Everyday in Europe, travelers are inconvenienced by flight delays brought about by a variety of reasons, ranging from the understandable (weather) to the outright maddening (a “mechanical issue” that pushes your flight out thirty minutes, then two hours, then five … you get the idea).
All of these interruptions are more than an annoyance for many people however, as it cause missed connections and business meetings among other troubles, thereby ruining the day of many an afflicted traveler.
However, are you aware that you are entitled to compensation from your airline for this, no matter what stern-faced airline agents and apathetic phone reps have to say on the matter? Indeed, depending on whether your airline is regulated by the EU, how long the scheduled flight is and the length of your delay, you are owed compensation for your ordeal.
By checking Flightright.co.uk, you can not only check to see how much you’re entitled to from your airline, but you can have this third-party facilitator submit a request for remittance of your behalf. Let’s go over an example together to illustrate how much money you may be leaving on the table.
Beaming at the thought that you will be stepping into the glorious tropical heat of Thailand in mere hours, you have corralled your belongings at the check-in desk for your airline, only to notice a sizable delay as your tagged suitcase slides away from you on the luggage conveyor.
“Not a big deal”, you think to yourself, as the extra hour of waiting can be easily spent at British pub behind security. However, as you quaff what you think is one last pint before taking off for a month of fun in the Phuket sun, the delay lengthens to another hour, and then another, and before you know it, you’ve been wearing out a bar stool for the better part of six hours, with boarding for your flight still another hour and a half away, just as its been all afternoon!
At this point, your airline would likely owe you a handsome chunk of change, as London to Phuket, Thailand is far more than 3,500 kilometres away from Heathrow, and because you have been twiddling your thumbs for more than 4 hours at this point. How much would that be, you might wonder? About €600 for your trouble, meaning that the tab at the airport pub that you had been running up could be easily paid for, with plenty left over for spending cash once you (eventually) touch down in the Land of Smiles.
A supposedly wise man once said, “good things come to those who wait”. We say that better things come to those who demand them, especially when forces beyond your control (but well within theirs) are forcing you to wait.
