We have seen a lot of disruption in the flights in and out of Bulgaria during the last weeks, and many have been canceled.
Today we ask an expert in the passenger rights, the Lawyer Milen Hristov founder of Aeroisk a company specialized to protect passenger rights for monetary compensation in case of a delayed, canceled flight, missed connection or denied boarding to explain to us what we have to do if something like this happens to us.
There are 2 kinds of cancelations, the ones that are the decision of the airline and the ones that are forced by a government ban to flights in the aerospace.
When you are entitled to monetary compensation?
You are entitled to compensation if your flight was canceled and you were informed about the cancellation less than 14 days before the flight date.
The departure time of my flight was rescheduled for an earlier hour. Is this considered to be a canceled flight?
In case if departure time of your flight was rescheduled to an earlier hour according to your reservation it is also considered as canceled flight. In this case, you are also entitled to monetary compensation.
What does the amount of compensation depend on?
The compensation amount depends on the length of the flight. A monetary compensation varies from €250 to € 600 and is due regardless of whether the airline has provided you with a substitute flight, reimbursement of the ticket, free meals and drinks, or free hotel accommodation.
When the compensation is not due?
Based on the EU Regulation 261/2004 if the cancellation is caused by bad weather, strike or acts of terrorism the passengers are not entitled to monetary compensation.
What are my other rights when a flight is canceled?
If your flight is canceled you have the right to choose between re-routing and reimbursement of the ticket price.
In case if you choose re-routing you have the right to:
- food and beverages relevant to the waiting time
- a phone call, telex, fax message or email
- free hotel accommodation and transfer between the airport and hotel if the expected departure time is on the next day
Which steps you have to take when your flight is canceled?
Usually, the airline should notify you in advance that your flight has been canceled if you are at the airport, the first thing you need to do is to go to the airline representative and ask to be rerouted to your final destination.
And they should provide you a substitute flight to your final destination.
in case the airport of your final destination is banned and it’s impossible to be reached, they should flight you to the nearest destination, and cover your expenses of your ground traveling to your final destination (keep ask for an invoice for all your expenses).
