Probably everyone who flies at least several times a year has seen the words on the board at the airport opposite their flight DELAYED or DETAINED. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely eliminate flight delays. Air transportation is an extremely complex process that includes many stages. A failure on any of them can lead to a flight delay. In addition, aviation activities are influenced by a number of factors that are hardly controllable. Every year, airlines suffer multimillion-dollar losses as a result of delays in their flights, and passengers suffer significant inconvenience. In this article we will talk about the main reasons for flight delays, what the airline does to prevent them, what passengers are told and what actually happens.
First, let's try to understand what a flight delay is. Many passengers mistakenly believe that the plane must leave the runway exactly at the time indicated on the ticket in the “departure time” column. In fact, this is not true at all, Departure time is the time when the aircraft starts moving from the parking lot, or the time for cleaning the ramp, depends on the technology used in a particular airline. Arrival time is, respectively, the time the aircraft is parked or the time the ramp is adjusted.
Scheduled flight time includes direct flight time, taking into account average wind data, as well as taxiing time before takeoff and after landing, which is determined statistically for a specific airport. Having bought a ticket, for example, from Domodedovo to St. Petersburg, you will see that the scheduled flight time is about an hour and forty minutes. It’s not surprising, because for a significant part of this time the plane will be rolling around the airfield.
Why not plan flights so that there are no delays? Yes, of course, you can schedule half an hour more “just in case”; the layover time between flights can also be increased so that the plane is guaranteed to be serviced in time. You can still keep a couple or three reserve aircraft on the ground in case of breakdowns. The question is whether the passenger is willing to pay for it. The logic here is simple: if the plane does not fly, it causes losses.
There can be many reasons for delays, however, usually only three are announced to passengers at the airport. This is the late arrival of the plane, weather conditions or a technical reason. Let's talk about each of them in more detail.
Late arrival of the plane.
The most harmless delay from the passenger’s point of view, which is often abused by airlines. In a good way, such a delay should be issued several hours before the departure of your flight, if it was given half an hour before departure - know that late arrival most likely has nothing to do with it.
Late arrival occurs as follows. The airline assigns a specific aircraft to each flight. Most airlines try to minimize aircraft downtime, so flights are scheduled at minimal intervals. For A320 and B737 class aircraft, this is about an hour at the base and 40-50 minutes at the transit airport between flights, this time is enough to prepare the aircraft for the next flight. Now imagine that the previous flight arrives late. Of course, the airline will try to quickly exchange planes in order to prevent delays to other flights. But if this is not possible, the next flight will be delayed by “late arrival of the aircraft.”
Weather conditions.
So, what can prevent a modern airliner from taking off and landing? The most common option is limited visibility, usually fog or heavy snow. During the landing approach, the so-called decision altitude is set, and if the pilot does not see the runway at this altitude, he has no right to continue the descent. Obviously, there is no point in flying if the crew already knows in advance that they will be forced to leave for an alternate airfield. It is not uncommon for one airline's plane to take off, while other carriers' flights to the same airport sit on the ground waiting for the weather. This is fine. Everyone has their own weather minimums for a specific crew, aircraft, and even airfield. And by the way, fog is often a local weather phenomenon; it is quite possible that it does not exist anywhere except the airport. Therefore, you should not say that you are being deceived; believe me, not a single airline will hide behind weather conditions. In addition to fog, delays are possible due to strong winds that exceed the aircraft's landing limitations, and also due to low runway friction, often due to a combination of the former and the latter. For each aircraft, restrictions are established on tailwind (it is more profitable for an aircraft to take off and land against the wind) and side wind components. Exceeding them is dangerous. If the runway is icy and even a not particularly strong side wind is blowing, you cannot land.
If we are talking about a short flight (less than 2 hours), then it often happens that delays are issued for a short time, and then extended many times, this is due to the fact that for such flights the decision is made based on actual weather conditions (actual weather reports are issued every half hour). If the flight time is more than two hours, the decision is made based on the forecast in order to arrive under the predicted improvement. For such flights, delays may be issued for several hours at once. It all depends on the specific commander, some prefer to issue a delay for two hours at once and wait quietly, others will keep passengers on board, hoping for improvement.
Technical reason.
