From now on, if you’re traveling in the EU and you have to deal with pesky flight delays – you just might receive compensation for your troubles. A landmark ruling has just opened the door for travelers with long flight delays to claim compensation. Last year, a European Court of Justice ruled that people could be compensated for delays caused by certain events. Only this week, however, did a judge draw on this law in a case.
A judge in Staffordshire just ruled using this law and awarded a couple £680 in their case against Thomas Cook.
Clearly, it’s a good idea to know about this law. Under EU rules, airlines have to pay compensation for cancelled or heavily delayed flights. They can escape these payments, however, if they can prove “extraordinary circumstances” such as hurricanes, volcanic ash and the like.
The compensation, when a court rules that the traveler deserves it, is €250 (£210) for inter-EU flights of 930 miles or less, €400 (£330) for flights between 930 and 1,860 miles and €600 (£500) for other journeys. This applies to flights leaving an EU airport and those flying into an EU airport on an EU-based airline.