Nothing can foil travel plans quite like a problem with your flight. A canceled, delayed or overbooked flight can mean long hours at the airport and missed connections, not to mention less time to enjoy your vacation.
Luckily, passengers do have options when it comes to receiving compensation in these situations. Depending on the circumstances, airline representatives may offer food or hotel vouchers, an airline voucher good for your next flight or a complimentary upgrade.
In some cases, passengers are even entitled to cash penalties from the airline, thanks to the Department of Transportation. If the airline overbooks a flight, for example, and you’re involuntarily bumped, the airline must get you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time or they’re liable to pay you up to 200 percent of your ticket price, with a maximum cash payout of $650.
Here are a few tips to help you ask for compensation from an airline.
Decide what you want
Passengers who experience a flight delay, cancellation or overbooking may feel the airline should offer some sort of compensation for their failure to meet their obligation to get you to your destination as promised. It’s up to you to decide what you would consider “fair compensation,” whether it’s a travel, food or lodging voucher, or a cash penalty, if eligible.
It’s important to note that if you volunteer to be bumped from a flight or if you accept a voucher from the airline, you waive your right to file a claim for a cash penalty against the airline. Weigh your options before accepting any compensation.
Make your case
When it comes to asking an airline for compensation, you always need proof to back up your claim. Gather as much information about your experience as you can, including specifics like flight numbers, gate numbers, representative names and times. Stick to the facts rather than emotions, as this will help strengthen your case.
Lodge your complaint
After you’ve gathered all of the records and facts to build your case, it’s time to file your complaint with the airline or Department of Ttransportation, depending on which type of compensation you’re seeking. When speaking to the airline, calmly explain the situation and provide all the details you can to show why your experience was unacceptable. If you’re filing for a cash penalty, you can file your complaint on the DoT’s Aviation Consumer Protection site.
Consider a service
If you don’t want to file the paperwork for a cash penalty personally, consider a service like AirHelp. The company specializes in filing claims for passengers who are denied boarding and will take care of the entire process on your behalf for a 25 percent commission.
Have you ever asked an airline for compensation? Let us know about your experience in the comments!
(Main image: Tracy O used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
