How to Get Paid for Cancelled Flights Within Europe

Domestic travel within Europe can be tricky, as your flight can be cancelled and affect your connecting flights as well as the rest of your trip. In the EU, there is an EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation that provides passengers with the opportunity for compensation if the airline abruptly cancels your flight. 

This regulation holds the airline accountable to refund or rebook your flight, offer complimentary food and beverages during your layover, and may make you eligible for compensation. Receiving this compensation can be difficult, which is why Flightright specializes in flight cancellation compensation, to ensure any passenger eligible receives their funds.

The best way to get paid for cancelled flights within Europe is to work with Flightright, as they are experts in the field and make the process painless on your part to get you the compensation you’re due because of the airline’s error. 

Any passenger who has flown in the EU and experienced a cancellation should consider working with Flightright to receive compensation. The biggest reason to use the services of Flightright over representing yourself is that many airlines will offer vouchers or coupons to offset the frustration of the cancellation. Many times, these items are of lower value than you are eligible for. Airlines also tend to delay the process when a passenger submits a claim, sending a follow-up letter or taking weeks to communicate, which prevents you from your entitled compensation. 

Flightright represents the passenger and knows the legal aspects of what you’re entitled and how to ensure the airline pays the claim. With the flight tracker and calculator, passengers can look up their flight and see how their claim may pay before agreeing to have Flightright file your claim. Flightright saves you time, money, and the hassle of representing yourself, offering a higher chance of success in receiving compensation compared to filing on your own behalf.  

Flight Cancellation Compensation Requirements

The main reason to work with Flightright is because navigating the flight cancellation compensation requirements can be confusing. These requirements determine if your flight qualifies for compensation and if it does, how much money it will provide. It isn’t as simple as the flight was cancelled and so you are owed. Both the timeframe in which the flight is cancelled and the length of the flight itself play into if you qualify and how much you qualify for. 

Flight cancellation compensation is an amount separate from the cost of your flight or the expenses you incurred due to the cancellation. The compensation is a specific amount, determined by the specifics of your flight, that offsets your hardship due to the change in travel plans. Many people may not be aware that this compensation exists, or know how to go about receiving it.

In order for your flight to qualify for compensation, it must meet the following:

  • Flight cancellation qualifies per the flight calculator from Flightright
  • The airline was responsible for the cancellation, not weather or another extraordinary circumstance 
  • You checked into your flight on time
  • The flight took off from the EU or was scheduled to land in the EU (if the airline has a headquarters in the EU)
  • The flight cancellation occurred within the last 6 years 

Passenger Rights After a Cancellation

If your flight is cancelled in Europe, you do have rights as a passenger. This means that the airline is supposed to help you reschedule your flight or refund you for the price of your ticket, as well as offer you a few other items. It’s important to be aware of these rights as the airline is supposed to honor and uphold them. If the airline doesn’t, it’s important to make note of this for your compensation case. 

Your passenger rights include:

  • Your flight ticket being refunded for the full price or your flight rescheduled within a reasonable timeframe 
  • Food and drink provided if the flight delay is longer than 2 hours 
  • Compensation for your inconvenience if the flight is cancelled 14 days or less before the departure date and time
  • 2 phone calls, emails, or faxes if your flight delay is longer than 2 hours 
  • Transportation and accommodations if your flight is scheduled to depart the next day 

Steps to Getting Paid 

By choosing to work with Flightright, you’re saving yourself a lot of time and energy on your flight cancellation compensation case, but you still have to do a few things before the claim can begin to be processed. These 3 steps will give you everything you need to work with Flightright and receive your compensation. 

1: Collect in the airport 

  • Get the reason for cancellation in writing directly from the airline.
  • Work with the airline to reschedule your flight or receive your full refund.
  • Use the airline’s complementary food and beverage while you’re waiting for the new flight.
  • Keep the physical copies of all receipts, rescheduled flight, flight refund, and any other expenses you incur because of the cancellation.
  • Work with the airline to schedule transportation to and from the airport as well as accommodations if you need to wait overnight for your flight.

2: Use the online calculator to determine compensation

On the Flightright website, use the calculator to look up your flight details and see if your flight qualifies for compensation. This will help you confirm that you are entitled to compensation and do have a case. Taking these 2 minutes will save you a lot of time and will ensure the path to filing a claim is the correct one.

3: Begin the compensation process with Flightright 

By inputting your flight information into the calculator, you have already begun the process for compensation with Flightright. If you choose to proceed to file a claim, you just continue to follow the steps and authorize Flightright to file a claim on your behalf. By using Flighright, they will handle the whole process and will only receive payment if your claim is fulfilled. 

Receiving compensation due to your flight being cancelled doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Choosing to work with Flightright will increase your chances of receiving your compensation and will save you time, energy, and money compared to trying to process your claim on your own or working with a private lawyer. Getting started with Flightright to obtain your flight cancellation compensation takes two minutes and you can begin right away.