Citilink Compensation and Reimbursement for Cancelled and Delayed Flights

Whenever flights are 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 these situations. Under EU 261, if your flight is cancelled or delayed, the airline has to provide you with compensation and assistance.

Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004

The EU 261 is the regulation that deals with air passengers’ rights. Specifically, this law covers different situations, including rebooking, delays, flight cancellations, etc., and obligates airlines to handle individual cases with care and fairness. If the situation occurs as a result of the airline’s fault, any traveler who experienced certain inconveniences is entitled to get compensation. Furthermore, passengers can receive certain benefits, which we will discuss further in the article.

Right to Compensation

The EU 261 includes regulations concerning the compensation process, including aid to travelers affected by flight problems. In particular, the amount of compensation you can expect to receive is up to 600 euros per passenger. This sum ranges, based on your circumstances.

Compensation for Citilink Flight Cancellation

First and foremost, passengers need to know that the airline must inform them about the cancellation of their flight. If the airline informs you less than fourteen days before your flight date and does not offer any alternative flight, the airline, according to the EU 261/2004, is obligated to compensate 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 scheduled arrival time of the original flight, the passenger could be eligible for compensation. The table below shows the airline’s obligations based on the duration 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 Citilink 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 another flight to the final destination.

Furthermore, this is the case when the airline also must provide a passenger with beverages, some food, 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 relates to a specific aspect of EU Regulation 261/2004, which establishes common rules on assistance and compensation for travelers in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellations, or long delays.

The “Right to Care” under EU 261/2004 requires airlines to provide certain services and assistance to passengers facing significant delays or cancellations. These include:

• Meals and beverages appropriate for the waiting time
• Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary
• Transport between the airport and the hotel
• Emails or faxes and two free phone calls

Upgrading and Downgrading

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

In cases, when the airline provides you with an upgraded class (for example, you booked Economy but were upgraded to Business class), you won’t have to pay additional fees for this upgrade.

Regarding downgrading in class (in case you booked a Business class ticket, but were downgraded to Economy), you are entitled to obtain 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.

Consider that these rights cover any flights inside the European Union, as well as flights departing from or arriving in the European Union by airlines based in the EU.

When Are You Not Entitled to Compensation?

Unfortunately, there are cases, when passengers will not receive compensation for cancelled or delayed flights. Particularly, we refer to extraordinary circumstances that are beyond the airline’s control. Some of the 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).

In addition, if the airline could hypothetically 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?

European Union Regulation 261 covers all flights departing from airports in the EU. It also covers flights arriving in the EU if the airline is based in the EU. This includes airlines from EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

Nevertheless, Citilink isn’t a European airline. Therefore, they are not obliged to pay compensation if their flights operate outside of the European Union. This is true even for 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 Citilink Compensation

Flight cancellation or delay is an unpleasant situation that can not only upset you but also ruin all your travel plans. Those who are unlucky enough to face a flight delay or cancellation should know exactly how to claim compensation. To apply for compensation, follow these steps:

1. Fill in this form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and the problem you faced.
2. Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will take over. We are well-versed in the EU laws thoroughly and will do our best to secure your compensation. You only incur a fee if we win your case.

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