Flight and passenger rights in heavy rain

Various weather services are forecasting a significant increase in precipitation for the coming weekend. This is expected to have an impact on (travel) traffic in Austria over the next few days. The apf provides information on what rights travelers have if their booked connections are not available or only available to a limited extent due to heavy rainfall.

Weather-related flight delays

Heavy rain and limited visibility repeatedly lead to delays in airport operations, such as runway closures or extended take-off and landing intervals. These measures are key to maintaining air traffic safety.

Passengers whose flight is delayed due to weather events, such as heavy rain, are generally entitled to assistance from the operating airline.

• for flights up to 1,500 km with an estimated departure delay of two hours or more
• for flights within the EU of 1,500 km or more with an estimated departure delay of three hours or more
• for flights of 1,500 km up to 3,500 km (not within the EU) with an estimated departure delay of three hours or more
• for flights over 3,500 km (not within the EU) with an estimated departure delay of four hours or more.

In these cases, the airline is obliged to offer snacks, meals and refreshments free of charge, depending on the duration of the delay, and to enable passengers to contact the airline free of charge (by e-mail or telephone).

If the delay lasts one or more days, hotel accommodation and transfers (between the hotel and airport) are also included in the support services.

These benefits must be in reasonable proportion to the waiting period.

The apf recommends contacting the airline before making any independent expenditure. If the airline does not respond to claims (meal or hotel costs) within 6 weeks, those affected can contact the apf.

Train cancellations and delays due to heavy rain

If a train arrives late due to weather events, compensation of 25 percent of the ticket price is due from 60 minutes delay. For delays of 120 minutes or more, the compensation is 50 percent of the ticket price.

If the delay or train cancellation was directly caused by circumstances that the railroad company could not avoid despite due care (extreme weather conditions), there is no entitlement to payment of the compensation amount for delays in individual cases.

If a delay of 60 minutes or more is foreseeable at the destination when a train departs, in the event of a missed connection or due to a train cancellation, the railroad company must offer to continue the journey on the same or another route at no additional cost at the next opportunity and under comparable conditions. As a rule, this means that train connections are canceled by the railroad company and subsequent trains of the railroad company concerned may be used. Passengers are free to use other rail or bus companies if the rail company does not offer an alternative travel option within 100 minutes of the scheduled departure time. In this case, passengers are entitled to reimbursement of the reasonable costs of the new tickets. Alternatively, passengers can also cancel their journey and receive a full refund.

If the last connection is missed due to the delay or train cancellation and you are "stranded" at a station, travelers can also take advantage of an overnight stay in a hotel or a cab ride.

The maximum amount for an overnight stay in a hotel for local and regional transport is 100 euros per person and 65 euros per person for a cab ride. The apf generally recommends contacting the rail company before incurring expenses.

When using long-distance trains (e.g. RailJet, WESTbahn), there is no maximum limit for the assumption of hotel costs based on passenger rights. However, the costs should be kept as low as possible. In these cases too, apf recommends contacting the rail company first (local staff, hotline). If the rail company cannot be contacted, passengers can book a hotel themselves. The costs for this must be submitted to the rail company.

In the event of a delay of more than 60 minutes, passengers must be offered meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to the waiting time, provided these are available on site.