Airlines pay out €110k for disruptions

More than €110,000 was recouped from airlines for passengers affected by flight disruptions last year.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation obtained compensation and refunds for airline customers under EU legislation which gives rights to passengers who suffer from delays, cancellations and overbooking.

Airlines paid out €99,850 in compensation to 124 consumers last year — an average payout of €805.

A further €10,262 was refunded to disgruntled passengers — an average payout of €209.

Vouchers worth €2,400 were also paid out in lieu of compensation.

The commission reported a 30% increase on 2012 figures in the number of queries from the public regarding flight disruptions last year. Just over 4,300 queries were made to the regulator in 2013 — the second-highest level since 2009 but well below the 5,000-plus peak reached in 2010 due to the volcanic ash crisis and poor weather of that year.

However, just 1,235 queries were formally treated as complaints by the commission as 70% of cases lay outside the regulator’s responsibility.

Half of all official complaints related to long delays with another 27% linked to cancellations. A total of 446 cases were passed on by the commission to a similar regulatory body in another EU state as they concerned flights which had originated in that country.

Of the 789 complaints investigated last year, 40% of cases were either withdrawn or not sustained while the airlines were not liable for compensation or refunds in 24% of cases as they were able to prove extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather had hit flights.

Compensation was awarded to 15% of complainants and refunds and expenses to another 6%. Investigations into the remaining 15% of cases are ongoing.

Air passengers are entitled to €250 compensation for cancellations or late arrivals of three hours or more for flights of 1,500km or less. The figures rise to €400 for flights over this distance within the EU and to €600 for flights over 3,500km to destinations outside the EU.

Compensation is not paid for flights cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather, or where airlines inform passengers two weeks before the scheduled flight date or where they offer an alternative for the same route with a similar schedule.

For cancelled flights, airlines must offer customers a ticket refund or alternative transport to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.

Aer Lingus would not be liable for compensation for this weekend’s one-day strike by cabin crew as passengers were informed in advance of the action.

EU transport ministers are meeting next month to discuss a revision of the EU legislation governing air passenger rights as existing measures are seen to contain a number of grey areas.

However, the European Commission and the European Parliament have different views on some of the proposed changes, including time limits regarding flight delays and expenses for cancellations. They also hold different views on whether compensation should be paid for cancellations due to technical faults. Both bodies agree passengers should be entitled to correct a spelling mistake on a booking form free of charge.

Aviation regulator Cathal Guiomard said three airlines which had been criticised for inadequate responses to complaints in 2012 — Aer Lingus, American Airlines, and Turkish Airlines — had improved their complaint- handling process over the past year.