International Agreements and Organizations — Page 47, Lesson 89

We are now in the heart of passenger rights under European air law — this is Regulation 261/2004 territory, and it's a favourite exam area. Let's pick up with the delay rules, because they are very precise and very testable. 2.92 — Delays. If an airline expects a flight to be delayed, passengers are entitled to refreshments and communication — that means meals, drinks, and the ability to make calls or send messages — but only once the expected delay crosses a threshold. And that threshold depends on the type of flight. For a type 1 flight — that's a short-haul flight — the threshold is two hours. For a type 2 flight, the medium-haul category, it's three hours. And for a type 3 flight, the long-haul category, it's four hours. So the longer the flight, the longer the airline can keep you waiting before they must provide refreshments and communication. Now, there's an additional entitlement. If the flight is expected to depart on the day after the original scheduled departure time, passengers are entitled to accommodation — a hotel room, essentially. That kicks in regardless of the type of flight. And then there's the five-hour rule. If a flight is delayed by five hours, passengers are additionally entitled to abandon their journey — that means they can walk away from the flight — and receive a refund for all unused tickets. They also get a refund on tickets already used, but only if the flight no longer serves any purpose in relation to their original travel plan. And, if relevant, they get a flight back to their original point of departure at the earliest opportunity. So the five-hour delay gives you the right to cancel and be repatriated. 2.93 — Compensation and assistance. Now we shift to cancellations and denied boarding. There are three broad categories of compensation and assistance that may be required. And the next two paragraphs walk you through the first two of those categories. 2.94 — Cash compensation. This is the headline one. Cash compensation is a payment of €250, €400, or €600 for flights type 1, type 2, and type 3 respectively. So short-haul gets €250, medium-haul gets €400, long-haul gets €600. But there's a halving rule. If re-routing is offered — that means the airline puts you on an alternative flight — and that re-routing results in you arriving within two, three, or four hours of the scheduled arrival time for a type 1, 2, or 3 flight respectively, then the compensation payable is halved. So a type 1 flight arriving within two hours of schedule halves the €250 to €125. A type 2 within three hours halves €400 to €200. A type 3 within four hours halves €600 to €300. And there's a crucial escape clause for the airline: the airline is not obliged to provide cash compensation in the case of "Extraordinary Circumstances" — that's the famous get-out, things like severe weather, air traffic control strikes, or security threats that are outside the airline's control. 2.95 — Re-routing or refunding. This is the second category. At the passenger's choice, the airline must offer one of three compensations. The first of those three is: repayment of the cost of unused flight tickets, and for used tickets where the flight or flights taken no longer serve any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan. So if your ticket is unused, you get the money back. If you've used part of it but the remaining journey is now pointless, you get a refund on that too. Now, the excerpt cuts off mid-sentence — it says "and where" and stops. So we're at the edge of the page. The next part of that sentence, which you'll see when we continue, will complete that first option and then give you the other two options in the re-routing or refunding category. But for now, hold onto this structure: three categories of compensation and assistance — cash compensation, re-routing or refunding, and a third one we haven't reached yet. And within re-routing or refunding, there are three options at the passenger's choice, the first being repayment of ticket costs. Let's keep going and finish that sentence.