Denied Boarding Canc. & Delay

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to

• Passengers departing from an airport located in the territory of a Member State to which the EC Treaty applies; and
• Passengers departing from an airport located in a third country to an airport situated in the territory of a Member State to which the EC Treaty applies,

On condition that passengers have a confirmed reservation on the flight concerned and, except in the case of cancellation, present themselves for check-in at the time indicated in advance or, if no time is indicated, not later than 45 minutes before the published departure time.

• This Regulation establishes passengers’ rights if:
• they are denied boarding against their will;
• their flight is cancelled; or
• their flight is delayed.

This Regulation does not apply to passengers travelling free of charge or at a reduced fare not available directly or indirectly to the public.

Denied boarding

When an air carrier reasonably expects to deny boarding on a flight, it first calls for volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for certain benefits. If an insufficient number of volunteers come forward to allow the remaining passengers to board the flight, the air carrier may then deny boarding to passengers against their will, in which case it must compensate them.

Air carriers give priority to persons with reduced mobility and any persons accompanying them.

• In the event of flight cancellation or denied boarding, the passengers concerned have the right to:
• reimbursement of the cost of the ticket within seven days or a return flight to the first point of departure or re-routing to their final destination;
• care (refreshments, meals, hotel accommodation, transport between the airport and place of accommodation, two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails); and
• compensation totalling:
  
  • € 250 for all flights of 1500 kilometers or less;
  • € 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometers, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometers;
  • € 600 for all other flights.