Do airlines have to pay compensation for delays?

Question

im not talking about a few minutes delays more like hours and days? my mum and my sister were supposed to come from Bangladesh today with airline Biman. However there flight has been 'delayed' and no reason has been given. we booked this return flight months ago so my sister can come back with a few days to spare before school starts. however now we are unsure as to how long it will take. Many people have been stranded at Dhaka hotels for days. does anyone know anything about this as well?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

If you have a travel insurance, you can claim a fixed amount of money for delays that exceed more than 8 hours. This period of delays differs with various travel insurance companies.

Alternatively, you can ask the airline to refund your fare- WITHOUT any deductions.

Usually, ANY airline that delays its flights beyond a reasonable period has to COMPULSARILY fly its stranded passengers to their destination on ANOTHER airline. The Biman ticket will hence be valid for that destination as well and any fare differences have to be borne by Biman, in this case- regardless of the cause of the delay such as weather, technical flaws or political/ military circumstances.

The rights of a passenger are protected by various international conventions to which the country where the airline is registered (in this case, Bangladesh) is signatory. These include the Geneva, Vienna, Warsaw and other international conventions on air travel as well as rules fixed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) of which Biman will be a member and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)- of which Biman will also be a member.

Biman is obliged to fulfil its obligations under these laws and has to offer you appropriate redress- such as flying you or other passengers to their destination, at the earliest, providing passengers will ALL reasonable amenities- such as free hotel stay with ALL meals, transportation to the hotel and airport free and reasonable cash compensation to sustain your basic needs such as calling your family to inform the delay, laundry, etc.

Failing to fulfil these obligations, you have the right to sue Biman in any court in any city to which it operates and seek proper compensation for the physical and mental distress their delay caused, losses to your business or profession (such as salary loss due to extension of leave/ vacation) and any other charges that are justifiable under international laws.

You can refer to the websites of IATA and ICAO for complete list of laws and conventions to which Bangladesh is signatory. The laws automatically apply to ALL airlines registered in Bangladesh, since the country's government has ratified them.

Source(s):

frequent traveler/ travel writer

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thank you for a very detailed answer. Biman has arranged for Air India to bring back my sister and mum tommorow. Hopefully they come as they promised.

Thank you to everyone who answered as well. you have all been very helpful.

Answer 2

compensation only has to be given if the flight gets cancelled if the airline is providing hotels for your mum and sister then that can be classed as a type of compensation the best option is to ask the airline as every airline is different

Answer 3

I think it depends which airline. Most will compensate in some way or another if you are delayed for more than 2 or 3 hours.

Answer 4

"Biman" airlines? Sounds like "Air Maybe" to me...

In the US on major carriers, if the delay is their fault or if they are overbooked then the airline will traditionally give some kind of compensation. Not sure about this outfit though...

Answer 5

Many airlines will ONLY compensate you if their flight gets cancelled or if the delay makes you loose your connexion.

In those cases, most airlines will offer you a voucher, which you can trade for a later flight, they could also offer you a refund (even if your ticket is non refundable), and some others will offer hotel and free dinners.

Source(s):

mexicana airlines sales agent :]

Answer 6

No.
they only have to take care of you. Also this happens only when you are holding a boarding card.

Answer 7

Airlines should provide you with food and drink vouchers up after the flights are delayed by a certain period of time (im not sure how long this is as it can vary from airline to airline). Once a longer or over night delay is incurred or expected, airlines should provide you with accomadation, as well as food and drink vouchers.

If you are looking for compensation, you will need to claim through your travel insurance provider. The airline should give you a detailed letter whilst you are waiting advising of the delay, the expected duration, the cause etc.

Have you tried ringing the airline directly? If you do you will need to know the flight number on which your family are travelling. They should know more about what has happened.

You should be able to find the airlines phone number by searching via a search engine. If that doesnt work, ring your local travel agency, and ask for the phone number, they should have it, or know where to find it.

Hope that helps

Source(s):

Im a travel agent

Answer 8

No. Only for cancelled flights or denied boarding.
Your passenger rights can be found here.

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catego…

Source(s):

Tried it when we were delayed!

Answer 9

In europe it is possible to claim compensation and infact most airlines are oblidged to give the paper work to you on request. Airlines outside europe sometimes have a different approach, some arranging hotels and some leaving you to look after yourself. My advice is always book a large airline say lufthansa or BA and again travel insurence is a must. Check with your booking agent and tell them you shall not use them again unless you are happy with their response. sorry to hear about your familys delays and good luck
T.