks for volunteers who are ready to fly on another flight, offering them compensation at their discretion. This could be, for example, free food and a hotel while waiting for the proposed replacement, plus a $ 500 voucher that can be used to pay for future travel tickets.

If there are no volunteers, the airline can deny boarding to any passenger of its choice. In most cases, such passengers are transferred to other flights, and are also required by law to pay compensation in the amount of up to $ 1,350, depending on the delay in the destination airport.

There is no single rule that all Asian airlines follow. Laws differ from country to country, and passengers' rights in the event of canceled and delayed flights are usually

Air travel is quite rightly the fastest and one of the most comfortable ways to get anywhere in the world. Aircraft fly long distances and develop speeds much higher than that of a car or train. This opportunity is used for vacation trips, business trips and many other purposes. However, even in the most accurate and thoughtful flight schedule, there are overlaps due to which flights are delayed or canceled. In such situations, it is important to get information about the flight cancellation as early as possible.

What does flight cancellation mean?

The flight can be canceled a few days or a few minutes before departure, it all depends on the circumstances. It also happens that the flight was first delayed and then canceled altogether. The first half of last year was a record in terms of flight delays and cancellations. Only in Russia there were 336 of them, and around the world about 4.5 million people suffered from such situations.

Every passenger can face a flight cancellation. This becomes an especially serious problem for people who fly with connecting flights. If passengers whose direct flight is canceled simply do not get to their destination, then the owners of tickets for flights with a connection will lose the opportunity to transfer to another plane in time.

It is quite understandable that the news of the cancellation of the flight causes panic and anger among passengers. Someone will not get to important business negotiations, someone is waiting for relatives, and someone will have to lose precious days of rest on a voucher. But it is definitely not worth panicking in such circumstances, because the rights of passengers provide for compensation. True, there are a lot of nuances here, associated, first of all, with the reason for the cancellation.

Possible reasons for canceled flights

The flight is canceled for a variety of reasons, but they all fall into two categories. The first includes those that arose through the fault of the air carrier, the second combine force majeure circumstances in which the airline is not to blame.

Important! Compensation can only be received if the flight is canceled due to the fault of the carrier.

Through the fault of the airline

The first question that arises when a flight is canceled is what to do in this situation. First, you need to find out exactly the reason for the cancellation of the flight. The airline was found guilty of the cancellation due to:

Inconsistencies in the schedule.
Late preparation for the flight (late crew, late cleaning of the cabin).
Overbooking - Sales of more tickets than the actual number of seats on the plane.
Unprofitable flight.

This also includes any situations in which the carrier is unable to prove his innocence and explain the circumstances that prevent him from performing his duties.

Irresistible circumstances

Airlines are not considered to blame:

Natural disasters (floods, snow drifts, fires).
Inappropriate weather conditions for the flight.
Military action and the imposition of martial law.
Airplane malfunctions that can threaten the life and health of passengers.
The introduction of restrictions on air travel or their termination in certain areas.

Due to weather conditions

Modern airliners are capable of withstanding various natural disasters. But still, there are conditions that threaten the safety of the flight. For example, an airplane will not fly out during a hurricane, tornado, or blizzard. In such a situation, the flight is usually delayed if the weather is expected to improve, but may well be canceled if such improvements do not occur for a long time. The same goes for severe thunderstorms.

One of the reasons that hinder the takeoff of the aircraft, as well as its landing, is the limited visibility. This is usually associated with heavy fog or snowfall. Pilots make the decision to land at a certain altitude. But if the landing strip is not visible from such a distance, or if it is icy and does not provide the necessary adhesion to the landing gear, the pilot will not land the plane. If the airline knows in advance that such conditions are met at the arrival airport, the flight is canceled.

Important! Each air carrier has its own rules regarding weather conditions. That is why, in the same weather, some planes fly on schedule, while others wait for more suitable weather.

Other reasons

There are often technical reasons for canceling flights. Like any other vehicle, the aircraft is not immune to malfunctions. Basically, we are talking about minor breakdowns, since the condition of the airliners is carefully monitored between flights. If the problem is not too serious and can be resolved quickly enough, the flight will simply be delayed. If it turns out that the breakdown will affect safety or require long-term repairs, the flight cancellation is not excluded.

