We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.

mayo, ireland
Level Contributor
633 posts
27 reviews
23 helpful votes
does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

Hi all, flight canceled, no email, no text. Discovered it myself and called the airline. No notification by airline, confirmed by the agent. He gave me my options, I consulted dh, rang back to rebook. This was Friday, due to fly next Friday.

While on the phone, get a call to my mobile, random woman asking did I know my flight was canceled! Coincidence? She didn't identify herself in any way, although I must assume she was aer lingus. Does this qualify as notification? If so, I have missed out on claiming under EU reg 261, by about an hour!

Leeds, United...
Destination Expert
for Leeds, Bradford
Level Contributor
33,873 posts
358 reviews
1,180 helpful votes
1. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

How much later than your original flight is your rescheduled flight? I don't understand what you mean when you say you've missed out by an hour on claiming under eu261 - do you mean you now arrive at your destination an hour later?

Portland, Oregon
Level Contributor
37,406 posts
7 reviews
16 helpful votes
2. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

If you booked through an agent then the airline's duty of information is to the agent and it's the agent's responsibility to inform you.

Now, if EI has your contact details I'd say that as a courtesy they should contact you directly and promptly but officially the responsibility is as above.

If the flight was canceled more than two weeks out then there's no compensation due, though obligations for rebooking and rerouting and (where applicable) duty of care come into play.

I appreciate that EI's online system is crappy (you can't access MMB) when flights are booked through an agent and if rebookings are required (I've seen that) but I don't think you have a compensation claim, unless the cancelation is within 14 days and they can't meet a delay threshold window (three hours, the sum if how much earlier you have to fly and how much later you arrive).

Best of luck with your rebooked flights (via JFK now right?) and have a great trip.

Edited: 8 years ago
Brisbane, Australia
Level Contributor
3,529 posts
3. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

' If so, I have missed out on claiming under EU reg 261, by about an hour!'

Sorry but sounds like you would have rather claimed the compensation.

UK
Level Contributor
49,560 posts
82 reviews
193 helpful votes
4. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

I presume the OP means that the call came through 14 days plus 1 hour before the flight was due.

So no doubt are contacting her more than 14 days ahead to avoid having to pay the comp. Thugh one hour seems to be cutting it to the bone!

And to answer her final question, of course the airline contacting you certainly qualifies as them contacting you!! Why would you think it didn't???

London, United...
Level Contributor
27,179 posts
25 reviews
47 helpful votes
5. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

I'm a bit lost as well. When you say she did not say who she was, did you not think to ask? Anyway, you knew it was cancelled and it was done so within the required time period, so no comp is due.

Is that your issue, if it was cancelled the next day comp would have been due?

London, United...
Level Contributor
27,179 posts
25 reviews
47 helpful votes
6. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

And no they don't have to prove they contacted you, you were already rebooked so it's oretty clear you knew.

mayo, ireland
Level Contributor
633 posts
27 reviews
23 helpful votes
7. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

We arrive more than two hours later than originally scheduled. We would be compensated if notified less than 7 days in advance of the flight.

This phone call, which came 10 minutes after I contacted them, was at approx 10.30am. If it was another hour or so later, it would have been inside the 7 day period.

They suspended the route for ten days, on the 9th of march, and called me on the 27th. During that period, I had four other emails from them, advertising other flights, pushing car hire etc. but they couldn't email me about my flight? This was not a last minute thing, it was planned in advance. They pulled the plane and sent it to service a route from Dublin.

There was nothing on their website and as I made a change with them over the phone previously, this bars me from using manage my booking. Apart from calling them every day, I don't know how else I could have found out. They sent me an email on the 6th, to remind me of my upcoming flight, asking if I wanted to upgrade, order meals etc. and by the 8th the flight was gone.

To be honest, we have our new flight, we will get where we are going. I won't be applying for compensation, but I'm still annoyed at how useless they are. At least we found out before rocking up to check in!

Lancashire, United...
Destination Expert
for Playa Blanca
Level Contributor
52,960 posts
51 reviews
86 helpful votes
8. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

If I can't log in to my booking for any reason, I just do dummy bookings on the airlines website to check the times (or anything) hasn't changed.

If you're flight is cancelled you're entitled to compensation if you are notified less than 14 days in advance of the cancelled flight.

Ware, United Kingdom
Level Contributor
2,576 posts
66 reviews
59 helpful votes
9. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

"If you're flight is cancelled you're entitled to compensation if you are notified less than 14 days in advance of the cancelled flight."

Even if they rebook you on a flight that arrives two hours later than the original?

Lancashire, United...
Destination Expert
for Playa Blanca
Level Contributor
52,960 posts
51 reviews
86 helpful votes
10. Re: does an airline have to prove they contacted you, re EU reg.
Save

<<Even if they rebook you on a flight that arrives two hours later than the original?>>

You're right. My bad for not reading properly :(

If they were given more than 7 days notice and depart no more than two hours earlier than scheduled, and arrive no more than four hours later than scheduled, then no compensation due.

© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.