Many of us use air travel. Some are traveling, and some are on work matters. And flights are often delayed. The reasons for the delay may be: bad weather conditions, technical problems on the plane, heavy load of the airport airspace, internal problems of the airline and much more. But what to do if your flight is delayed?

What the airline must provide:

1. Regardless of how long the flight is delayed, all passengers with small children (under 7 years old) must be provided with a mother and child room;

2. If your flight is delayed by 2 hours or more, you are entitled to two phone calls or emails. In addition, the airline must provide all passengers with soft drinks;

3. If the flight is delayed for more than 4 hours, the carrier is obliged to provide everyone with hot meals. The airline must provide meals every six hours during the day and every eight at night. As a rule, passengers are given food vouchers for one of the airport's restaurants or cafes;

4. If the plane is delayed for 8 hours or more during the day (6 or more at night), the airline must accommodate its passengers in a hotel. Also, the carrier is obliged to organize transfer from the airport to the hotel and back and storage of luggage in a storage room.

Sequence of actions in case of flight delays:

1. Find an airline representative. It can be at the counter where you checked in for the flight, as well as at the airline ticket office at the airport. If you have already passed pre-flight inspection, then an employee can be found at the gate from where the plane was scheduled to depart.

2. You need to receive a note about the flight delay from the airline representative, as well as food (or drinks, or hotel) coupons, depending on how long the flight was delayed.

If you have not found an airline representative, you can check with an airport employee; to do this, contact the information desk. The mark is placed on the itinerary receipt. Stamps are also placed here for the issuance of drinks, food, etc.

Flight delays often involve additional material costs. In this case, financial compensation is provided. It will only be paid to you if the delay was due to the fault of the airline. Compensation amount is 25% from the minimum wage for each hour of delay, but not more than 50% from the ticket price.

If the aircraft does not take off on time due to weather conditions, technical malfunction of the aircraft or any other circumstances, which do not depend on the airline, then financial compensation to you not allowed.

What to do if you miss your connecting flight?

Here you need to see what ticket you have:

- 1 ticket, 1 airline - if the first flight is delayed and you miss your connection, you will fly away in any case - the only question is how soon. The airline will make every effort to place you on the next flight;

- 1 ticket, 2 airlines - the ticket is on the same form, but the airlines are different, this means that there is a cooperation agreement between them. In a situation where airline “A” delays a flight and you miss the plane of airline “B”, the problem must be solved by airline “A”;

- 2 tickets, 1 or 2 airlines - buying tickets on two different forms - the risk of not flying increases, since formally you are not a transit passenger. This means that if you miss your connection, your ticket for the second flight will be lost, even if you are flying on the same airline. If a ticket was purchased there and back, the return ticket is also canceled, as in the case of no-show for the flight - now show. But if you have a more expensive fare, this will allow you to save your return ticket and return part of the amount for the unused one.

What to do if the plane was canceled several days in advance?

In this situation, you have the right to the following: replace tickets (draw up an alternative transportation route); return the money (if the airline has accepted responsibility).

What to do if the plane is canceled on the day of departure?

If another airline is ready to transport you, then two options are possible: free re-issuance of the ticket if the cancellation was due to the fault of the carrier; re-issuance of a ticket with an additional payment if the carrier is not at fault.

The responsibilities of air carriers are regulated by the Federal Aviation Rules “General Rules for the Air Transportation of Passengers, Baggage, Cargo and Requirements for Services for Passengers, Shippers, and Consignees,” as well as the Air Code of the Russian Federation.

To receive financial compensation upon arrival, write an application with your boarding pass and a document confirming the flight delay to the airline. In case of refusal to pay material compensation, such a dispute is subject to consideration on its merits, followed by a binding decision in the framework of civil proceedings.

Air transport is undoubtedly the fastest, most convenient and safest, so it is not at all surprising that most travelers choose to travel by plane. But unfortunately, not all airlines fully cope with their work. In particular, some people delay their flight, and not because of the vagaries of the weather.

Many people have probably had to deal with this rather unpleasant situation, but not everyone, as practice shows, knows the rights of passengers when their flight is delayed. Let's try to analyze this topic more carefully so that everyone, if necessary, can independently deal with the pressing problem.

