A serious IT outage occurred at airports around the world, causing great chaos.
Passengers across Europe and the world are experiencing long delays at check-in and delayed flights. Some airlines have cancelled flights entirely.
If you are departing today, please check your flight status before departure and allow sufficient time for check-in and security screening.
It is still unclear whether passengers are entitled to compensation and who is liable for delays and cancellations.
However, under European law, passengers are entitled to a certain level of protection.
Here you can find out everything you need to know about compensation and insurance coverage.
Am I entitled to compensation for IT failures and delays at the airport?
Under European law, if the flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled entirely, the airline must offer the passenger an alternative flight or refund the full price. Compensation.
The compensation is between 250 euros for short-haul flights and 600 euros for long-haul flights.
However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Weather conditions and security risks as these are beyond the control of the airlines.
It remains to be seen who will be held liable for today’s serious problems, but it is likely that airlines will view the outage as an “extraordinary circumstance” beyond their control.
“If the airline is not at fault, compensation is unlikely,” Anita Mendiratta, author and special adviser to the Secretary-General of UN Tourism, told Euronews Travel.
European airlines and other airlines operating in the EU and the UK must also offer assistance in the event of delays and Cancellationsincluding food and accommodation if necessary. However, this only applies if it is their fault or a problem within their control.
Who can I contact to claim compensation?
Many airline websites are also affected by the outage, including compensation claim pages, so it’s best to contact an airport employee.
You can contact airlines once their websites and apps are back up and running, but some experts say this could take several days.
“Depending on the location and the conditions of the ticket purchase, there may be compensation from the airline, but that is not the only possibility,” says Mendiratta.
“Credit cards used to purchase airline tickets may include compensation clauses to cover disruptions. And of course there is travel insurance.
“Be that as it may, there are options and travelers should educate themselves on when and how they can be compensated. But that will only happen after we have addressed priority No. 1: getting everyone back to flying safely.”
Does travel insurance cover delays due to cancellations?
If you are unable to claim compensation from your airline, you may be able to claim your Travel insurance.
This will depend on your insurance policy, which may only cover delays or cancellations. Often, travel insurance will only cover delays of more than eight or twelve hours. It’s best to contact your insurance company for more details.
You may also be entitled to reimbursement for unused hotel room reservations and other losses, such as basic expenses incurred during the delay.
Keep all documentation of your delay from the airline or Airport to support your claim, as well as your boarding pass and any receipts.
