Airlines To Compensate Loses From Now On

[MosJan]

AIRLINES TO COMPENSATE LOSES FROM NOW ON

 

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament enforced new rules lately for all those airlines that use EU airports, according to which airlines will have to compensate passengers for additionally sold tickets, long delays or canceled flights.

 

The new rules will certainly be of great help to our citizens whose rights are often violated.

 

According to the new rules, an airline will have to compensate and to help in case of refusing to transfer a passenger or in case of canceling the flight.

 

The most common case of leaving passengers overboard is that more tickets are sold than the plane’s capacity allows. In such cases, according to the new EU rules, an airline has to inquire if there are passengers ready to trade their seats for a beneficial offer – repaying ticket price and giving opportunity to choose an airline for reaching final destination. Together with this offer an airline has to provide a passenger with food, drink and lodging and communications facilities if needed.

 

If a passenger declines such offer then the airline has to repay in the following way: 250 euro for 1500 km flight, 400 euro for 1500-3500 km flight and 600 euro for a distance covering more than 3500 km.

 

In case of a canceled flight an airline has to propose an alternative of repaying the ticket price or providing transportation to the passenger’s final destination. The airline again has to provide the passenger with food, drink hotel and communication facilities. Moreover, an airline has to compensate the passenger if it did not inform him/her about cancellation beforehand and did not provide an alternative transportation.

 

European Union also enforced new rules concerning passengers’ luggage. Particularly, in case the luggage is lost, damaged or delayed, a passenger may demand reimbursement of 1000 SDR (1SDR=721.90AMD). In case of a checked-in luggage’s damage, the passenger has to write down his complaint in 7 days’ time after his arrival and in case of a delayed luggage – in 21 days. The passenger has the right to turn to court if the airline refuses to reimburse.

 

All the rules are in force only if an airline is responsible for inconveniences and damage. An airline bears no responsibility if a flight is delayed due to, say, non-flying weather, emergency, strike etc.

 

By Aghavni Harutyunian

 

AZG Armenian Daily #045, 15/03/2005

[phantom22]

Good news. Shoonshanortee Levon Travel almost left me stranded in Athens, after I had booked a paid ticket to Yerevan. Seems someone with political clout had bumped me. I had to make a few long distance calls to rectify the situation. They probably bumped some unsuspecting soul to let me on, Shoonshanorteener! Edited March 15, 2005 by phantom22