Airlines owe British flyers millions in delayed flight compensation

LONDON, England - Delayed airline passengers could be missing out on millions of pounds worth of compensation, a consumer investigation has claimed.

Which? found that between June 2014 and May 2015, 37 million passenger journeys to or from the UK were delayed by 15 minutes or more, with more than 900,000 people eligible for compensation.

However, the consumer magazine found only an average of 38 per cent of passengers made a claim.

Any passenger delayed for more than three hours is entitled to up to £521 under the Denied Boarding Regulation.

To be eligible you have to have been flying with an EU-based airline or have flown from an EU airport.

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/62414/airlines-owe-british-flyers-millions-delayed-flight-compensation

-- eTN 2015-08-10

... more than three hours is entitled to up to £521 under the Denied Boarding Regulation.

Doing a quick browse on this regulation showed me the reason why few probably bother claiming, as there are conditions / escape routes involved so that it resembles travel insurance somewhat with criteria having to be met. Airlines are not fools, they are going to know the ins and outs of this far more than the average tired, frustrated and confused passenger, in order to avoid having to pay out lots of cash. Silence is their best weapon. If you don't know your entitlements, you probably just won't be informed by airlines.

I admit, I don't know mine in most cases of non EU airlines.

... more than three hours is entitled to up to £521 under the Denied Boarding Regulation.

Doing a quick browse on this regulation showed me the reason why few probably bother claiming, as there are conditions / escape routes involved so that it resembles travel insurance somewhat with criteria having to be met. Airlines are not fools, they are going to know the ins and outs of this far more than the average tired, frustrated and confused passenger, in order to avoid having to pay out lots of cash. Silence is their best weapon. If you don't know your entitlements, you probably just won't be informed by airlines.

I admit, I don't know mine in most cases of non EU airlines.

Yep. I got delayed by KLM - whose customer care and service is atrocious and the worst airline I've come across.

I looks at claiming and asked our agent (we were a considerable sized business client) to check. KLM claimed a plane had to be taken out for "safety" reasons, one of the get outs. The fact that was on another route, so they took my plane and then only had a much smaller one for us, requiring a large number to be "bumped off" the flight was apparently irrelevant.

KLM claimed a plane had to be taken out for "safety" reasons, one of the get outs.

Yep, that infamous "technical problem" which is never elaborated on.

KLM claimed a plane had to be taken out for "safety" reasons, one of the get outs.

Yep, that infamous "technical problem" which is never elaborated on.

this is not true! technical problems dont count, they have to pay, i got 600 Euro, only i had to write 10 emails, make calls,

tell them I will inform the newspapers about their behaviour aso, for 6 weeks they didn´t answer any email, even you can only apply be mail dor the money.

this is not true! technical problems dont count, they have to pay, i got 600 Euro, only i had to write 10 emails, make calls,

tell them I will inform the newspapers about their behaviour aso, for 6 weeks they didn´t answer any email, even you can only apply be mail dor the money.

Thanks for the clarification. It does show why few attempt it though.

I've found similar in other scenarios, that email is not a way to get resolution (only good for written documentary evidence later, that they received but blatantly ignored several attempts). Different travel reasons mean few will have means to be sending land mail back and forth.

It is very unfortunate that the way to get money back in many cases is to keep using legally threatening language in correspondence in order to get their attention and make them see that you're not a mug who can be palmed off until you lose patience and give it up.It can be a frustrating experience over a long period of time, and why few will persist with it.