There are more exotic reasons for canceling a flight. So, at one time, one of the Luxembourg airlines was forced to cancel and delay a huge number of flights due to a hacker attack on the computer registration system. In the United States, a similar situation occurred due to a power failure.

How to find out about a canceled flight

A passenger can find out that his flight has been canceled in advance or after arriving at the airport. It depends on what you need to do and where to go in this case. If there are changes in the flight schedule in advance, regardless of the reasons, the company will inform about it a few days before departure.

Such information is sent to the passenger in the form of SMS or e-mail. This notice usually contains a link to a section of the site where alternative flights are offered. The passenger needs to follow this link, indicate his booking code in the field that appears and make a choice from the offered flights. Assistance in choosing can be obtained from the call center of the air carrier.

Important! The new flight chosen by the passenger may differ from the initial one in a number of parameters: the number of connections, their availability, date. However, the ticket price should not be higher than the previous figure.

If there is no suitable option among the options offered by the airline, the passenger has the right to issue an involuntary ticket refund. The funds paid for the travel document for the canceled flight must be refunded in full.

Peculiarities of involuntary refund on connecting flights

Involuntary return on indirect flights has its own characteristics:

For flights issued with one ticket, the entire cost is refunded.
If only the second part of the flight, for which one ticket was issued, did not take place, the company offers another option, or must return the money for the canceled flight, and also deliver the passenger to the place of departure.
If a connecting flight was paid for using separate tickets, the law obliges the carrier to refund money only for the canceled flight. The rest of the tickets are returned as part of the standard procedure.

Registration of an involuntary return begins with filling out a special form on the company's Internet resource or sending an application by email. In such a letter, you should indicate your details, including passport numbers, ticket numbers, booking, flight, as well as the date of departure. You need to enter your phone number and card details to which payments will be transferred.

For passengers who have learned about the cancellation of the flight after arriving at the airport, there are two options: choose an alternative flight or return their ticket and get their money back. You should start the ticket refund procedure by looking for a representative of the airline, who will put a stamp on the cancellation of the flight on the boarding pass.

Flight cancellation compensation

Next, an application for a refund is submitted. If the carrier has a representative office at the airport, you can apply there. In other cases, you will have to send a copy of the stamped boarding pass, ticket and statement to the company's address, which should clearly indicate the reason.

Important! Having learned about the flight delay, you can take a photo of the board with the relevant information or a screenshot of the carrier's website. In the future, these data will be needed to prove the validity of the return claims.

You can receive compensation for a canceled flight only if it happened through the fault of the air carrier. In other cases, the company is not responsible to passengers.

You can apply for a refund for a canceled flight in Russia within six months from the date of the canceled flight. The airline is responsible for considering the issue 30 days in advance and making a decision no later than this period. But the legislation does not say anything about the terms of the refund. This usually takes 2-6 months.

Even if the ticket was purchased from a travel agency, the air carrier should file a claim. However, the travel company can mediate in solving this problem. Some agencies include flight delay or no-departure insurance in the price of the travel document.

When to go to court

If the airline does not react in any way to the submitted claim within the established timeframe and does not satisfy the requirements of the applicant whose flight was canceled, then the passenger has the right to apply to the judicial authorities. It is allowed to file a claim at the place:

Location of the head office, representative office, branch of the company.
Conclusion or execution of the contract.
The place of residence or residence of the plaintiff.

Filing a lawsuit is possible within 3 years from the date of the failed flight.

A specific package of documentation must be attached to the application, including:

A copy of the ticket with a note about the cancellation of the flight.
Invoices for involuntary hotel accommodation, meals, telephone negotiations and other expenses caused by the cancellation of the flight.
Documentary confirmation of the moral and material damage incurred through the fault of the air carrier.
A written claim submitted to the carrier, with proof of its sending and receiving by the addressee.

If the airline has given a written response to the applicant, refusing to pay compensation, this paper must also be submitted to the court. You will have to bring the original ticket to the meeting.

Important! It is worth filing a claim against the air carrier only if the attempts to resolve the issue amicably failed.

European and US regulations

On the territory of the European Union, there are slightly different rules:

If the airline has notified the passenger about the cancellation of the flight 14 days in advance, he can fully refund the cost, but has no right to claim compensation.
If informed later, the passenger is entitled to a payment of 250-600 euros (depending on the distance flight parameter).
In case of overbooking, compensation and funds spent on the ticket are paid.
The refund will be paid if the selected alternative flight is more than an hour late compared to the time indicated on the original ticket (in case of overbooking).

