Care services due to flight cancellation

In June 2016, a flight from London to Vienna was canceled. The airline informed the passengers that alternative flights, rebooking and hotel accommodation could be selected via the airline's website, which was ultimately not possible due to the overloaded system. The passengers therefore organized their own flights, hotel accommodation, transfers and meals and submitted the invoices to the airline for reimbursement. As the airline was not prepared to reimburse the costs, some of the passengers concerned turned to the apf to obtain their rights.

The apf was able to mediate positively between the parties and reimbursed the passengers for the costs of the rebooked flights, hotel accommodation, transfers and meals - so-called care services. The airline did not have to make a compensation payment as it was able to prove an extraordinary circumstance to apf due to the closed runway. An airline can invoke an extraordinary circumstance if problems could not have been avoided, even by taking all reasonable measures.

If you are not sure and a clarification with the airline is not possible, you can send your case to the apf using the complaint form and submit it for review. You can find the complaint form here.

In such cases, it is important that you keep all invoices for accommodation, transfers, drinks and snacks, as the airline is only obliged to pay a refund if you can provide receipts.

If you are also affected by a flight cancellation, you can find out here what rights you have and what the airline must offer or pay you.