Denied boarding and cancellation

These rights apply, provided you check in on time, for any flight, including charters:

• from an EU airport, or
• from an airport outside the EU to an airport within the EU, when operated by an EU airline.

Denied boarding

When there are too many passengers for the seats available, an airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats in return for agreed benefits. These must include the choice of either refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination.
If you are not a volunteer, the airline must pay you compensation of:

• 250 Euro for flights of 1 500 km or less,
• 400 Euro for longer flights within the EU, and for other flights between 1 500 and 3 500 km,
• 600 Euro for flights outside the scope of the categories above.
  

Compensation may be halved if you are not delayed more than 2, 3 or 4 hours, respectively.

The airline must also give you:

• a choice of either a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination, and
• meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation when necessary (including transfers) and communication facilities.

Cancellation

Whenever your flight is cancelled, the operating airline must give you:

• a choice of either a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination, and
• meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation when necessary (including transfers) and communication facilities.

The airline may also have to compensate you, at the same level as for denied boarding, unless it gives you sufficient advance notice. You shall be informed about alternative transport.

If the airline proves that the cancellation of the flight was due to extraordinary circumstances it is not obliged to pay the compensation to you, but it still has to give you assistance in terms of rebooking, refreshments etc.

Refunds may be in cash,by bank transfer or cheque or, with your signed agreement, in travel vouchers, and must be paid within 7 days. If you do not receive these rights, complain immediately to the airline operating the flight.