Airplanes break down, that's a given. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an imported plane or a domestic one, new from the factory or one that has changed several airlines. If the flight is delayed for a technical reason, do not be alarmed; this does not mean that the wings of the plane will fall off in the air. As a rule, we are talking about minor malfunctions from a safety point of view, which are corrected within half an hour. The aircraft manufacturer provides clear instructions on what faulty equipment can be flown with and for how long. For example, you can fly with one faulty engine reverser and it will be absolutely safe, you just need to recalculate the required distances for takeoff and landing. If a plane breaks down at the airline's base airport, then most likely, if spare parts are available, it will be repaired within a few hours. It is much worse if the breakdown occurs outside the base at some small airport. In this case, most likely, you will have to wait until another plane is sent for you.
Often the airline tries to hide delays due to technical reasons from passengers. Firstly, this is a reputational loss, and secondly, it scares many passengers. If the plane broke down after passengers boarded, then, of course, everything is already obvious. But if it’s before passengers board, it’s unlikely you’ll ever find out about it.
Delays associated with the work of ground services.
As we have already said, the connecting time between flights for A320 aircraft at the base airport is about an hour. During this hour the following happens. The plane parks, the ramp is adjusted, buses for passengers arrive, passengers disembark, luggage and cargo are removed, a new crew arrives, fuel and water are refueled, the cabin is cleaned, in-flight meals are loaded, and the luggage of passengers on the next flight is loaded. These are just the main links in the aircraft maintenance chain on the ground.
If some kind of failure occurs in this circuit, a delay occurs. For example, they started refueling late, and until it is finished, passengers cannot be boarded. There are often queues at the airport at check-in, security screening, and passport control. All this is the result of unsatisfactory planning or simply ineffective work of the relevant services and results in late boarding of passengers on board, which means flight delays. All services, for one reason or another, more or less often fail or make mistakes; for the airline, all this results in flight delays.
The departure time has passed, and we are sitting on the plane, not going anywhere, why?
Again, there are several options. The most common. There is a queue for departure and in order not to burn fuel in the queue in front of the runway, the controller does not give permission to start the engines. There's really no point in being tenth in line when you can wait in the parking lot and take off without queuing. By the way, in Europe the same mechanism works with airspace. A powerful computer evaluates the congestion of the European sky and, if there is no space for your flight yet, issues a slot, i.e. delay time. Imagine if such a system worked for automobile traffic. Each driver submits his route plan and desired departure time. If the system sees that the roads are congested, a delay will be issued or a different route will be suggested. This is how they deal with traffic jams in the European sky.
The second option is that a passenger was removed from the flight (perhaps he did not show up for boarding or showed up drunk), but this passenger’s luggage remained on board. For safety reasons, the luggage of passengers not on board must be removed. It doesn't matter that it's already been watched. There are, say, 150 suitcases scattered in the trunk of an airplane; you need to find the right one, which takes time.
We took off on time but arrived late, why?
Yes, this happens very often. There are several possible reasons. As a rule, there is a strong headwind. The wind at high altitudes can easily reach 200 kilometers per hour, and if it is headwind, you will arrive much later. The influence of wind is especially noticeable on long flights.
Of course, the average value of wind speed and direction is taken into account when creating the schedule, but it is impossible to include any extreme cases in the schedule. Another reason is the forced lengthening of the route, this may be due to the avoidance of dangerous weather conditions (for example thunderstorms) or the closure of certain areas for flights.
And the last thing is waiting in line to board. In general, all over the world except Russia, this happens solely due to force majeure circumstances, for example, one of the runways is closed or weather conditions do not allow landing, resulting in a queue. In Russia, all of the above is compounded by the lack of adequate planning on the part of the airport, that is, the airport confirms slots (a slot is a time interval for the departure or arrival of a flight) for a larger number of flights than it can actually provide.
How do airlines deal with delays?
Any airline has an operations department that monitors current flights and, in the event of delays, can quickly exchange subsequent flights with each other and take other measures to minimize delay time. Major airlines have entire departments that are responsible for investigating delays. In any case, if there are culprits, various types of sanctions are applied to them.