First of all, you should understand: the purchased air ticket acts as a contract with the carrier, which in the future must serve passengers. And his main responsibility is to deliver the client to the right place in a timely manner and take care of his safety.Taking into account previously established rules regarding the protection of consumer rights, the airline, when a flight is delayed, is obliged to:

1. Passengers with small children under 7 years of age will be provided with a room for mother and child free of charge, regardless of whether the flight departure is delayed by 30 minutes or 6 hours.
2. A carrier that delays a flight by 4 hours is obliged to provide hot meals free of charge to adults and children. For this purpose, clients are issued coupons with which they can order lunch in restaurants or coffee shops operating on the pier territory.
3. If the departure of the airliner is delayed for a longer time, approximately 7-8 hours, the culprit of the delay is obliged to provide its clients with places to stay in the hotel complex. If there is no hotel on the territory of the airport, the airline pays for the transfer and also controls the safety of the luggage of all passengers.

Unfortunately, not many companies are committed to providing both drinks and food stamps to their customers. Therefore, passengers should take the initiative to contact representatives to remind them of the airline's responsibilities in the event of a flight delay.

Under what circumstances is the carrier considered at fault?

Initially, you need to figure out whether the air transport departure is really delayed due to the fault of the company. The Civil Code of the Russian Federation clearly indicates the reasons why the carrier will be considered as the culprit:

• in case of inconsistency in the previously approved schedule;
• if the airliner or crew members are not ready to serve customers;
• when passengers refuse to use the carrier’s services due to so-called overbooking: that is, if the company decides to put more clients on board the aircraft than are provided in the passenger seats.

The carrier is considered innocent if the following reasons prevent him from fulfilling his duties in a timely manner:

• unfavorable, sharply changed weather conditions;
• all kinds of natural phenomena - for example, fire or floods;
• actions of military significance;
• a ban on the transportation of goods or passengers in the selected direction.

Also, the airline will not be guilty of delay if the crew identifies a malfunction in the vehicle that could cause the airliner to crash.

What can a passenger expect?

Clearly, an airline has a responsibility to all of its customers. Depending on how many hours the air transport departure will be delayed, the actions of the airline employees depend:

1. If the plane's takeoff is delayed by a couple of days, the at-fault party can offer its clients two ways to solve this problem:

• flight in the desired direction on another transport serviced by the same carrier;
• refund of the full amount of money spent on the purchase of an air ticket. In this situation, it should be borne in mind that it will be possible to return the money spent on tickets in both directions only if the purchased tickets are marked on a single form.

1. If the departure of transport is delayed after customers have arrived at the airport, and they are currently checking in, then first of all the carrier must inform about the delay time, and also offer several options to get out of the unpleasant situation. Most often, passengers are simply asked to take a flight using the service of another airline, without making additional payment if the culprit is the previously chosen carrier.

Important! Compensation for aircraft flight delays is due to all passengers flying in EU airspace.

Amount of compensation in the Russian Federation

If the company cannot prove its innocence regarding the delay in air transport departure, then, according to the current legislation of our country, it must pay its customers 3% of the total cost of the air ticket for every 60 minutes of forced waiting. The amount of money under other circumstances is considered as compensation for the delay. Also, the culprit is required to pay 25% of the minimum wage as a fine for every 60 minutes, but the total payment amount should not exceed half the purchase price.

According to the law of our country, the injured party is not entitled to other types of compensation. But the passenger has the right to both demand a refund of the amount spent on the ticket and use the services of an alternative flight offered by the culprit.

What actions should be taken if the plane's departure is delayed?

So, the air transport departure has been delayed. First of all, you need to find the office of the guilty carrier or contact his representative. An employee can be found at the check-in counter or at the airport ticket office. If the passenger has already passed passport control, then the representative may be at a special gate, from which, according to the previously approved plan, the plane should take off.

If you cannot find a representative, you should find out at the information desk where you can find an employee, or call the airline office, finding out the phone number on the carrier’s official website.

Having found a representative, you need to get from him everything that the injured party needs, taking into account the flight delay: drinks, food stamps and hotel room. And it is mandatory to receive a note from the employee, which will clearly indicate how long the flight departure will be delayed. The airport employee serving customers at the information desk can also put the appropriate mark.

Most often, the delay time is noted on the itinerary receipt, and it is also indicated here what exactly the injured party received - for example, food stamps and so on.Even if it is not possible to put a confirmation mark, there is no need to worry prematurely, because the delay will be documented, which means that upon arrival, passengers have the right to send a written complaint to the office of the guilty airline.

Receiving compensation

It is equally important to figure out how to get compensation. This process is quite simple, because for this you will need to have a note on hand about the flight delay due to the fault of the carrier. Upon returning from travel, the injured party must contact the airline with the following documents:

1. An application written according to a special template, which can be viewed on the air carrier’s Internet resource.
2. Boarding pass.
3. A note about the flight delay placed on the boarding pass.

