Online help in the event of a delayed flight

If you are at the airport and your flight is experiencing a delay, see the variants below, you are entitled to or may ask for refreshments and food , if the airline has not offered this to you. You also are entitled to two telephone calls free of charge. In the event that your flight is deferred to the next day as a result of the delay, you are entitled to accommodations in a hotel free of charge and passage to the hotel and back. Claims are incurred for flights that are delayed:

• More than two hours and your flight covers a distance of 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is within the EU and is longer than 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is to anywhere from or outside within the EU and is a distance from 1500 km to 3500 km or
• More than four hours

Moreover, in the case of a delay longer than 5 hours, you have the option to decide that you will not continue with the given flight. In this case you are entitled to compensation for the acquisition price of the airplane ticket. In the event that this was a connecting flight, the airline has the obligation to transport you free of charge back to the point of origin of your trip.

What to do at the airport

If you are not currently in the airport hall and you are waiting on the departure of your delayed flight, take a few minutes for the following actions. They will dramatically increase your chances for obtaining compensation for the delays and distress you are currently experiencing. In most cases, you can determine the majority of the information about the reasons for the delay on site:

• Find an airline representative/counter or airport info desk and have a confirmation written of the delayed flight – ideally accompanied by the reasons for the delay
• Take a picture incorporating a view from the airport hall to the airport surface outside for up-to-date information about the weather
• If the pilot of the aircraft announces the reasons for the delay, record this into your mobile phone, or get confirmation from a flight attendant on board.
• Once you reach your final destination, take a photo of the arrivals table where your flight number and final time of delay should be visible

Online help in the event of missing a connecting flight

In the event that you have now missed your connecting flight due to the delay of the previous flight, and you have both flights under one reservation number, the same conditions apply to you as in the case of a delayed flight (see above). It goes without saying that the airline is obligated to transport you to your final destination by way of an alternative flight.

If you have your flights under separate registration numbers, unfortunately these are considered individual flights and in this sense you may have to get the new flight and any accommodations at your own cost. You will not be able to claim compensation these costs.

Online help in the event of a canceled flight

If you’re at the airport and they just canceled your flight, you have the choice of two options:

• Return of the cost of the airline tickets for the canceled flight and, if you are in the middle of your trip, you have a right to a return flight free of charge to your initial location or
• Right to an alternative flight to your final destination

If you decide on an alternative flight, the same conditions apply for you as in the case of a delayed flight. That is, if the time of the planned departure of the alternative flight, and thereby the delay compared to the departure of your canceled flight is:

• More than two hours and your flight covers a distance of 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is within the EU and is longer than 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is to anywhere from or outside within the EU and is a distance from 1500 km to 3500 km or
• More than four hours

You are entitled to or may ask for refreshments and food, if the airline has not offered this to you. You also are entitled to two telephone calls free of charge. In the event that your alternative flight is planned for the next day, you are entitled to accommodations in a hotel free of charge and passage to the hotel and back.

What to do at the airport

If you are currently in the airport hall and they have just canceled your flight, take a few minutes for the following actions. They will dramatically increase your chances for obtaining compensation for the delays and distress you are currently experiencing; you will learn the most information about the reasons for the cancellation on site:

• Find an airline representative/counter or airport info desk and have a confirmation written on the reasons for the delay flight
• Take a picture incorporating a view from the airport hall to the airport surface outside for up-to-date information about the weather.

Online help in the event of denied boarding of the aircraft

If the air carrier is planning to deny you boarding due to insufficient space on board the aircraft, they will first try to solicit volunteers who will voluntarily give up their reservation. In this way the carrier will offer financial compensation to give incentive to the passenger to give up their seat. CAUTION! By accepting such an agreement, you automatically forfeit your later compensation. For the agreement to make sense on your part, do not accept a lower financial offer than the following:

• EUR 250 for flight distance of up to 1500 km
• EUR 400 for all flights within the EU and also with flight distance longer than 1500 km
• EUR 400 for all flights outside EU destinations and also with flight distance between 1500 km and 3500 km
• 600 EUR for all other flights

You will always obtain higher amounts from the airline as compensation for being denied boarding. CAUTION - this applies only to flights subject to European regulation. Outside of European regulations, the conditions vary on an individual basis.