Did you know that if your flight is canceled or delayed, you are entitled not only to certain bonuses such as hot meals, but in some cases, monetary compensation for the flight delay? If not, then read the article to the end - I will tell you about the rights that every passenger has.
Small flight delays happen quite often, but as a rule they do not cause significant inconvenience, and long ones do occur, nevertheless, infrequently (in my memory, we only once had to spend 5 hours at the airport, waiting for departure), but nevertheless it is useful to know about your rights in this situation.
If many people know about basic things like making a phone call, eating and drinking, then about monetary compensation for flight delays (up to 600 euros), which is supposed to be known in certain cases by very few people - but what can I say, we ourselves found out just recently. So, let's look at a few situations - in what situations and what you are entitled to.
You were informed about the cancellation or significant delay of your flight when you had already arrived at the airport
Keep cool and try to understand the reasons for the incident. First thing find airline representatives and ask them about the reason for the delay/cancellation. These people can be found at the check-in counters or directly near your gate. If you cannot find anyone, contact the airline's hotline.
Record your communications with the airline, if possible. Take a few photos of the schedule showing the departure time - this may make it easier to receive compensation for flight delays in the future.
Be sure to keep your boarding pass. This is your check-in confirmation for your flight!
Regardless of the reason, the airline must provide you with comfortable waiting conditions and one of the following options for resolving the current situation (in Russia according to Articles 99 and 227 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, in the EU according to EU Regulation 261).
- Alternative transport to your final destination at the earliest opportunity.
- Rebooking for a later date that is convenient for you, taking into account the availability of available seats (in this case, the airline’s obligation to provide assistance and accommodation ceases).
- Refund of the cost of the ticket within 7 days, as well as return you to the starting point of the route if further travel does not make sense (applies to delays lasting more than 5 hours).
If you decide to wait for your flight, ask the airline to provide:
After 2 hours of waiting
- Soft drinks and cold appetizers/snacks (the airline must then provide drinks and meals every 3-4 hours).
- 2 phone calls or the ability to send e-mail/fax.
- Providing a room for mother and child (for parents with children under 7 years old).
After 4 hours delay
- Hot meals (further every 6 hours).
If you need to wait 8 hours for the next flight during the day and 6 hours at night:
- Hotel accommodation during the delay.
- Transfer to the accommodation and back to the airport.
If the airline categorically refuses to provide these amenities, you can use your own funds and demand from the airline compensation for the flight delay and reimbursement of the money spent after the trip (accommodation in a suite and lobsters, of course, will not be compensated for you, at least if you are flying in economy class) .
You were denied boarding due to overbooking
If you check in for a flight and are told that all the seats are already taken, then you are faced with overbooking (a case when more tickets have been sold for a flight than the plane can accommodate).
The rights that a passenger has in the event of denied boarding due to overbooking are absolutely the same as in the case of a canceled flight (see above):
- Alternative transport, rebooking for a later date or refund.
- Food, communication and hotel accommodation.
How to get up to 600 euros in compensation for flight delays or cancellations
If you were notified of a flight delay/cancellation at the airport, either less than 14 days before your departure date, or were denied boarding, then in addition to the amenities that the airline must provide, you are entitled to up to 600 euros in compensation.
What should I do to get compensation?
Determine whether your flight is eligible for flight delay compensation.
In accordance with EU Regulation 261, which operates in the airspace of the European Union, a passenger may be entitled to compensation from 250 to 600 euros in the event of:
- Flight delay for more than 3 hours.
- Flight cancellations.
- Denied boarding due to overbooking.
- Late connections due to a delay in the first segment (the total delay to the destination must be at least 3 hours).
It is necessary that the flight belongs to the jurisdiction of the EU or Turkey, in other words, your flight must be made:
- from the EU by any airline,
- or in the EU by a European airline,
- from Turkey by any airline,
- or to Turkey by Turkish airline.
Thus, a flight from Russia, for example to Berlin by Aeroflot, is not eligible for compensation, but a flight from Russia to Berlin by Air Berlin, or a flight from Berlin to Russia by Aeroflot is.
You are entitled to compensation for flight delays if the delay or cancellation was caused by the airline. Reasons that can be considered the airline's fault:
- Various technical problems.
- The ship is late.
- Late inspection of the vessel.
- Overbooking.
