We were supposed to fly SAS to Norway, but my flight was canceled the day before departure due to a pilot strike. The ticket money will be refunded to me, and the rest of the services have already been booked and paid for. Does the company have to compensate us for all the money lost through its fault?
Question by Olivier
Dear reader,
With more than 25,000 canceled flights worldwide already in August, your question is valid. For many travelers, the prospect of a carefully planned vacation is a nightmare. Even more so, not getting a refund in the event of a flight cancellation. As you state in your inquiry, your outbound flight will be reimbursed. Be aware that in addition to the refund for this ticket, the company must pay you a one-off compensation (around €400 for Norway) as stipulated by European Regulation 261/2004 of 11 February 2004. [en cas de vol annulé moins de deux semaines avant la date de départ, le passager lésé est en droit d’obtenir une compensation allant de 250 à 600 euros en fonction du nombre de kilomètres séparant l’aller de l’arrivée].
Selection of Arbitrator or Litigation
If this compensation is welcome, it is often not enough to cover all the expenses already incurred in advance (hotels and activities must be done on site). And, unfortunately, not everything is required from the company. But two appeals are possible. the first involves confiscation of the tourism and travel intermediary, as explained to us by Maître Emmanuelle Llop, a lawyer specializing in air tourism law at Équinoxe law firm;Any traveler can contact a travel agent free of charge in case of a dispute with an airline. On the other hand, it must be a member of an organization that has signed the Tourism and Travel Brokerage Charter.“. This procedure must be initiated within a maximum of one year after the cancellation of the flight in question and notification to the affected consumer within 90 days of the request being admissible.
One can also embark on the development of a legal procedure, a little more tedious.In case of a dispute, you should be prepared to start a longer procedureadds Master Emmanuel Llop. The passenger must then take the matter to the local competent court, and his dispute with the company must not exceed 10,000 euros. Therefore, it is possible to get your ground services reimbursed in the event of a flight cancellation, but the funds are not automatic and will definitely take time and patience.
Source: Le Figaro