Companies will pay compensation if they cannot prove that everything possible has been done to prevent the flight cancellation. Payment is credited to the account within seven days.

There is no compensation for flight delays or cancellations in the United States. You can only get a refund for overbooking. Each company determines the procedure for canceling a flight independently and prescribes it in the contract for the implementation of transportation.

Obligations of the airline in case of flight cancellation

The list of responsibilities of the canceled air carrier also depends on its country of origin. In the Russian Federation, passengers can count on:

Free drinks after 2 hours of waiting for departure, hot meals after 4 hours. hotel provision - after 6 hours at night or 8 hours in the afternoon;
Compensation in the amount of 25 rubles per hour of delay, but within half the ticket price.
Compensation for losses in case of flight cancellation due to the fault of the carrier.
Receiving a ticket without surcharges for another flight offered by the company.
Cancellation and full refund of the ticket.

International flights are subject to the Montreal Convention and EU Regulations.

Important! Europe also provides free drinks and meals, as well as hotel services.

An involuntary return is possible after receiving drinks and food, as well as hotel accommodation. You will not have to pay the cost of the services provided. To issue a refund, the passenger must initially appear at check-in and boarding, otherwise the money will not be refunded due to a failure to appear on the flight.

Flights usually leave on schedule, but cancellation of flights also happens. This can happen due to the fault of the air carrier or due to force majeure circumstances. A passenger who has bought a ticket for a failed flight has the right to receive compensation. However, there are many nuances here, ranging from the cause of the situation to the passenger's decision to take advantage of the alternative opportunities offered by the company.

03.12.19 21 484 78

And got 20x what I paid for the ticket

I often fly by air. For five years of active travel, 231 flights have already accumulated.

Andrey Kuznetsov

won a lawsuit against the airline

During this time, everything happened: flights were delayed, canceled, postponed. Once I had to make a forced refund of tickets due to illness: the plane flew away without me, but the money was returned. Usually, airport and airline employees helped to resolve the situation.

But in December 2018, the flight on which I was supposed to fly from Krasnodar to Moscow was first delayed and then canceled altogether. The airline employees refused to transfer me to another flight and even made fun of me for claiming compensation. Then I bought new tickets on my own, and then went to court and sued 10,000 RUR.

In the article I will tell you how to act in a similar situation.

What happened to the flight

On December 3, 2018, I was supposed to fly from Krasnodar to Moscow on a Pobeda low-cost airline flight. I managed to catch a very cheap ticket - for 499 rubles.

499 RUB

i paid for a flight ticket that was later canceled

On that day, a heavy fog descended on Krasnodar. At the airport, I opened the Flytradar tracker and saw the plane that was supposed to take me away circling over the airport. He could not land in Krasnodar and flew to Rostov-on-Don.

10 minutes before the scheduled departure time, the airport announced a flight delay by an hour, then another hour. According to the law, if a flight is delayed, after two hours the airline is obliged to provide passengers with water, and after four - food. And so it happened: first they gave us bottles of water, and then food.

The flight was canceled seven hours later. The representative of the airline suggested that passengers sign on the list in order to make a forced return of tickets and return the money. They were promised to be transferred within 30 days.

What is written in the law

When you buy a plane ticket, you automatically enter into a contract of carriage with the airline. Under this agreement, the airline undertakes to take you to your destination. The airline can terminate the contract on its own initiative in several cases: for example, if the passenger refuses to pay for baggage or carries prohibited items.

My flight was canceled due to weather conditions. Weather is not included in the list of reasons why the airline may terminate the contract. Only passengers have the right to do this. According to the Federal Aviation Regulations, in such a situation, passengers can choose one of two options:

To issue a forced return of tickets.
Wait until the weather improves and the flight can take off.

Involuntary refund is the passenger's right to refund the full cost of the ticket in case of force majeure. After registration of the involuntary return, the contract of carriage is considered terminated. In addition to the cost of the ticket, the airline does not owe you anything.

When are you eligible for an involuntary ticket refund?

What kind of regulatory organizations

These are supervisory bodies that monitor compliance with the law. They can fine the company that violated it. But they cannot collect money in your favor - only the court decides.