If the reason is unfavorable weather conditions, a strike of aviation personnel or other force majeure circumstances, compensation is not paid.
The flight period for which you can count on compensation ranges from 2 to 6 years (depending on the country of departure).
Gather the necessary documents
- Flight details: route, flight number and date.
- Booking number (required for almost all airlines).
- Boarding pass, ticket or flight reservation letter (document confirming that you purchased the ticket).
Then you can either file a pre-trial claim with the airline yourself and most likely prepare for a lawsuit, or contact Compensair, which is an intermediary in resolving such issues. They will be involved in the preparation and execution of all necessary documents, communicate with the airline and, if necessary, represent your interests in court.
The most interesting thing is that Compensair services are paid only if you receive compensation for flight delays, i.e. if over the past 6 years you have had delays or cancellations of European flights, it makes sense to try to get some money, in any case you have nothing to lose :)
You can check how much compensation you are entitled to for flight delays on the website, or right here, using a special calculator
Problems with air transportation often affect the quality of rest of our tourists. Increasingly, you can hear about blatant cases of delays or cancellations of flights by seemingly quite large and well-known airlines. For example, the recent problem that arose among tourists with VIM-Avia caused a lot of noise. Of course, you can talk a lot about who is to blame for this, speaking on lengthy topics, but it is worth remembering that first of all, living people suffer from this, who have planned their vacation or are forced to fly to another city or country due to some family circumstances . And these people may be hoping that they will get on another connecting flight to continue their onward journey. But suddenly they find out that their flight is canceled or delayed, and it doesn’t matter whether it is direct or charter. What should they do in this case, what steps should they take? How to get compensation for a ruined vacation?
It is difficult not to get confused in such a situation, especially if it happened to you for the first time, or your flight was a connecting flight, or you were tied to the time of your arrival. But it is worth remembering that your plane ticket is nothing more than an agreement with this airline, which has undertaken to deliver you, as a passenger, to the point of the planet you need and at the time you need, otherwise, it undertakes to take care of its passenger, if circumstances did not go according to plan.
Every passenger should know that the Civil Code of the Russian Federation stipulates cases when the air carrier is not responsible for cancellation or delay of a flight, these are: various natural phenomena - fires, snow drifts, hurricanes, floods; bad weather conditions; sudden military action; complete cessation or restriction of cargo transportation in a number of directions; in some cases, during a strike by airline or airport personnel, in the presence of malfunctions that pose a threat to the life and health of air passengers. In all other cases, the fault lies with the airline that violated its obligations under the contract.
First, let's take a closer look at what happens when a direct or charter flight is canceled by an airline.
- The flight may be canceled several days before the plane departs for its destination.
In this case, the airline traditionally offers passengers several ways to solve the problem of canceled flights: an alternative to flying on another route of the same air carrier or a flight from another company, but the destination remains the same.
The passenger has the right to demand a full refund of the cost of his air ticket. For example, if you purchased one air ticket for a flight with transfers, then you are required to refund the amount for the entire route. If a passenger bought two tickets, for example, Moscow-Barcelona and separately Barcelona-Valencia, and the first flight to Barcelona was cancelled, then you will only be refunded the amount spent on the air ticket from Moscow to Barcelona, and you will need to return the ticket from Barcelona to Valencia at normal rates. If the cancellation of the flight affected the second part of the air travel - Barcelona-Valencia, and no alternative options were provided to you, but the trip has lost its meaning, then the air carrier is obliged by law not only to refund the money for the air ticket to Valencia, but also to fly you back to Moscow for free . Regarding the refund for round trip tickets, you will be able to get a refund of their full cost if the flight is canceled and if you purchased them not separately, but as a “round trip”, that is, two tickets on a single form.
- The flight may be canceled or delayed when the tourist is already at the airport.
The airline is required to give you clear information about the reason and time for which the flight was delayed. You have the right to demand this information from an employee of your airline, and he is obliged to offer tourists options for their further actions. Often, an airline employee makes a proposal to transport tourists to their destination on another aircraft or on a flight from another carrier. And provided that the air carrier is at fault, this flight will be free for the tourist.
