You’re just about to travel. You've been dreaming about this for months now, you’ve already packed your bags while humming some tune cheerfully, woke up earlier with an unusual sense of joy and finally headed for the airport. As soon as you get there…chaos, grumpy people, canceled flights everywhere. If it happened to you (or when it happens to you), would you know what to do? We can give you a little help.

The first thing you should know is that there are rules. In the European Union, the rights of air passengers are protected by a regulation that is common to all Member States, as well as all countries from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The regulation covers all EU flights and also flights from outside the EEA to an EEA airport, provided that the company is European. Companies from other countries must respect the protocol whenever they fly in European space. So, fasten your seat belt, let's get to know your rights.

Three basic rights worth remembering.

Transparency. The passenger must be notified in advance about the airline that will carry out the flight. In European space, only companies considered safe can operate.

Clear information. In the case of holiday packages, the organizer must provide complete and detailed information about each contracted service and, in the event of insolvency, must ensure the passenger's rights.

Billing details. If the flight takes off from European Union soil, all information on the price must be detailed: from the cost of the ticket to the final amount payable, taxes, fees, supplements and other charges.

Flight delays. Time for you to know how to deal with it.

Nobody likes to wait, but if it happens, know what to expect.

Assistance. The airline must guarantee free access to telephone calls and emails to contact family members, drinks, meals, accommodation and transport to the place, if necessary. This is, so to speak, a kind of "basic assistance package” for various situations of airport disorder.

In the event of flight delays, these measures apply in proportion to the length of the delay to the following cases:

- two hours, for journeys up to 1500 kilometers;

- three hours, for journeys exceeding 1500 kilometers within the , or between 1500 and 3500 kilometers involving an airport outside the EEA;

- four hours, for journeys beyond 3500 kilometers involving an airport outside the EEA.

If the delay is more than five hours and you have already given up traveling, it is perfectly understandable. In this case, please know that you are entitled to a ticket refund and transport back to your original point of departure. Or, if you prefer, you can travel on another date as soon as possible.

Assuming that you have not given up on traveling and that you actually manage to take off on the same day, it only takes a three-hour delay (or more) at the final destination for you to be entitled to compensation, that goes from 250 to 600 euros.

Overbooking, when compensation takes place.

A frequent situation, which almost always leaves passengers on the verge of a nervous breakdown. When the company sells more tickets than the capacity of the plane, it is up to it to look for volunteers willing to give up their reservations in exchange for benefits. In the absence of volunteers, the company will have to select which passengers board and which stay ashore, understandably against their will. To these passengers the aforementioned assistance will have to be provided. This also applies to the volunteers, if that’s been agreed between them and the company.

In the event of overbooking, it is the company’s obligation to give all those who did not board the option between a full refund of the trip, with eventual return to the point of departure, and re-routing to the final destination, on the earliest possible date that is convenient for the passenger.

In addition to all this, for those who unintentionally remained on land, a compensation is foreseen, also between 250 and 600 euros. However, this amount can be reduced by half if the passenger arrives at the destination just a few hours later than expected.

Flight canceled. Your passport to compensation.

It is part of everyday life at any airport. Whether due to lack of personnel, bugs in the system, a sharp increase in demand, the truth is that even if operators do not control what causes these constraints, they must answer before the consumers.

Whenever a flight is cancelled, it also applies the overbooking rule - compensation ranging between 250 and 600 euros, depending on the flight features. Nothing new there. However, the rule has some exceptions:

- If the passenger has been informed of the cancellation up to 14 days before the departure date, then there is no room for compensation.

- If the passenger has been informed of the cancellation between 7 and 14 days before the departure date, having been offered an alternative flight departing up to 2 hours before the initially scheduled time and arriving at the destination up to two hours later than scheduled, then there is no room for compensation.

- If the passenger has been informed of the cancellation less than 7 days before the departure date, having been offered an alternative flight departing up to 1 hour before the initially scheduled time and arriving at the destination up to two hours later than scheduled, then there is no room for compensation.