On the other hand, regulators can help with filing a claim. And if they acknowledge your innocence in the response letter, this letter can be attached to the claim and used in court.

Rosaviatsia responsible for flight operations. Their answer came first, two weeks after my request. The organization forwarded my complaint to the airline and received a response, which they emailed me along with their comment.

The airline's letter repeated word for word the answer to the pre-trial claim, and the Rosaviatsia's commentary boiled down to a retelling of aviation rules.

I continued my correspondence with the Federal Air Transport Agency through the feedback form on the site and bombarded them with questions:

Should the airline have performed the transportation?
What is the maximum period for a hotel?
How to understand that the contract has been terminated?
Is the verbal refusal of the airline representative to provide an alternative carriage is considered a unilateral termination of the contract?
How is the passenger notified of the termination of the contract under the law?

But the answers didn’t make me happy. In one letter I was informed that the hotel should be provided in case of flight cancellation. In another - that there is no requirement for the provision of alternative transportation in the legislation. I did not succeed in supporting my position in court with a reply from the Federal Air Transport Agency. But I learned more about the argumentation of the airline and used it in preparation for the court session.

Prosecutor's office - the supreme supervisory body responsible for the observance of human rights and freedoms. The complaint there was in vain: it turned out that the prosecutor's office is engaged only in supervising the authorities. In my case, there was a dispute between two subjects. I was told that there were no grounds for taking measures of the prosecutor's response, and I was recommended to go to court.

Later I had to once again turn to the prosecutor's office: the last of the organizations, Rospotrebnadzor, did not answer me for 66 days, although according to the law, they must respond within a month. The answer came only after a complaint about the violation of the response time.

Rospotrebnadzor protects consumer rights in the Russian Federation. From them I received a template of the claim. Unfortunately, by that time I was already tired of waiting, I made up and filed a lawsuit myself, using materials from the Internet.

Drafting a claim

I decided to sue on my own for two reasons.

The first is for experience and curiosity. I am a person far from jurisprudence, but I love numbers and official documents, so it was interesting for me to understand them.

The second reason is that I didn't want to spend money on lawyers. I understood that I was suing a large company, and I realized the possibility of losing the case.

If I turned to lawyers, I might be able to get more compensation from the airline. But initially I did not set such a goal. The trial was for me more a matter of principle: I wanted to restore justice.

Therefore, I made the claim myself. In total, it took about 20 hours: I approached the problem much more seriously than drawing up a pre-trial claim. In order not to be mistaken anywhere, I read twice the Federal Aviation Rules and the Air Code, and also - it lists the requirements for the content and execution of claims.

In the lawsuit, I indicated that the airline refused to fulfill its obligations under the contract, and demanded compensation for my travel expenses, as well as pay 50,000 RUR as compensation for moral damage and a fine of 50% of the total amount for refusing to voluntarily satisfy claims. In support of this, I referred to Articles 310 and 793 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, Articles 103, 107 and 120 of the VK RF, and Articles 13, 15 and 17 of the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights."

I calculated the compensation for moral damage as follows: due to I missed 4 working days from sick leave - during this time I could earn about 25,000 rubles. But since I not only missed this time, but was ill, I multiplied the amount by two.

When submitting an application to the court, you must pay a fee. Its size depends on the price of the claim. In my case, the claim was exempted from duty, as it was a violation of consumer rights.

Filing a claim

Claims against airlines are considered in two types of courts: regional and world. Where to go depends on the price of the claim, that is, the losses incurred by the applicant. The district court considers only claims with a price of more than 50,000 rubles. Worldwide - everyone else.

This turned out to be a mistake. They didn’t answer me for a whole month, and then they returned the claim. Virtual justice failed.

I had to take a day off from work and personally file a lawsuit at the reception of the magistrate court. I learned where to file a claim using the territorial jurisdiction module. The court is located in the city at the place of registration of the defendant, so I typed the legal address of Pobeda into the module.

Before filing a claim, I sent it to the airline by registered mail with a list of attachments, and attached the list and receipt of dispatch to the claim. It could have been done differently: do not send anything, but make two copies of the claim and submit both to the court. Then the court itself would send the statement of claim to the defendant.