The exact time for refunding money is not specified in Russian legislation, so the carrier has the right to make adjustments, of course, within a reasonable understanding, regarding this issue. As practice shows, most often financial compensation is received by injured passengers 2-3 months after submitting documents. However, the consideration of the case can often drag on for 6-7 months.

Regardless of how long the airline reschedules the flight, you need to try to collect as much evidence of this fact as possible in order to receive compensation. That is, get a note about the delay, collect receipts issued for the purchase of food and drinks, and even take a photo of the takeoff and landing board of the previously selected flight to confirm a change in the previously established status. The more evidence is collected, the higher the chance of receiving financial compensation for the injured party.

Air travel has long ceased to be the preserve of the elite. Traveling by plane is, of course, the fastest and least tiring way to find yourself in another city, country or even on another continent. And with proper and advance planning, it can be even less expensive than traveling by train or car.

That's why every year more and more people around the world go on vacation or business trips by plane. Therefore, many have probably at least once encountered such an unpleasant situation as a delay in their flight. There may be many reasons for this; after all, air transportation is an extremely complex process, and a failure at any of its stages can lead to a delay in departure time.

The most common reasons for flight delays

• Weather conditions

Because of them, the movement of aircraft may be completely suspended, or additional treatment of the aircraft will be required, for example, with a special anti-ice agent.

There are often cases when passengers on one flight have to wait for the weather to stabilize, while those flying on a plane from another air carrier land safely. There are no tricks here - the fact is that the so-called weather minimums are different everywhere. There are differences in movement restrictions not only among airliners of different models, but also among each individual crew. Exceeding the permitted thresholds is extremely dangerous.

• Identified malfunctions of the airliner

If they are minor, then they will be fixed, as they say, on the spot, but if the breakdown is technically complex, the plane will be sent for repairs, and another aircraft will be found for the passengers.

Representatives of any airline are reluctant to talk about flight delays due to a malfunction. It spoils the reputation. And it scares many passengers, even those who do not suffer from aerophobia. Therefore, most often passengers are not informed that the plane required repairs.

• Late arrival of the airliner

This is one of the most common reasons that are publicly voiced at airports when a flight is delayed - for passengers it sounds the most harmless. And that is why it is often abused.

• Failure of ground services

If there is a delay in the chain of all necessary actions that are carried out at the airport with the plane during the connecting time, from the moment of arrival to departure, this will invariably entail a delay of the flight. This could be slow luggage removal, sluggish cleaning of the cabin, or the lateness of the new crew - there are a lot of reasons.

In most cases, when boarding an airliner is delayed by 20-30 minutes, this does not pose any particular problems for many. But if you have to wait for several hours, then passengers have the right to demand certain compensation.

If you are waiting for more than an hour for the coveted announcement about the start of check-in for your flight, first of all you need to ask the employees at the information desks for an explanation. Of course, you shouldn’t hope for a detailed explanation of the reasons for the delay. Most likely, you will be informed about unfavorable weather conditions or a late flight arrival, which may not be true.

In any case, it is necessary ask to put a note on the boarding ticket indicating that the flight departed at the wrong time. It will be the basis for requiring certain free services guaranteed by the Federal Aviation Regulations.

If a flight is delayed for up to two hours, the carrier is obliged to provide all its passengers with:

• luggage storage;
• staying in the mother and baby room for those flying with children under seven years old.

Flight delay more than two hours

In this case, Russian legislation provides for each passenger:

• two phone calls, not only via domestic but also international lines, or two messages by e-mail;
• must be organized at the expense of the carrier distribution of soft drinks.

Flight delay more than four hours

If you have to languish in the airport terminal halls for more than four hours, then passengers have the right to demand hot meals.

Subsequently, the rules stipulated that hot food should be served at intervals of 6 hours during the day, and every 8 hours at night.

Flight delay of 6 hours or more

When a flight is delayed by a quarter of a day or more, the air carrier will have to fork out money and pay for the hotel stay of its passengers who did not depart on time.

Hotel provided if the flight is delayed for more than 6 hours at night, or more than 8 hours during the day; the way to the hotel The airline also pays.

What compensation can you expect?

The carrier also expects additional expenses if the flight is delayed due to his fault. According to the Air Code of the Russian Federation, for each hour of waiting, the passenger is entitled to compensation - 3 percent of the ticket price. And also - a quarter of a percent of the minimum wage, also every hour of departure delay. True, no more than half the cost of the ticket.

