Flight Canceled: What About the Ticket?

At least once in your life, every traveler is faced with a situation where a flight is canceled. I booked a flight through Voyagu, and started preparing for the trip, but everything got canceled. What to do in this situation and how not to lose money?

First of all, it is important not to worry and not to panic. Flight cancellations are rare, but all airlines are prepared for different non-standard situations and know how to act.

Below we’ll tell you what to do and where to go if your flight is canceled.

Why can a flight be canceled? 

A flight may be canceled for a variety of reasons. Of course, canceling a flight is a last resort when there is no other solution to the problem.

The most common ones are:

■ Airplane breakdown. For passenger safety, it’s definitely not a good idea to let an airplane fly with some sort of malfunction, even a minor one.

■ Adverse weather conditions. Heavy rains, squally wind, and snowstorms can cause the flight won’t take place.

■ Unstaffed crew. For example, in the absence of a flight attendant or stewardess who couldn’t be replaced.

■ Low flight load. If the flight is sold out a few tickets, the airline may cancel it. After all, it is not profitable to send a half-empty plane.

A flight cancellation can be an unpleasant surprise. But there are several solutions for this situation as well.

Flight canceled in advance of expected departure

If a flight is canceled several days before the scheduled departure date, you will definitely receive a notification of the cancellation. In your personal account in the airline application or by e-mail, which you specified when purchasing the ticket. The airline will offer you a solution.

If not, there’s always the option for filing a flight compensation claim to the tune of up to €600 with the said carrier or airline company. For example, if you were traveling by Aer Lingus to or from Dublin, and to your surprise, you discover the flight is canceled without any prior notice or information, you’re definitely entitled to a 100% Aer Lingus flight refund of the ticket you bought, either on the same day or in advance.

If you bought a ticket on the airline’s website, you must fill out a special form on the website after the cancellation. You will be able to surrender the ticket or rebook it for another date. If you purchased your ticket through an aggregator, you must contact the aggregator’s representatives to obtain a refund.

All conditions for ticket refund or exchange in case of flight cancellation depend on the chosen airline. So once the flight is cancelled. If you want a full refund of your ticket or adequately compensated for the harassment caused due to abnormal flight delay, cancellation or overbooking, then you need to contact an agency that specializes in helping customers with flight delay compensation. You can visit website of airadvisor.com if you’re residing in the EU region, and your flight originating from any EU country, in the US, Canada or the UK.

A flight was canceled just before departure

Did the flight cancel while you were already at the airport? First, find out why the flight was canceled. You have the right to obtain information on what happened.

Go to the airline check-in counter with which you were supposed to fly and ask all your questions.

Company representatives are obliged to offer you an alternative flight. And also provide a comfortable waiting: offer drinks, food, a place to rest. In the case of a long wait provide overnight accommodation at the nearest hotel at the expense of the airline. If the new departure time does not suit you, you can request a ticket refund and get the full ticket price back.

Is it possible to get compensation for a canceled flight?

This depends on the airline and the specific situation. You can get compensation if the flight is delayed or canceled through the fault of the airline. The amount of compensation you can receive varies from 125 to 600 euros.

Compensation is often granted if:

■ The flight was delayed, and you arrived at your destination three or more hours late.

■ The flight was canceled less than 14 days before the planned date.

■ An overbooking has occurred. That is if there were more passengers on the flight than seats on the plane. Yes, airlines, in order to minimize financial losses due to those who will not come to the flight, sell a few more tickets.

An important point: if a flight was canceled because of a coronavirus, there would be no compensation. But you will be able to count on a ticket refund and find an alternative flight.

What should I do if my ticket is not refunded?

After resolving all the nuances and making a request for a refund for the ticket, the airline has 30 days to return the money to the passenger. But if you have not received a refund during this period, you can file a complaint with the company management. Or you can contact the federal organizations. In your appeal, you should give your personal information, indicate the ticket number and flight number, and describe in detail the situation that occurred.

Conclusion. Even such a non-standard situation as a flight cancellation can be resolved quickly and easily. We recommend choosing proven airlines so that even in an emergency, you get help and good service. Following simple tips, after a flight cancellation, you can get a refund or a new ticket for a new date.

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