I was told that after the court accepts the claim and appoints a hearing, information about this will appear on the court's website. This should happen within five business days. If five days have passed, and there is no information on the site, you need to call the court and clarify the status of the application.

The very next day, on the court's website, I learned that the lawsuit was registered. And soon I received an SMS with the date of the meeting.

Court

To defend the truth, it took three court sessions.

First meeting took place on April 16. On it, the court recommended that I clarify the claims.

Firstly, in the judge's opinion, the cost of a taxi from Krasnodar airport to the railway station was unreasonable, because the case took place during the day. I did not argue with this.

Secondly, by the time of the meeting, the airline had transferred R 698 to me: R 499 for a failed flight and R 199 for the service of choosing a seat in the cabin. This surprised me, because I did not sign the application for the forced return of the ticket. Nevertheless, now I had to change the claim and demand compensation for the difference in ticket prices, and not pay for the flight from Sochi to Moscow.

I drew up a statement to clarify the claim, sent it to the airline and waited for a new meeting. The date was set at the end of the first. I was notified about it under signature right in the courtroom.

Width \u003d "1186" height \u003d "594" class \u003d "outline-bordered" style \u003d "max-width: 1186px; height: auto" data-bordered \u003d "true"\u003e from the amount of losses 698 R, which the airline transferred to me, and removed one taxi ride

Second meeting took place on April 29. On it, the decision was again not made: during the meeting, the court secretary clarified on the website of the Russian Post that the airline had not received a statement to clarify the claim. I had to postpone the consideration of the case. It's a shame, because the application at that time had been awaiting delivery at the post office for 5 days. The defendant simply did not go to the post office.

Before the third meeting, I decided to take additional evidence that health was affected. I went to the polyclinic, where a medical commission was called for me and a certificate was issued that I was really ill after the failed flight. I don't know if this influenced the court's decision, but I think that the sick leave could not have been enough, and I would not have received any compensation.

Third meeting transferred twice: first due to leave of the judge, then due to his absence for another reason - she was never named to me. As a result, the meeting took place on June 4.

There were no representatives of the airline in court, but they sent their objections. They stated that I was allegedly offered to reissue tickets for the next flight at no additional cost, but I refused.

In response, I drew the judge's attention that the next flight departed only a day later, and there were no documents for accommodating the "departed" passengers in hotels. He offered to attach dictaphone records to the case materials, but the judge said that this was not necessary. Perhaps the notes would be useful if the defendant was present in court and defended his position.

The judge ruled in my favor. Six months after the failed flight, the court partially satisfied my requirements and recovered from the airline:

The difference in airfare.
Train ticket costs.
Taxi costs in Sochi.
The cost of telephone calls.
Compensation for moral damage in the amount of RUB 5,000.
Penalty 50% of the actual costs awarded, excluding compensation for non-pecuniary damage.

In case I spent money on a lawyer, the defendant would compensate me and these expenses.

In total, the airline paid me 10,535 rubles. This is about 20 times the cost of the canceled flight.

10 535 RUB

the airline paid me for the canceled flight

The court denied me compensation for one more taxi - from the airport to my home, as well as food in a cafe near the Krasnodar station on the way to Moscow. I provided receipts from the cafe, but they did not contain information that it was I who paid. I had to take a bank statement with card transactions.

I also forgot to indicate postage in the claim - they amounted to about 400 rubles. But despite this and the fact that compensation for moral damage was much less than I expected, I was glad. After all the tests, I won the victory.

Performance list

After the trial, it is still not finished. To collect money, you will need a writ of execution.

To receive a writ of execution, I needed another document - a reasoned court decision. According to the law, it must be drawn up within five days. But in fact it happens in different ways - due to it may take a year or more for the workload of ships.

I waited a month, after which I decided to file a complaint through the website of the Higher Qualification Collegium of Judges - they consider claims to the courts there. Three weeks after the appeal, the court announced that the decision was ready. I think that if I had not applied to the panel of judges, the wait would have taken even longer.

I took the reasoned decision and submitted an application to the court office for a writ of execution. It was given to me after three working days.

Collection

Finally, with the writ of execution in hand, I proceeded to the last step. You can collect money through bailiffs or on your own. I knew that the bailiffs work very slowly, and decided to act myself again.