Not all passengers who have suffered moral and financial problems due to canceled or delayed flights are aware of their rights to receive compensation. This compensation varies depending on the timing of the transfer and cancellation of the flight, as well as the distance to the desired point. If the airline is at fault, it is legally obligated to give the passenger three percent of the cost of his air ticket for every hour he spent waiting, as compensation for the flight delay. This is stipulated in Article 28, paragraph 5 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”. In addition, pay as a fine twenty-five percent of the minimum wage for each hour of waiting, but this amount cannot exceed half the price of the air ticket. No other additional compensation is given to canceled passengers when flights are cancelled, but every tourist has the right to have the amount of their tickets refunded or exchanged for a similar flight.
Rights of a tourist passenger when a flight is delayed for more than two hours:
Making two phone calls or sending two emails; - you are required to provide free drinks; - if you have children under seven years of age with you, then you must be given free access to the mother and child room.
Tourist rights when a flight is delayed for more than four hours:
The passenger must be fed a free hot meal, and fed every six hours during the day and every eight hours at night.
Rights of tourist passengers when rescheduling a flight by more than eight hours during the daytime and more than six hours at night:
The airline must bring you and check you into a hotel at its own expense, and provide you with a free transfer there and back. According to the law, tourists do not have the right to be placed in the same room with strangers. If the passenger does not like the room provided or the hotel offered, then he can find a suitable option, and the airline must pay an amount that will be equal in price to the initial accommodation option offered to it. A tourist can pay the price difference for the more expensive room he has chosen or pay for his stay in full, but in this case we recommend that you keep the receipt of payment in order to thus return part of the money spent if there are objective reasons for refusing to stay according to the option offered by the air carrier . But, it is worth knowing that if you refuse the room offered by the airline, you lose the right to a free round-trip transfer, but the air carrier is obliged to store your luggage at its own expense.
Where can tourist passengers complain to receive compensation for a canceled or delayed flight?
If there was a cancellation or delay of a domestic direct or charter flight of a Russian company, then claims are considered in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. Passenger complaints against foreign airlines that have not fulfilled their obligations to them on the territory of the Russian Federation are also considered in Russia. But when an airline postpones or cancels a flight abroad, litigation is conducted in the country and according to the laws where this happened, and the place where the air carrier is registered will not play a role.
Claims are submitted by the passenger personally at the airport of departure or upon arrival. When there is no representative office of your airline at the airport or its employees are not on site, the claim is submitted through the airline’s website. Although emails can often be ignored, it is better to send your claim by registered mail to the airline, make a detailed list of the enclosed documents and keep a copy of your statement, confirmation of dispatch, as this can be used in legal proceedings if the air carrier ignores you or refuses you compensation. According to our Russian legislation, a passenger has the right to present his claims to the air carrier within six months from the date of cancellation or delay of the flight.
I would like to touch on another important point for tourists, which is very topical for Moscow airports. Very often, passengers are taken to an airport different from the one indicated on their ticket. In this case, the airline is obliged to deliver the tourist passenger to his desired destination using free transport. And this rule applies to all airports in the Russian Federation.
Anything can happen while traveling, but the most common disaster faced by airline passengers is a delayed or canceled flight. Often in this case, many people panic, and many people have a question - what to do and how to defend their rights? "Moyka78" publishes brief instructions for this case.
According to lawyers, the responsibilities of Russian airlines in the event of delays or cancellations of flights are clearly stated in the Federal Aviation Regulations and the Air Code of the Russian Federation. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, the air carrier must:
1. Provide a “mother and child room” free of charge to a passenger with a child under 7 years of age.
2. Provide the opportunity to make two free phone calls or send two SMS messages (or email messages) if the flight is delayed by more than two hours.
3. Provide all passengers with free water and soft drinks if the flight is delayed by more than two hours.
4. If there is a delay of more than four hours, provide passengers with hot meals. Further, meals should be provided every 6 hours during the day and every 8 hours at night.
5. If a flight is delayed by more than 8 hours during the day and by more than 6 hours at night, the airline must accommodate all passengers in a hotel free of charge. At the same time, passenger transfer from the airport to the hotel and back is also at the expense of the aviators.