- If the airline can prove that the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances, then there is no room for compensation.

Keep calm. Losing both your trip and the money are not an option here.

For instance, there’s always the usual passenger assistance to begin with.

Afterwards, the company must give you choice: it can either be a ticket refund, (7 days to do it) or a re-routing to the final destination with similar conditions, on the earliest available date or later, as long as it is convenient for the passenger.

It should be noted that, according to a December 2021 judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union, it is also considered a "canceled flight” if the airline anticipates the flight by more than 1 hour. So, if the plane does not take off or if it takes off too early, the outcome can be pretty much the same.

In this case, compensation is payable, the amount of which will be calculated according to the distance of the journey. This amount cannot be reduced, even if another flight is made available to the passenger that allows him to arrive at the destination at the same time.

Sometimes it's nobody's fault. 

There are, in fact, situations where companies are not responsible for delays or cancellations. And they are provided for by law: severe weather conditions, security risks, political unrest or strike. Although, in these cases, compensation is very unlikely, the duty of assistance to the passenger remains intact – food, drink, telephone calls, accommodation and reimbursement of the reservation value or, alternatively, booking a new trip on a date set by you, with no limitations imposed by the airline or additional costs.

"Technical problems in aircraft maintenance” are not included in this list of exceptions, since 2008.

Baggage loss. A classic that never goes out of style.

No one is safe from landing at their destination and realize that their suitcase has gone elsewhere. Or even that it arrived at the predicted location, but in poor condition. Whenever luggage is lost, delayed or damaged, the passenger is entitled to compensation of up to 1400 euros.

Generally speaking, the compensation paid does not reach such high amounts, unless you transport items of special value and declare them to the airline until you get to the baggage check-in step. To do so, simply fill in a form and pay the corresponding fee.

However, if the company has done everything in its power to avoid loss, delay or damage, or if it has been unable to do so, or if the luggage itself is defective, then it cannot be held responsible.

Deadlines you should know: In the case of damaged luggage, you have 7 days after receiving it to file a complaint to the airline. In the case of a delay in reception, the deadline is extended to 21 days. Don't forget to keep copies of the complaint. If you decide to go to court, the deadline is extended to 2 years.

Special passengers, special rights.

People with disabilities or reduced mobility are protected by law. Who meets the criteria set out in the legislation? People who have some physical disability (sensory or locomotor, permanent or temporary), intellectual disability, weakness due to old age or people whose situation requires an adaptation of the service to their specific needs. These passengers (those with chronic illnesses or phobias are not included) have priority in resolving cases of overbooking, delays and cancellations.

To enforce your rights, simply contact the company 48 hours before your flight. Prior contact is valid for anyone who may require medical assistance, such as pregnant women or passengers with special needs for oxygen, which allows the airline to prepare the specifics of the transport. This is the case with MyWay [link], the ANA airport mobility service. 

A company cannot refuse transport to anyone for reasons of disability or reduced mobility, unless the plane is not large enough to guarantee the conditions of the requested service or compliance with safety rules. But they must do everything possible to make the trip happen.

Know how to complain. An art available to everyone.

Not to mistake it for raging. If you feel that your rights have not been respected, file a complaint. But know how to do it correctly. First, keep all invoices for expenses incurred and contact the airline, the airport or, in the case of an organized trip, the responsible agency, explaining the situation calmly and politely. Be factual and pragmatic.

If you have not received a response within 6 weeks, or if this is not satisfactory, the next step is to contact the responsible body of the Member State where the problem occurred – in Portugal it is the Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil (ANAC). You can easily find the form on the ANAC website. Once completed - one per passenger - you must send it to consumer@anac.pt, along with the following documents:

- complaint sent to the airline; 

- reply from the carrier, if received;

- copy of the reservation.

If you prefer, you can send it by mail to ANAC – Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil, Rua B, Edifício 4 – Aeroporto Humberto Delgado, 1749-034 Lisbon.

Got stuck on land? Look on the bright side.