To collect money, you need to know which banks the airline has accounts with. This information can be requested from the tax office by contacting any department with a written statement and a writ of execution.

I also found another way: I entered the request "site: pobeda.aero BIK" into Google. The first part of the request is the site on which the search engine will search for information. And BIK is a bank identification code. This abbreviation is found only in the requisites.

We managed to find the necessary information immediately. I typed the details into the search bar and found many documents on government procurement sites with the name of the airline. I also checked the account through Sberbank-Online. The recipient was highlighted - Pobeda Airlines.

As a result, I turned to another bank, where the airline also had an account. There I wrote a free-form application for acceptance of the writ of execution and indicated my bank details.

The next day after contacting me the money was transferred.

Remember

Study your rights in advance and do not agree to unprofitable offers, even if the airline says there is no other way.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, keep all evidence. The more pieces of paper, stamps, recordings of conversations, bank statements, the better. Even if they are not useful in court, you can use them when drafting a claim.
Print out the itinerary receipt in advance, so that in case of something you have something to put marks on.
Feel free to file a complaint with a regulatory organization. They exist for this.
Go to the court that will handle your case. Better to spend two hours driving than a month waiting for an answer.
Winning a trial without lawyers is real.
It is possible to collect money without bailiffs.

Almost all airlines delay or cancel flights for various reasons. Only in March this year, departing from Russia. Among them are North Wind, Ural Airlines, Red Wings and other popular carriers. If the flight is changed due to the fault of the airline, it must send passengers on another plane or compensate for the damage.

What to do if you received a notification from the airline about the transfer or cancellation of the flight

Find out the reason for the change

Call the airline's call center or, if you are already at the airport, go to the check-in counter or its representative office.

Important: if the call center operator cannot fully guide you, call other support services or the airline's press service.

Federal Air Transport Agency. Tel .: (499) 231-50-09, 231-56-56. E-mail: [email protected] 24-hour service telephone - hotline for emergency situations on international passenger flights outside the schedule (charter flights): (499) 231-53-73, e-mail: [email protected]
Hotline for tourism in Yekaterinburg. Tel .: (343) 268-46-86.
Ural Transport Prosecutor's Office. Tel .: 8-922-120-60-50; 8-922-118-01-40.

Request written notice of the change from the carrier

Let it be sent to you by mail. Or ask to put a mark on the itinerary receipt about what happened and when: canceled the flight, delayed at check-in or after landing, changed the airport of arrival, and so on. You must have written proof of what happened.

By the way, the written notice must state your rights, including the right to compensation for the flight cancellation and what exactly you will need to do to get it.

If you are waiting for a flight at the airport, then ask for free services: food, water, hotel accommodation

If the flight is delayed for more than two hours, the Russian airline must provide passengers with drinks free of charge, and if the delay is more than four hours, hot meals. Next, you should be served hot meals every six hours during the day and every eight hours at night. If your flight is delayed by six hours at night and eight hours during the day, you must be accommodated at your hotel and transported back and forth to the airport. We wrote in detail about what to do if your flight was delayed.

You can claim financial compensation for waiting for departure. If the reason was not force majeure, then the carrier is obliged to pay you a fine - 25% of the minimum wage for each hour of delay, but no more than 50% of the ticket price.

Take another flight if the airline offers it

It is not necessary to wait for monetary compensation if you were offered another flight that does not interfere with your further plans (if you are in time for your connecting flight and do not lose vacation days).

What to do if the airline did not provide me with an alternative and did not compensate for the damage

If the flight is delayed or canceled due to the fault of the airline, it is obliged to offer other departure options or issue an involuntary refund of the ticket (that is, refund the full cost). As a rule, these issues are resolved routinely. If the situation is not resolved in your favor, please contact the airline's representative office or email the support service.

If it was not possible to resolve the situation peacefully, you need to send a free-form claim to the airline with a demand to return the money. They must answer it within 30 days. If there was no answer, go to court at your place of residence.

Here are the documents you need in order to sue an air carrier.

Statement of claim.
A photocopy of the document with a note about the delay or cancellation of the flight (it must be certified, you can independently write “Copy is correct” on it and put your signature with the date, and bring the original to the court).
All proofs of your spending (receipts and receipts for meals, hotel accommodation, phone calls, etc.).
A claim to the carrier (you need to provide evidence that it was sent and, if possible, received).
The answer to the claim, if any.