By the way, the passenger can have dinner and stay at the hotel himself. But if he does this in expensive restaurants and hotels, then he will then have to prove in court the expediency of such expenses. In any case, you need to collect all checks and receipts for food and accommodation during the forced wait. These documents can then be attached to the claim to the airline. European airlines and any carriers flying from European airports, in addition to meals and hotel accommodation, are required to pay the passenger compensation from 250 to 600 euros, depending on the delay time and flight distance.
If a flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you an alternative flight. It can be carried out either by the original carrier or by a third party. For alternative flights, other dates or connecting flights may be offered. If you are not satisfied with the alternative, you can return the full cost of the ticket directly at the airport. This applies to both direct flights and flights with transfers. The flight delay time is counted exactly from the departure time originally indicated on the ticket.
As for monetary compensation, a passenger can claim it only if the airline cannot prove its non-involvement in force majeure. According to Article 120 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the carrier is obliged to pay the passenger a fine in the amount of 25 percent of the minimum wage for each hour of delay (but not more than half the cost of the ticket). And also a “penalty” in the amount of 3 percent of the ticket price for each hour of delay (according to the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”).
How can a “detained” passenger receive all the benefits that are due to him? After all, airline employees often do not want to fulfill their duties, citing unknown “regulations” and “instructions”, lack of food, water, etc.
Experts advise that you must definitely find a representative of the “at fault” airline and strictly demand from him the fulfillment of “non-monetary” obligations (food, drinks, hotel accommodation, etc.). To clearly record a flight delay, you need to obtain a certificate or a special stamp from the check-in desk. You can also take a photo of the board that displays information about flight delays or cancellations. At the time of departure after a delay, you must request when boarding your flight that they put a stamp on your ticket with the current boarding time. If the airline later refuses to pay you compensation, this information will serve as evidence in court.
After you have successfully flown, you must write a letter to the airline demanding compensation for the delay or cancellation of the flight. If its management refuses to do this, you can safely go to court.
It is important to remember: the airline is not liable to passengers for flight delays or cancellations in the following cases.
1. Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, fires, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, etc.) both at the point of departure and at the point of arrival.
2. Conditions of social life affecting flight safety (military operations, epidemics).
3. National or industrial strikes.
4. State quarantine or restriction of transportation in a certain direction.
5. Elimination of an airliner malfunction that threatened the life and health of passengers.
Experts say that, as a rule, airlines, when canceling or rescheduling a flight, refer to any of these five points, because this minimizes its liability to passengers.
Unfortunately, a delayed flight is a fairly common occurrence and anyone can experience it. But few people can navigate such a situation. The reason for this is ignorance of important information. Below are some useful tips on what to do if your flight is delayed.
What to do if your flight is delayed?
- The rights of any passenger are always the same, regardless of which airline or flight you are flying with. These rights are regulated by consumer protection law.
- The airline must warn you about how much and why your flight is delayed. This information can be obtained at the airline counter.
- If you decide to complain to the airline if your flight was delayed, you must ask the airport staff for a special document that confirms that there really was a delay, for how long and for what reasons. In most cases, this is a permanent plane ticket, but before boarding, be sure to ask for a stamp with the exact departure date.
- The airline must organize storage of luggage for passengers whose flight is delayed.
- When you fly with a child under seven years old, you must be allocated a special room.
- You will be given free drinks, as well as the opportunity to call twice and write a couple of messages if you are waiting for your flight for more than two hours.
- If your flight is delayed by more than four hours, you must be served a hot set lunch. Must be fed regularly.
- The airline is required to accommodate passengers in a hotel if the flight is delayed by more than eight hours.
- When you are checked into a hotel, you receive a transfer from the airport to the hotel and in the other direction.
- The airline company should not put other passengers in your room that are strangers to you.
- It often happens that the airline finds an alternative way to travel so that passengers do not waste their time waiting. In this case, you are not required to pay anything extra.
- If the flight is late for a long time, you must be paid compensation in the amount of 25% of the minimum wage for 1 hour of delay, but not more than 50% of the cost of the air ticket.
If your rights are violated, for example, they ask for an additional payment for accommodation or flight on an alternative plane, you can easily file a claim against this airline, or write complaints against it to various authorities. The main thing is to collect documentary evidence (receipts, tickets) and you will be able to compensate for your financial and time costs.
