Since last May Irish air passengers who suffer overbooking, delays or cancellations can claim compensation under EU regulations.
Their right to claim refunds, payments of up to €600, meals, accommodation and/or access to phonecalls was upheld yesterday by the European Court of Justice.
Yet so far just a few hundred of the millions of passengers who passed through Irish airports since the regulations came into force are known to have sought compensation.
The Irish Times asked Ryanair and Aer Lingus yesterday how many requests for compensation they had received since the regulations were introduced, but neither airline had replied by yesterday evening.
The Commission for Aviation Regulation, which is responsible for implementing the rules in Ireland, said it was dealing with 119 active complaints from passengers who were dissatisfied with the airlines' response to their requests for compensation. Just a couple of cases are known to have been settled so far.
EU rules are clear in the case of overbooked flights, but less explicit in relation to delays. If you are "bumped off" your flight, the airline must provide you with a choice of a refund, alternative transport, meals and accommodation or compensation. The latter ranges from €250 for flights of 1,500km or less to €400 for flights of 1,500-3,500km and €600 for flights of over 3,500km.
Rerouted flights which arrive late at the final destination qualify for compensation of €125-€300, depending on the delay and the length of the flight.
Any passenger who suffers a delay of more than two hours must be offered free meals and two free phonecalls, faxes or e-mails. If the delay extends to more than five hours, the passenger is entitled to reimbursement of the full ticket cost.
However, airlines do not have to offer compensation if flights are cancelled or delayed due to "extraordinary circumstances". The regulations appear to exclude claims for delays caused by bad weather, technical problems, security scares and strikes. A commission spokesman said each claim would be considered on its merits. Passengers who feel they are entitled to compensation should contact their airline or package-
tour operator first. If they remain unsatisfied, they should contact the commission at www.aviationreg.ie.