Text: Alexandra Kunitsyna, Alexandra Morozova

Flight cancellations are not as rare as they might seem at first glance. Quite recently, two flights were canceled at once: Perm-Moscow and the return one. Moreover, different airlines. S7 rescheduled my morning flight an hour late, which was not suitable for my next connection to Europe. Transaero canceled the night flight and offered to leave 20 hours later. I didn't want to hang around the airport for an extra 20 hours. I requested a cancellation through the agency where I purchased. A couple of days later, the funds were returned to me minus the agency's commission.

There are many reasons for cancellation. If the flight is canceled shortly before departure, it is likely that technical malfunctions or weather conditions are to blame. However, the flight can be canceled several weeks before departure or even a month. What to do in any of these cases, we will tell you below in the article.

Flight cancellation occurred before departure

If the check-in board, which is located opposite your flight, lights up the inscription "Canceled", then first you need to contact the employee of the airline operating the flight. It is located at the airline's ticket office, at the check-in counter at the airport, if it is not there, then you should check with the airport staff.

He will give you options and then explain the plan for the next steps. However, if you want to return the ticket, you will need to contact the ticket seller from whom it was purchased.

The flight was canceled a couple of days, weeks, and so on before departure

In this case, you need to immediately contact the place where you purchased your ticket. Only the agent who issued the ticket can return or exchange a ticket. If the purchase of the ticket took place at the airline, then you need to contact them, if bought at the agency, then directly to the agent. Most of the airlines are unable to exchange or refund tickets for tickets purchased through agents. Only the seller has the right to do so.

It should be emphasized that, despite the fact where the ticket was bought, the airline will have to confirm the forced refund, and it does this very slowly. As a rule, you will need to wait up to 3 months for the receipt of money to your account. In extremely rare cases, this period can last up to six months.

What to count on if a flight is canceled?

The airline, according to the rules, must offer the passenger a choice of the following options:

1. Alternative flight.

Usually, this carrier offers alternative routes, for example, a connecting flight, on a different day of departure or at a different time. Options are subject to availability.

It is worth noting that it will be impossible to change the destination of the destination. That is, if the Moscow-Washington flight is canceled, then it cannot be changed to Moscow-New York. If the alternative flight departs several hours after the original flight, then the time between the new flight and the original is counted as a flight delay, and you can claim the same benefits as other passengers who experienced a flight delay.

2. Full refund of the ticket price, that is, a forced refund.

In this case, there are some subtleties that you need to pay attention to. For example, if a connecting flight was purchased with one ticket (Moscow-Vienna-Berlin), then a refund can be received for the full route. In the case of 2 separate tickets - Moscow-Vienna and Vienna-Berlin, the refund can be received only for the canceled flight, for example, Moscow-Vienna. Another Vienna-Berlin ticket will need to be returned according to the fare rules.

A similar situation will occur with return tickets, if you bought one ticket at a round trip fare, then the refund will take place both for the outbound flight, as well as for the return flight.

When buying 2 separate tickets, the refund will occur for the actually canceled flight, for example, a flight there, the return ticket will need to be returned according to the rules of the fare.

In the event that the flight cancellation is caught halfway, then you have the opportunity to claim a refund for the section of the route that you already had to overcome. For example, you are flying on a through ticket Moscow-Vienna-Berlin. Arriving in Vienna you will find out that the flight to Berlin has been canceled. In case of not providing you with an alternative flight, the carrier must provide a return ticket, as well as compensation for the Vienna-Berlin and Moscow-Vienna flights. But in this case, you will have to provide evidence that your trip is no longer relevant due to flight cancellations.

Are passengers eligible for flight cancellation compensation?

In certain cases - Yes.

The EU airline has the following rules:

Compensation is not due when the passenger is notified of the cancellation two weeks or more before departure.
If you do not report the cancellation before departure 13 - 7 days, provided that the flight is canceled through the fault of the carrier and you are offered a different route that allows you to take off no more than 2 hours earlier than the scheduled time and arrive less than 4 hours later at the final destination destination.
If you are informed about a flight cancellation less than 7 days before departure and you are offered a different route that allows you to depart no more than 1 hour earlier than the scheduled time and arrive less than 2 hours later at your final destination.

The amount of compensation is as follows.