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Why do airlines have to provide free meals and accommodation? What are the rules behind this?
With the popularity of air travel, the protection of passengers' rights and interests becomes increasingly important. In Europe, the Air Passenger Rights Regulation 2004 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004) has become the legal basis for protecting passengers in the event of flight delays, cancellations or denied boarding. This regulation requires that airlines must provide free meals and accommodation in certain circumstances. This is not only a right protection for passengers, but also a legal responsibility of airlines.
According to regulations, when a flight is delayed for three hours or more, passengers can request compensation ranging from 250 euros to 600 euros.
Scope of application
The regulation applies to all flights within or from EU member states. Specifically, passengers will benefit from this provision if they have confirmed their reservations and checked in on time. In addition, even under bilateral agreements between some non-member states (such as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway) and the EU, air flights from these countries are also subject to the regulations.
This measure protects the rights of passengers whose flights are affected and makes them no longer helpless.
Denied boarding situations
When an airline denies boarding due to overbooking, the airline needs to first find passengers who are willing to give up their seats and negotiate with them for appropriate compensation. If there are insufficient volunteers, the airline can forcibly refuse other passengers and provide corresponding compensation and assistance to all affected passengers.
However, airlines may not provide compensation or assistance if a passenger is denied boarding due to health, safety or incomplete documentation.
Compensation for flight cancellation
Once a flight is cancelled, passengers automatically have the following options: rescheduling a flight under similar conditions or a full refund, all of which strive to protect the basic rights of passengers. In addition, airlines are also required to provide necessary meals and accommodation, so that passengers will not suffer additional losses even if flights are canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Passengers are entitled to avail free meals and accommodation services to improve their hardship caused by delays or cancellations.
Rights arising from flight delays
According to the regulations, if a flight is delayed beyond a certain time limit beyond the scheduled arrival time, passengers are also entitled to request that the airline provide meals and necessary communication equipment, as well as accommodation if the situation requires. If the flight is delayed for more than five hours, passengers have the right to give up the trip and get a full refund.
Additional Compensation and Assistance
If passengers meet the relevant conditions in the event of flight delays or cancellations, the airline needs to provide a number of assistance including catering, accommodation, communication and pick-up services.
Various compensation regulations are designed to balance the rights of passengers and the responsibilities of airlines, making the air travel experience more humane.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
While airlines may encounter technical or unforeseen circumstances when faced with flight delays or cancellations, these should not be an excuse to evade compensation obligations, according to the court's ruling. Passengers not only have the right to obtain reasonable compensation, but should also expect airlines to continuously improve their services. Will the future of air passengers be more transparent and fair under the protection of this regulation?