According to the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights,” the airline will be obliged to compensate passengers for the losses they incurred due to being late to their destination. These can be paid tickets for another type of transport, for theaters, musicals, operas, concerts or excursions. Respectively, do not forget to save all payment receipts and the tickets themselves.

If air tickets were included in the price of a tourist package, then you can also demand compensation from the carrier for paid but missed days of hotel stay. In this case, a claim must be filed within 20 days after the end of the contract for the provision of tourist services, that is, immediately upon returning home.

When a delay on one flight results in a missed connecting flight on the same airline, passengers will be transported free of charge on another aircraft. At the same time, they will not have to pay extra for seats in business class if there are no free seats in economy class. But if you paid for a “business” flight, and are offered to fly in the budget tail of the plane, demand a refund of the difference in price.

There is a chance to recover from the airline company both moral and material harm due to lost profits due to delay. In this case, evidence will be developed project presentations, business plans, forms of contracts prepared for signature, etc.

How to get compensation?

If the carrier does not fulfill its obligations, do not be upset. First ask the airport terminal administration a certificate confirming the delay of your plane's departure indicating the reason. And then feel free to go to a restaurant and order any dish, rent a hotel room, get there by taxi (the main thing here is to use the services of official companies that issue checks) - all this will subsequently be reimbursed by the air carrier.

In our country, within six months after an unpleasant incident, you need to send a claim to the airline with a request to reimburse your unplanned expenses. The application form must be accompanied by photocopies of the ticket, a certificate of flight delay and all available receipts issued at a restaurant, hotel, taxi, etc.

It is difficult to resist such a set of papers in our bureaucratic state - the carrier company will almost certainly quickly resolve the issue in your favor. According to the law, such requests from passengers can be considered no longer than one month.

But if the airline management does not want to resolve the problem amicably - write a statement of claim to the court. It must also be accompanied by copies of checks, receipts, certificates, as well as an official response from airline representatives to the request to reimburse expenses.

Getting your money back through the Russian legal system is, of course, not the fastest or most pleasant thing. But if you act decisively, you can achieve compensation with minimal temporary losses.

So, to summarize all of the above, when going on an air trip, you need to be prepared for the possibility of departure at a time not indicated in the flight schedule. It is necessary to save all reporting documents received during a long forced stay at the airport (checks, receipts, certificates), as well as tickets for entertainment events in the place where you are flying, but not used due to being late.

And, perhaps most importantly, always have additional funds in your account- they will be required if the air carrier refuses to fulfill its obligations to provide meals and hotel accommodation for passengers of the delayed flight. But all expenses incurred will then be reimbursed.

Video on the topic: “What to do if your flight is delayed”

A Mother and Child Room must be provided to passengers with children under 7 years of age immediately, regardless of how long the flight is delayed. Even if it's only 10-15 minutes.

Refreshments must be provided for delays of 2 hours or more. That is, after two hours of waiting, you have the right to demand that your rights be respected. You also have the right to two free calls or one email message.

Hot meals are provided if the delay is over 4 hours. And every 6 hours during the day, and every 8 hours at night. Food, of course, will not be brought to you, but most likely, you will be provided with food in a cafe or at the airport.

After an eight-hour wait during the day (6 hours at night), you are required to be taken to the hotel and ensure the safety of your luggage.

Do not hesitate to ask and demand respect for your rights. Don't let the airline save money at your expense. To do this, you need to write down the phone numbers of company representatives in advance, or find out their location in the airport halls. Don't be lazy and find out all the necessary information. This will help you avoid unnecessary inconvenience and trouble.

Flight delays often lead to bigger problems for passengers. You may be late for a business meeting, or miss your transfer. You will be left with an unoccupied room in a hotel that you have already paid for, or vice versa, you have already been evicted, and your flight has been postponed, and you have nowhere to simply go. You may lose tickets for a concert or excursion. For all such situations, there are financial compensations. To receive it, you need to remember and clearly know why the unfortunate delay occurred. If it is the fault of the airline, then you can safely demand your compensation. If the cause was the weather, or technical problems of the airport or plane (not the airline itself, but a leased one), then it will be impossible to bring a claim.

Now about the money. In any case, and only if it is definitely established that the delay in departure was due to the fault of the air carrier, count on a maximum of half the cost of your air ticket. This is the maximum. And so, according to the rules, 25% of the minimum wage established in the country for each hour of delay. Today the minimum wage is 5554 rubles, which means that every hour of delay when paying you will cost the company 1388 rubles. 50 kopecks. Of course, such compensation is unlikely to cover even a small part of possible losses, but the law is the law.

