Measuring delays
The standard airline measure is to use 'gate-to-gate' – the times that the aircraft starts and stops moving (however, for the purposes of EU compensation, under EC 261/2004, a court has ruled that the arrival time is when at least one door is open).
When claiming flight compensation, the only calculation you need to make is to determine the flight distance. As long as the delay is of at least 3 hours, the compensation amount you can get varies according to flight distance.
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If your flight is delayed by 2 hours, you can recover the costs incurred as compensation from the airline. Just make sure you keep the corresponding payment receipts.
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Once passengers have boarded the aircraft, the compensation structure is $100 in credit for a delay between three and five hours, $175 in credit for a delay between five and six hours, or a $250 credit for a delay of six hours or more.
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It's the unwritten 10 minute final boarding rule. Gate agents have been told by management they can close the door to the plane 10 minutes before departure, not when the plane is ready to push back at the scheduled departure time. The real problem is that this rule is not consistently practiced.
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If you arrive at your destination within 1 hour of your original scheduled arrival time, you will not be compensated. If you arrive at your destination between 1 to 2 hours after your original arrival time, you will be compensated for 200% of your one-way ticket price or a $775 maximum.
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However, if your first flight is delayed for more than 3 hours, you may be entitled to compensation from the airline that caused the delay. In addition to compensation, the airline must offer you a choice between: Reimbursement of your ticket and a return flight to your departure airport if you have a connecting flight.
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Delayed Flight
If you arrive at your destination more than 3 hours after your scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to the same reimbursement, rerouting, and rebooking structure as a denied boarding.
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But as a rule of thumb, only expect compensation when the delay is the airline's fault and lasts longer than three hours. If the delay arises from inclement weather, issues at the airport,or other circumstances outside the airline's control, you won't be eligible for compensation.
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For delays five hours or longer, the airline must refund your ticket, and if you missed a connecting flight due to the delay, the airline must provide transportation to the connecting airport.
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Unfortunately, simply waiting more than 2 hours delay for a flight doesn't automatically qualify you for delayed compensation benefits. Airlines may also offer food and hotel vouchers to stranded passengers, so be sure to ask if you are delayed.
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If you have combined two separate purchases and you miss your connection, you will have to buy another ticket to replace the one you missed, at your own expense. It's as simple as that. Because your tickets are on different confirmation numbers, it is your problem if one of your flights is late.
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Once passengers have boarded the aircraft, the compensation structure is $100 in credit for a delay between three and five hours, $175 in credit for a delay between five and six hours, or a $250 credit for a delay of six hours or more.
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The EU regulation clearly states that all passengers are entitled to compensation in case of a flight is delayed more than three hours.
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For domestic flights in the U.S., airlines have to pay you 200% of the value of your one-way ticket up to $775 if you arrive at your destination one to two hours past your originally scheduled itinerary or 400% of the one-way ticket price, up to $1,550 if your arrival delay is longer than two hours.
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1 hour before to 1 hour after your ETA (at the listed destination), the ceiling will be at least 2,000' AGL, and the visibility will be at least 3 SM. It's called the 1-2-3 rule; this is the easiest way to remember this section.
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At normal times, airlines recommend that passengers arrive at the airport around two hours before departure. Currently, some airlines are calling for four hours. However, frequent flyers usually do not plan for such a large cushion of time, but are only at the airport 60–90 minutes before departure.
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According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), airlines are not required to provide a refund or compensation for flight delays, no matter how late they are.
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