{"id":927,"date":"2016-02-24T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-24T05:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/?p=927"},"modified":"2018-11-09T11:43:49","modified_gmt":"2018-11-09T01:43:49","slug":"technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/","title":{"rendered":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Towards the end of last year, a landmark case<\/a> at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that airlines are liable for delays to passengers caused by technical problems. Van der Lans v KLM is now recognised as not only one of the highest rulings on this issue, but is also binding across all European courts.<\/p>\n

Putting the spotlight on international airlines around the world, the case saw a significant victory for passengers looking to claim compensation for flight delays. So if you\u2019ve been a victim of these exasperating delays or you find yourself victim to them at some point in the future, make sure you know your rights and can claim the compensation you\u2019re entitled to.<\/p>\n

The Details of the Case<\/h2>\n

Corina van der Lans flew from Ecuador to Amsterdam in August 2009, on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight that was delayed for 29 hours. The delay was due to the discovery of defective components on the plane, including the engine fuel pump and the hydro mechanical unit. Replacement parts weren\u2019t available at the airport and had to be flown in from Amsterdam for installation.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The existing European flight delay regulation EC 261\/2004 holds that passengers delayed by three hours or more are entitled to up to \u20ac600 (approximately $930 AUD) from the airline, as long as the delay wasn\u2019t caused by \u2018extraordinary circumstances\u2019. But what makes circumstances \u2018extraordinary\u2019 isn\u2019t defined in the regulation, which gave KLM cause to refuse Van der Lans\u2019 initial request for compensation.<\/p>\n

She took the airline to court, arguing that technical problems are not \u2018extraordinary circumstances\u2019. KLM on the other hand, argued that \u2018spontaneous\u2019 technical problems that were unexpected and unforeseeable \u2013 and not detected during routine maintenance \u2013 are \u2018extraordinary circumstances\u2019.<\/p>\n

The court stated that all technical faults are inherent in the normal exercise of an airline\u2019s activity and ultimately ruled in her favour \u2013 and subsequently, in favour of consumers everywhere.<\/p>\n

What it Means for Travellers<\/h2>\n

As a traveller, this landmark ruling means that claiming compensation for flight delays will now be much easier. The ECJ is a higher authority than the Supreme Court, giving the majority of valid claims a much greater chance of being paid out.<\/p>\n

Now, the only defence airlines can use against paying compensation is when the delay is caused by circumstances that are considered \u2018extraordinary\u2019 and out of their control, such as poor weather, natural disasters or industrial action. This is ultimately a positive step in the right direction for consumer rights and aviation law.<\/p>\n

So while many people are lucky enough to never have to experience the frustration and uncertainty of a long delayed flight \u2013 especially internationally \u2013 it\u2019s encouraging to know that those who do go through it will be able to get the compensation they deserve.<\/p>\n

Your Rights in Flight<\/h2>\n

Even with international travel insurance, which will cover your costs for getting you to your destination on a later flight or returning home, it\u2019s important to know what airlines will (and won\u2019t) cover you for as well if you\u2019re heavily delayed.<\/p>\n

Compensation for travel delays is currently only relevant to international airlines within the European Union (EU). In Australia, the guidelines for compensation aren\u2019t as clear and many airlines will have their own individual policies for such situations, so if you\u2019re travelling on an Australian airline make sure you check their terms and conditions before flying with them.<\/p>\n

Australian airlines don\u2019t generally guarantee their timetables, but if your flight was delayed or cancelled and it was because of something within their control (any circumstances that aren\u2019t considered \u2018extraordinary\u2019), most airlines will either carry you on another scheduled flight as soon as possible or give you a refund.<\/p>\n

Some airlines will also provide meals, refreshments, accommodation and transfers appropriate to how long the delay is (but this is entirely at each individual airline\u2019s discretion).<\/p>\n

The important thing to remember here though, is that just because Australia doesn\u2019t have any specific regulation about flight delays it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t still take a valid complaint further. Regardless of what airlines cover in their terms and conditions, as a consumer you will always have rights under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and state fair trading laws.<\/p>\n

So if an airline \u2013 Australian or international \u2013 doesn\u2019t deliver an adequate service by taking reasonable steps to help you when your flight is delayed, you don\u2019t have to put up with it. Send a written complaint to the airline, and if they\u2019re not willing to do anything about it, you can lodge a formal complaint with your state department of consumer affairs or fair trading, and the industry-funded body the Airline Consumer Advocate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These organisations are there to help consumers exercise their rights \u2013 so make sure you do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Towards the end of last year, a landmark case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that airlines are liable for delays to passengers caused by technical problems. Van der Lans v KLM is now recognised as not only one of the highest rulings on this issue, but is also binding across all European […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[89],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nTechnical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is Your Airline Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Insure4less\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-24T05:38:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-11-09T01:43:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"insure4less\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Insure4less\",\"description\":\"Australian Travel Insurance Information\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/\",\"name\":\"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-24T05:38:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-11-09T01:43:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9d6edd976be2fa0f8e8f8e84e549abba\"},\"description\":\"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9d6edd976be2fa0f8e8f8e84e549abba\",\"name\":\"insure4less\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d04ef926e26f3debb4b346e8dd96565b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d04ef926e26f3debb4b346e8dd96565b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"insure4less\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed","description":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is Your Airline Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed?","og_description":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/","og_site_name":"Insure4less","article_published_time":"2016-02-24T05:38:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-11-09T01:43:49+00:00","twitter_card":"summary","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"insure4less","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/","name":"Insure4less","description":"Australian Travel Insurance Information","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/","name":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-02-24T05:38:59+00:00","dateModified":"2018-11-09T01:43:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9d6edd976be2fa0f8e8f8e84e549abba"},"description":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances: We tell you what your airline is liable for when your flight is delayed.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/technical-problems-compensation-extraordinary-circumstances-airline-liable-flight-delayed\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Technical Problems, Compensation and \u2018Extraordinary Circumstances\u2019: What Your Airline is Liable for When Your Flight is Delayed"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9d6edd976be2fa0f8e8f8e84e549abba","name":"insure4less","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d04ef926e26f3debb4b346e8dd96565b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d04ef926e26f3debb4b346e8dd96565b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"insure4less"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":932,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions\/932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insure4less.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}