Air India Compensation and Reimbursement for Cancelled and Delayed Flights

Whenever flights get delayed or cancelled, it can be annoying and inconvenient for passengers. However, the European Union has a regulation 261/2004 that helps protect passengers in such situations. According to EU261/2004, if your flight is disrupted, the airline has to provide you with compensation and assistance.

Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004

EU Regulation 261 is the legislation that deals with air passengers’ rights. In particular, this legislation covers different situations, such as rebooking, delays, flight cancellations, etc., and requires airlines to handle individual cases with care and fairness. If the situation occurs because of the airline’s fault, any passenger who underwent certain inconveniences is entitled to obtain compensation. Furthermore, passengers may be entitled to certain benefits, which we will discuss further in the article.

Right to Compensation

European Union Regulation 261 includes rules concerning the compensation process, including assistance to people experiencing air travel disruptions. In particular, the amount of compensation you can potentially get is up to 600 euros per passenger. This sum ranges, according to your specific case.

Compensation for Air India Flight Cancellation

First and foremost, travelers should be aware that the airline is required to notify them about the cancellation of their flight. If the airline notifies you less than fourteen days before the date of your flight and does not offer any alternative flight, the airline, according to the EU 261 regulation, must pay you compensation of 250 – 600 euros.

At the same time, if a passenger is offered an alternative flight but arrives at his destination later than the original flight was supposed to, the passenger might be eligible for compensation. The table below shows the airline’s obligations based on the length of the delay:

Under 2 hours	2-3 hours	3-4 hours	Over 4 hours	Never arrived	Distance
€125	€250	€250	€250	€250	All flights 1,500 km or less
€200	€200	€400	€400	€400	Internal EU flights over 1,500 km
€200	€200	€400	€400	€400	Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km
€300	€300	€300	€600	€600	Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km

Compensation for Air India Flight Delay

When a flight is delayed for 3+ hours, the airline is obligated to pay compensation. If the flight is delayed for five or more hours, the passenger is entitled to a ticket refund or an alternative flight to the final destination.

Furthermore, this is the case when the airline is also required to provide a passenger with refreshments, meals, and accommodation. See essential details on compensation in the table below:

Less than 3 hours	Between 3-4 hours	Over 4 hours	Distance
€0	€250	€250	All flights up to 1500 km
€0	€400	€400	All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
€0	€400	€400	All intra-EU flights over 3500 km
€0	€300	€600	All non-EU flights over 3500 km

Right to Care

Right to Care refers to a specific aspect of EU Regulation 261/2004, which establishes common rules on assistance and compensation to passengers in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays.

The “Right to Care” under EU261 requires airlines to provide certain assistance and services to passengers experiencing significant delays or cancellations. These include:

• Meals and drinks appropriate to the waiting time
• Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
• Transport between the airport and the place of accommodation
• Emails or faxes and two free phone calls

Upgrading and Downgrading

In situations where a passenger gets an alternative flight, it is helpful to understand upgrading and downgrading the flight’s class.

In situations, when the airline provides you with a higher class (for example, you had Economy but were upgraded to Business class), you will not be charged additional fees for this upgrade.

Regarding downgrading in class (in case you booked a Business class ticket, but were downgraded to Economy), you have a right to receive reimbursement. In this case, it’s important to note that the amount of compensation is entirely based on the distance of a flight:

• 30% of the flight tickets cost for a 1,500 km distance or less;
• 50% of the flight tickets cost (specifically, for intra-EU flights that are over 1,500 km and all other flights with a 1,500 km and 3,500 km distance;
• 75% of the ticket price for flights with a 3,500+ km distance.

Keep in mind that these rights apply to every flight within the European Union, as well as flights departing from or arriving in the European Union operated by airlines based in the EU.

When Are You Not Entitled to Compensation?

Unfortunately, there are situations, when passengers will not receive compensation for cancelled or delayed flights. Specifically, we talk about extraordinary circumstances that are outside of the airline’s control. A few examples are as follows:

• Bad weather conditions and natural disasters;
• Political circumstances (related security risks, terrorist attacks);
• A collision of the aircraft and foreign objects (birds, for instance);
• Unruly or very ill passengers;
• Strikes (that are not caused by the airline’s crew).

Furthermore, if the airline potentially could have done something to avoid problems with the flight and failed to handle the situation, you might be entitled to compensation.

Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?

EU 261 applies to all flights departing from airports in the EU. It also applies to flights arriving in the EU if the airline originates in the EU. This includes airlines from EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

Nevertheless, Air India isn’t a European airline. Therefore, they are not obliged to pay compensation if their flights operate outside of the European Union. This applies even to their flights to the European Union if they start outside the EU.

Itinerary	Covered by EU 261
Flights departing from the EU airports	✔️ Yes
Flights arriving at the EU airports	❌ No

How to Claim Air India Compensation

Flight delay or cancellation is an unpleasant situation that can not only upset you but also ruin all your travel plans. Passengers who unfortunately encounter a flight delay or cancellation should understand the steps to claim compensation. To apply for compensation, follow these steps:

1. Complete our form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and what went wrong.
2. Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will take over. We understand the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to obtain your rightful compensation. You only incur a fee if we win your case.

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