Many travelers in the course of their wanderings in Russia and other countries face all sorts of difficulties. Often, passengers who are already mentally walking along an exotic beach or taking pictures against the background of sights will be disappointed with the cancellation of the flight.
A flight can be canceled for various reasons. And today we have to figure out what to do if the flight is canceled, what compensation the passenger can count on and where to submit our claims.
Cancellation reasons
An air carrier can cancel a flight for a variety of reasons. Sometimes such a decision is made for the safety of the passengers themselves, the aircraft and the crew. The main reasons for canceling a flight are as follows:
- failure of individual components of the aircraft;
- the inability to perform their duties on the part of the crew;
- unprofitable flight;
- force majeure.
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons for not leaving the airport. And you need to know what behavior to choose in each case, so as not to lose the money paid for the ticket and still end up at your destination. Let's analyze each situation in more detail.
Cancellation of departure several days in advance
Of course, when your flight is canceled a few days before the departure date, you have more opportunities to respond appropriately and even find a replacement for the airline that let you down in a timely manner. As a rule, when making such a decision a few days before departure, the carrier offers passengers alternative solutions to the problem. First of all, you should be offered to use the services of both the same company and another, having made a flight on board another aircraft. At the same time, the final destination cannot be changed, but the time and date of departure, most likely, will be offered a different one.
The second solution to the problem, which you will be offered, is to pay the full cost of the ticket, which you have not been able to use. But those tourists whose itinerary includes a transfer should be careful: if you have one ticket in your hands, the price of which includes a flight along the entire route (with a transfer), then you will be refunded the full cost of the ticket. And if you purchased a separate document for each period, then you can only count on a refund of the price of one ticket.
You can get full compensation for the ticket price even if it was purchased at once in two directions.
Cancellation of departure after arrival at the airport
Sometimes a flight is canceled just before boarding. In this case, the carrier is obliged to explain the reason for such a decision. And for clarifications and complaints, you can contact a company representative.
For example, a company may offer tourists to fly on a different plane or use the services of an alternative carrier. If the company itself is to blame for the cancellation, then all material costs are borne by it.
Where to file a claim?
First of all, you need to understand that all complaints and claims against air carriers will be considered in accordance with the current legislation of the country from whose airport you were never able to fly. You can submit a complaint either directly to the representative of the carrier company or by filling out a special form on the official website. By the way, those passengers who personally applied to the representative of the company have more chances to get an intelligible answer and the required compensation. But emails can often be simply ignored, and you risk losing the money spent forever.
If the company's representative is not at the airport, you can report your claim by sending an application and all the necessary documents (for example, a copy of the ticket) by registered mail, indicating the legal address of the carrier company on the envelope. Be sure to keep a copy of your claim as it can be useful if you have to fight for your rights in court.
Remember that passengers have a six-month deadline for filing claims against a Russian carrier, which starts from the day the flight is canceled. But in European countries this period is even longer. For example, in the EU, passengers can expect to be compensated within two years, but passengers who are unhappy with the work of British carriers have the right to file a claim within six years. If your complaint is still not satisfied, you have the right to defend your rights in court. The right to file a claim for a dissatisfied client remains for three years.
To the claim, and in the future (if necessary) to the statement of claim, it is necessary to attach copies of the ticket with a note about the cancellation of the flight, receipts and receipts that confirm the passenger's expenses, as well as all other documents that confirm the losses incurred by you in connection with the canceled flight. (the cost of excursions, a broken contract, etc.).
We hope that our information has given you a complete answer to the question of what to do if your flight is canceled. Protect your rights correctly!
We also recommend that you read the article How to return a plane ticket.
