What if my flight is delayed by more than 5 hours?

Beyond Airline Compensation: Other Rights That Come With EC 261. In addition to compensation for your loss of time, if your delay exceeds 5 hours, you are entitled to a full or partial refund of your original ticket and a return flight to your point of departure, if needed.



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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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When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. 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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The credit maxes out at $200 for delays of six hours or more. 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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According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), there are tarmac delay rules that US airlines must follow: Carriers are not allowed to hold a domestic flight on the tarmac for more than three hours and an international flight for more than four hours, barring a couple of exceptions (like if the pilot deems it's ...

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There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed. Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers. If your flight is experiencing a long delay, ask airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.

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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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After such time, airlines must provide: a reasonable amount of food and drink (often given in the form of vouchers to be used at the airport); accommodation, if you're rerouted the next day; and transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you're able to return there).

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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).

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Tweeting at the airline's customer service team, submitting a request for compensation online or writing a letter the old fashioned way are other options that have met with success…

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When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. 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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Overbooked flight compensation under US regulations
If the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, you are entitled to 400% of the one-way fare price, not to exceed $1,350 as well as any optional fees paid as part of your reservation (e.g. bag fees, seat upgrades, etc.).

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To receive compensation, you must file a claim with the airline for the delay. In some cases, international carriers may deny claims based on situations out of their control, such as weather or labor disputes.

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Under EU261 rules, you may be entitled to up to 600 euros (~$630) in compensation if you arrive at your destination four hours late (or more) when flying long-haul, with lower payouts on shorter flights within Europe.

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Passengers are also entitled to compensation if they are delayed on the ground upon arrival, with a $50 credit for a delay of one to two hours, a $125 credit for a delay of two to three hours and a $200 credit for a delay of three hours or more.

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If airlines cancel a flight for any reason, passengers are legally entitled to a full refund, including for ticket price, taxes, baggage fees, extra charges and ancillary fees.

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Now, the DOT has defined language and timing so that a significant delay would be defined as one that affects the departure or arrival time of a domestic flight by three hours or more (or by at least six hours for an international flight).

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If you have a travel insurance policy with delay coverage, it will pay claims for reasonable costs incurred while you wait for your trip to continue. However, reimbursement is only possible if the delay meets the minimum requirements laid out by the insurance company for time length and cause.

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When you are involuntarily bumped from a flight, you can get cash (a check or credit on your credit card) from airlines. Overbooking is not illegal, and most airlines overbook their scheduled flights to a certain extent to compensate for “no-shows.” Passengers are sometimes left behind or “bumped” from a flight.

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It's 400% for over four hour arrival delays with the same $1,550 limit. These are the amounts airlines must pay by law. They can pay more if they choose to. Airlines must offer the compensation at the airport on the same day.

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