Don't forget to mark the flight delay (for example, on your itinerary receipt). This can be done by airline representatives at the check-in counter, or at the departure point for your flight. If there is no representative, this must be done by airport staff at the information desk.

And also, do not forget to save all receipts and receipts for your independent expenses during waiting hours. Don't forget about the stamp and the reasons for the delay/rescheduling of the flight.

These rules may change for different companies, but only in the direction of improvement for the passenger.

Tip 2: Compensation for flight delays can be quadrupled

Such changes to the Air Code of the Russian Federation were prepared by the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy.

What are the current flight delay compensation and what is offered?

According to the current version of the Air Code of the Russian Federation (Article 120), a passenger can be compensated only 25% of the “penalty” minimum wage, which is equal to 100 rubles, for each hour of flight delay. For example, if the flight is delayed by 8 hours, the payment will be 200 rubles. In this case, the fine cannot exceed 50% of the ticket price.

As Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports in the article “Money is falling from the sky” dated February 4, 2018, the authors of the initiative insist that the current amount of compensation is not comparable to the cost of flights. The price of a ticket, for example, from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok can reach up to 50-60 thousand rubles one way. If the amendments are adopted, the fine for late delivery of a passenger, baggage or cargo will increase from 25 to 100 rubles for each hour of delay, but not more than 50% of the cost of the flight. Airlines will also have the right to prove their innocence if the delay occurred due to the elimination of an aircraft malfunction that threatens the life and health of passengers, bad weather conditions and other circumstances beyond the airline’s control.

Today, passengers rarely receive compensation - people simply do not want to waste their time for ridiculous amounts. In addition, it is difficult to prove that the cause of the flight delay was not external factors, but rather the negligence of the carrier.

“It’s not a fact that if the fine increases to 100 rubles, the mechanism will work fully. Those whose flight was delayed for a couple of hours will still not be interested in this amount of compensation. However, in 10 hours of downtime, a thousand rubles will already accrue. If the ticket was worth two thousand rubles, this is half the amount that the carrier will have to return,” says Roman Gusarov, head of the Avia.ru portal. Plus, according to him, the airline remains responsible for watering, feeding and accommodating the passenger in a hotel if the flight is delayed. And this is also a big expense. This also includes new flight permits, fees for aircraft downtime at the airport, and so on. “The extra financial burden is already a serious incentive for carriers to avoid long flight delays,” Gusarov believes.

A serious breakthrough was expected in connection with Russia's ratification of the Montreal Convention, which sets out the rules for international transportation. Many hoped that now they could get about 400 thousand rubles from the airline for flight delays. However, it's not that simple. Compensation is not made for the flight delay, but for the damage caused due to it. And these are two big differences. The Air Code provides for a fine for delay, and it is collected regardless of the harm. If we are talking about liability specifically for causing harm, then this harm - material or moral - also needs to be proven in court.

Have changes to the Air Code been adopted?

As of October 2018, the amendments to the Air Code of the Russian Federation described in the article have not been adopted.

Indeed, increased compensation for flight delays would be a serious incentive for airlines to be punctual, and the amount of compensation for passengers would be more tangible.

Sources:

• Money falls from the sky

It all depends on the reason why the flight was delayed. For example, by law, the carrier has the right to postpone a flight for safety reasons.

In addition, airlines are not responsible if the delay is due to weather conditions, wars or epidemics, employee strikes, requirements of government agencies, disasters and... Sudden breakdown of the aircraft.

All these cases are considered “unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the company” and no monetary compensation is provided for them.

But if the delay is due to inconsistencies in flight schedules, overbooking (when more tickets are sold for a flight than seats on the plane), or unavailability of the crew, then compensation can be obtained.

Moreover, regardless of the reason for the delay, the passenger has the right to all kinds of convenience.

For example, if a flight is delayed by 5-15 minutes, mothers (or fathers) with children under seven years of age have the right to request a visit to the mother and child’s room.

If there is a two-hour delay, refreshments are provided. And two more phone calls or emails. You can count on a hot meal if your flight is four hours late. Then it can be requested every six hours during the day or eight at night. Moreover, if the delay is more than eight hours, you must be provided with a hotel and a transfer to get there. If all this happens at night, then the hotel can be demanded within six hours.

If suddenly the airline refuses to provide you with any of the above, ask the representative for a written refusal, and then purchase these services with your own money, just keep the receipts. If you go to court with all the evidence (refusal and receipts), then there is a high probability of receiving compensation.