Departure postponed several times - These are your rights

Time and again there are delays in air traffic due to technical faults. In one case, the conciliation body of the Agency for Passenger Rights even reported a departure delay of almost two days. Several travelers were stranded in Lisbon and had to use up additional vacation days due to the delay. The airline did not cancel the flight but moved the departure date further and further back. The passengers were finally able to take off two days after the original flight. apf provides information on the rights of those affected in such cases.

What are travelers whose flight is delayed by several hours or even days entitled to?

During the waiting time, travelers are entitled to care services. These include meals and drinks, but also hotel accommodation and transfers in the event of particularly long waiting times.
Ultimately, the entitlement depends on the distance traveled and the delay:

Up to 1,500 km flight distance - from 2 hours delay
(e.g. Vienna - Düsseldorf)
Between 1,500 and 3,500 km flight distance - from 3 hours delay
(e.g. Vienna - Lisbon)
From 3,500 km flight distance - from 4 hours delay
(e.g. Vienna - New York)

In this specific case, the flight distance from Lisbon to Vienna was a total of 2,300 kilometers.
This means that from a delay of three hours, care services must be provided in proportion to the waiting time.
This included several meals, hotel accommodation and transfer services.

In the event of a delay of more than three hours at the destination, passengers are also entitled to compensation. This also depends on the distances mentioned above and is between 250 and 600 euros. For the Vienna-Lisbon route, passengers are entitled to 400 euros per person.

In the above-mentioned case, the destination (Vienna) was reached almost 48 hours after the original flight date. The persons concerned are therefore entitled to the following:
Compensation payment: EUR 400
Costs for meals: depending on the invoice (approx. EUR 100)
Costs for accommodation and transfer: one additional night in Lisbon (approx. EUR 100 + EUR 15)

What can I do as a passenger if the airline does not offer assistance?

First of all, those affected should contact the airline. For example, via a service desk at the airport, a hotline, email or a contact form. If the airline cannot be contacted, passengers can also incur expenses themselves and then be reimbursed by the airline.

It is important to ensure that expenditure is proportionate (e.g. no luxury hotels).

At what point can you book an alternative yourself?

From a legal point of view, there is no specific point in time from which a delay is to be regarded as a cancellation.
However, in consultation with the airline, passengers are free to request alternative transportation. As a rule, airlines are also accommodating in this respect. However, there is no entitlement. Additional costs for alternative flights are difficult to enforce in practice, but are possible.

apf supports free of charge

The Agency for Passenger Rights supports passengers free of charge and commission-free if they are unable to reach an agreement with the airline.
Online dispute resolution form
Tel: +43 1 5050 707 740 (Mon-Fri 10:00 - 12:00)