In the event that the air carrier cannot find a sufficient number of passengers who will voluntarily give up their seats, they have the option to deny boarding to selected passengers against their will. During the subsequent selection of passengers who are to vacate the aircraft, the air carrier should pass over or deprioritize persons with limited motor functions and persons accompanying such persons.

If it happens to you that you draw the “short stick” on board the plane and must vacate the aircraft against your will, you are then entitled to:

• An alternative flight free of charge to your final destination
• compensation for the purchase price of the airline ticket (within 7 days) in the event that you do not take advantage of an alternative flight
• if during the course of the flight you decide not to use the alternative flight to your final destination, you have the right to a return flight free of charge to the original departure location

If you decide on an alternative flight, the same conditions apply for you as in the case of a delayed flight. That is, if the time of planned departure of the alternative flight, and thereby the delay compared to the departure of your flight in which you were denied boarding the plane, is:

• More than two hours and your flight covers a distance of 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is within the EU and is longer than 1500 km or
• More than three hours and your flight is to anywhere from or outside within the EU and is a distance from 1500 km to 3500 km or
• More than four hours

You are entitled to or may ask for refreshments and food, if the airline has not offered this to you. You also are entitled to two telephone calls free of charge. In the event that your alternative flight is planned for the next day, you are entitled to accommodations in a hotel free of charge and passage to the hotel and back.

At the same time, in the event that they deny you boarding, have a confirmation issued at the counter of the denial of your boarding due to overbooking (insufficient free spots on the plane).

Online help in the event of damaged luggage

In the event that you are at the airport and you have just been delivered luggage with visible damage, do not hesitate and look for a representative of the airline or the CLAIM BAGGAGE, BAGGAGE HANDLING DESK, or BAGGAGE SERVICE counters. Typically this counter is located near the baggage claim belts, where you will retrieve your luggage. If you cannot find this counter, go to the airport information desk and find out where it is.

At the counter, prepare a protocol on damage to luggage, called a DAMAGED PROPERTY REPORT. To sign this protocol, prepare a baggage claim ticket or your flight ticket.

Once you have this, you no longer need to discuss anything at the airport and you can feel free to leave. You can file for subsequent compensation up to 3 years retroactively.

Online help in the event of delayed luggage

In the event that you are at the airport and you have just been delivered luggage with visible damage, do not hesitate and look for a representative of the airline or the CLAIM BAGGAGE, BAGGAGE HANDLING DESK, or BAGGAGE SERVICE counters. Typically this counter is located near the baggage claim belts, where you will retrieve your luggage. If you cannot find this counter, go to the airport information desk and find out where it is.

At the counter, prepare a protocol on non-delivery of luggage, called a PROPERTY IRREGULARITY REPORT (PIR). To sign this protocol, prepare a baggage claim ticket or your flight ticket. In the protocol include the following:

• Description of luggage
• Luggage contents
• Place or places where you will be located in approximately the next 21 days, or place where the air carrier is to deliver your luggage once found
• Phone and email contact where you can be reached

PIR report

Once you have this, you no longer need to discuss anything at the airport and you can feel free to leave.

If you are outside your home destination, you now have a right to purchase essential items for enduring the time when your luggage is returned to you. Essential items include, for example:

Also necessary items for the purpose of your trip:

• if you are on vacation by the beach, then bathing suits or tanning creams
• if you are on a business trip and you have business meetings, then shirts, pants, skirt, etc.

Watch our for the following:

• receipts for absolutely necessary items were dated during the time when your luggage still had not been returned (otherwise this won’t be paid later), at the same time
• you have saved receipts (without a receipt nothing will be compensated) and for the maximum amount for the receipts provided not to exceed EUR 1220 for luggage (this is the maximum amount that can be claimed)

Once your baggage has been returned, it is necessary to claim compensation for your extra costs with the airline within 21 days of this date. Subsequent claims will not be recognized.