For a long time, airplane flights have become part of everyday life. Traveling by air is more convenient, takes less time, and of course, takes less power. For the shortest possible time you can be anywhere in the world. Such a speed is not able to offer any other type of transport. And if you plan your trip correctly, having previously figured out all the nuances, then the cost of a plane ticket can be very pleasant.
With each new day, more and more people give their preference to air transport. And this is not surprising, because the positive aspects of this method of movement are visible to the naked eye. The number of customers in airlines is growing rapidly every day. During all this time, a certain part of people was able to experience such a problem as flight delay. She is no longer a surprise. Aircraft is a complex mechanism, and in order to raise this machine into the air, it is necessary to coordinate a number of facts. Any error or even the smallest malfunction leads to a flight delay problem.
The most common causes of flight delays will be described below. There are a lot of similar situations, therefore they can be classified into separate groups.
Meteorological situation
There can be quite a lot of such reasons. Weather is a very unpredictable thing, and even weather forecasters can not always provide an accurate forecast. For such reasons, the voyage may be delayed, or the vessel must be handled by special means before departure. The use of such funds also requires time.
Very often a situation arises that one airline delays the flight until the weather stabilizes, while the other calmly continues to carry passengers. Some do not understand the reasons for this behavior, others are trying to find what is the personal benefit for the company. In fact, the explanation is more than simple, each company has its own aircraft, which differ in model and configuration. Each aircraft has its own temperature threshold and operating conditions. Therefore, all recommendations are clearly implemented, and the company is trying to take maximum care of its passengers.
Airliner Troubleshooting
Aircraft is a rather complicated mechanism, in the work of which even the most insignificant little things are of great importance. Before takeoff, the vessel is checked for all parameters. The identification of minor breakdowns is eliminated on the spot, naturally, time is also needed for these types of work. If the breakdown turns out to be more serious, the plane is removed from the flight and they are looking for a replacement. Such situations are rare and are on the list of emergency cases. But all the same, passengers will be delivered to the desired destination.
Most airlines do not like it when situations of this kind arise. After all, such delays always leave their mark on reputation. In most cases, the delay is due to minor repairs. Having learned about the malfunctions of the aircraft, any passenger can panic, so the administration prefers to name other reasons why the flight is delayed.
Late Arrival
This is the most common reason for airport authorities. After all, it sounds harmless and does not cause much suspicion among passengers. Therefore, very often in airports you can hear just such a justification for flight delays. But it is precisely the fact that in certain cases such a reason is not true.
Ground Services Failure
Flight delays can occur from arrival to departure. It is in connection with this that various kinds of problems can arise. The reasons for this delay are innumerable. In most cases, the human factor plays a role. This may be a delay in service personnel, lengthy cleaning in the cabin or a long unloading of the luggage compartment.
In such situations, the flight delay does not last too long, it can take as long as about 30 minutes. Usually this time does not cause much panic among passengers. Everything happens without nerves, and the reasons are quite justified. In the event of more serious situations, when the flight is delayed due to disruption of ground services for more than two hours, each passenger has the right to demand a refund of a part of the ticket price.
Passenger Rights
If the flight is delayed, but the passengers did not hear the announcement with the justification for the delay, then the first thing to do is contact the employee at the check-in counter. In most cases, the passenger does not receive a clear answer to the question. Most often you can hear some common causes that should not cause unnecessary excitement on the part of people. And this is logical, because any company values its reputation.
Actions of citizens
Whatever the situation, the conscious passenger must make a special note on the flight delay on his ticket. It is this mark that will give grounds to demand a discount or even refund money for a ticket. It is this right that is guaranteed to each passenger with a long flight delay.
The special rights of air passengers are noted when the flight is delayed for a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours. Airport administration is required to provide free luggage storage, as well as to ensure free stay of women with children in a specially equipped room.
Rights with a flight delay of 2 to 4 hours guarantee the ability of passengers to make two calls to anywhere in the world. These calls must be paid by the airline. Free cold or hot drinks are also guaranteed.
Flight delay from 4 to 6 hours provides for free distribution of food with an interval of 6-8 hours.
If the flight was delayed for more than 6 hours, then the airline must provide passengers with a place to sleep. Naturally, this cannot be a waiting room. The company must pay the hotel and all transportation costs.
Compensation
Be that as it may, in any case, the delay in departure is the fault of the transport company, even if the
weather was the cause
. Each passenger can reimburse a part of the amount of the ticket price. The maximum part of compensation is 50%. But at the same time, the administration is obliged to pay all the passenger's cash expenses while waiting for the flight. It can be anything - paying for tickets to other modes of transport, paying for visits to various entertainment venues, paying a bill in a restaurant or cafe. The only nuance is that the passenger is obliged to provide all the checks, otherwise the refund will not be made.
Special cases
If passengers went on vacation, and the ticket is included in the total price of the ticket, then you can make a claim for payment of missed days of rest. If the application is not submitted within 20 days, it will not be subject to further consideration. Sometimes a flight involves a transfer that is made by one airline. Naturally, the passenger does not have time for the proposed second aircraft. Therefore, upon arrival, the administration should take care and place the passenger on another plane absolutely free. Moreover, if a person flew in the economy class, and there is only space in the business class, then they are obliged to put him in a higher-level department. If the situation happened exactly the opposite, then the company must pay the difference.
How should compensation be sought?
In this situation, you need to take care of the evidence of flight delays. The airport administration must require a certificate of delay in the aircraft. This paper should have stamps, justified reasons. A person while waiting for his flight can use any services. The main thing is to keep checks on which time will be clearly visible. You can go to a restaurant, rent a hotel room and so on.
Such situations are resolved very quickly, because no carrier needs to create scandals. A bad reputation will affect future work, so it is advisable that the passenger be satisfied.
There are also companies that may refuse to refund cash. In such a situation, you can safely file a lawsuit by attaching all necessary documents to the case. Achieving the return of money through the courts is a laborious process, but in most cases the truth is always on the side of the victim.
In order not to get into an awkward situation, you must always have extra money with you. Indeed, in such unforeseen situations, they can be very much needed.
Actions in case of violation of passenger rights
This situation is very unpleasant, but leaving everything as it is is not an option. It is necessary to achieve justice and return of money spent. First you need to collect all the necessary package of documents, namely:
- Directly air ticket. It must contain the necessary marks on the flight delay.
- All receipts and receipts of expenses that were necessary in connection with the flight delay.
- A clearly written letter stating all claims and requirements.
All collected documents must be enclosed in an envelope and sent to the main office of the company.
If the passenger has not received a response from the airline within 30 days, then you can safely file a lawsuit. And after some time, justice will be restored.
The rules and regulations described in the article apply to all types of flights. Even if there is a delay in the charter flight, the rights of passengers remain the same. The carrier is equally responsible. The consumer should receive quality service in any case.