Compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight during a business trip - when can you obtain it?

A delayed, cancelled, or flight ahead of schedule can happen to anyone - both tourists going on a long-awaited vacation, as well as employees going on a business trip. In the case of a business trip, a flight disruption can of course have negative consequences for your business. However, we must not forget that the employee who is a passenger of the unfortunate flight also faces inconvenience. When going on a business trip, we are often unaware that we are entitled to compensation for a disrupted flight. Meanwhile, pursuing a claim in such a case is possible and advisable. 

Remember – if you have travelled on business and your flight was disrupted, you are entitled to personal compensation!

Business trip and a disrupted flight

A delayed, cancelled flight, or a flight ahead of schedule on a business trip is an extremely stressful situation. If we are stuck at the airport, we may not make it to the agreed business meeting, which in turn may translate into the loss of the opportunity to obtain a valuable client for our company. In addition, we experience the unpleasant inconvenience related to waiting for the flight to be completed. It may be some small consolation to know that in the case of business trips, passengers are entitled to the same rights to compensation for a disrupted flight as people going on vacation or so-called city-break.

The basis for obtaining compensation is Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11th February, 2004. According to such regulation, the passenger is entitled to compensation for a disrupted flight if the cause of the disruption is on the part of the carrier. The Regulation lists extraordinary circumstances, however which exclude the liability of the airlines. Among these we can mention adverse weather conditions, unstable political situation, strike of airport workers or failure of the air traffic control system.

Disrupted flight and the airline's obligations

It is worth knowing that in the event of a flight being ahead of schedule, cancelled or delayed, airlines are obliged to take care of passengers staying at the airport. This assistance includes the provision of food and drink, telephone and e-mail access, and in the event of cancellation of a flight, provision of an alternative flight and payment of hotel accommodation. If the airline fails to comply with these obligations, keep all receipts and invoices documenting the costs incurred while you await your flight. They will be the basis for applying for reimbursement of additional costs.

How do I obtain compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight whilst on a business trip?

In order to be eligible for compensation for a cancelled, delayed or flight ahead of schedule due to the fault of the carrier, certain circumstances must exist. If we are informed of planned flight disruption less than 14 days before the scheduled departure date, we are entitled to compensation. In addition, in the event of a flight delay, the arrival at the destination airport must be delayed by at least 3 hours, and in the case of a flight ahead of schedule, the delay must be at least 1 hour.

In addition, to be able to make a claim, we must have the following data:

   • Flight number,
   • Both the departure and arrival airport,
   • One of the following documents: boarding pass, ticket or (if possible) online confirmation of your flight reservation.

Compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight during a business trip

The procedure for claiming compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight can be time-consuming and complicated. What is more, airlines very rarely decide to pay compensation to individual customers. Meanwhile, there is still something to fight for. For a disrupted flight, you can get up to 600 Euro per person!

If you want to save your time and money, entrust us with your case. Thanks to many years of experience in the airline compensation market and thousands of won cases, we know how to effectively pursue claims from carriers. As AirCashBack, we operate on the basis of a fee-only principle if successful, according to which we are entitled to commission in the amount of 25% gross in situations in which the client receives compensation. What's more, we cover all court and administrative costs during the course of the case.