flight-plan-change

Change of the Route, Time, or Dates of the Flight

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Changes to your flight, whether due to adjustments to the route, schedule, or dates, can be grounds for a claim.
If an airline modifies the flight plan to a different time, day, or departure and destination point, this is considered a cancellation and rescheduling of the flight. Consequently, if a claim is filed, you are entitled to compensation similar to that for flight cancellations.

Passenger Rights in Case of Flight Modifications

It is possible to claim compensation for a flight rescheduled by 1 hour or more thanks to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The airline must offer you an alternative that you can choose to accept or decline.

  1. If you accept the flight change, the airline is not required to refund the ticket price, but you have the right to claim compensation ranging from €250 to €600.
  2. If you decline the flight change, two scenarios can occur:
    • You request a refund and decide not to travel:
      You are entitled to claim compensation of €250 to €600 + the cost of the unused ticket + expenses and damages for lost hotel bookings, tours, etc.
    • You request a refund and decide to travel by a different route:
      In this case, the airline must compensate you in addition to the reimbursement, covering the cost of the new transport you take if it is more expensive than the original ticket (as this expense would not have occurred without the change).

Exceptions to Compensation for flight plan change

Compensation rights do not apply if:

  • The changed flight is announced at least 14 days in advance.
  • The passenger is informed of the modification between 2 weeks and 7 days before departure, and the new flight offered by the airline departs no more than 2 hours before the originally scheduled time and arrives at the final destination less than 4 hours later than planned.
  • The passenger is informed of the change less than 7 days before departure, and the new flight offered by the airline departs no more than 1 hour earlier than scheduled and arrives at the final destination less than 2 hours later than planned.
  • The airline offers an alternative transport option, and the passenger arrives at the final destination less than 3 hours later than the originally scheduled arrival time.