Asserting your rights if you are denied boarding or if your flight is cancelled or delayed

Please note: in the event of cancellation or delay of your flight by the airline company due to COVID-19, you are not automatically entitled to the lump-sum compensation provided for by European Regulation EC n°261/2004 on air passenger rights (the "Regulation").

The European Commission has published guidelines for the interpretation of European provisions on travellers' rights according to which the COVID-19 pandemic may constitute an extraordinary circumstance for cancellation within the meaning of the Regulation.

Consequently, if your flight has been cancelled or delayed due to extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, the lump sum compensation provided for in the Regulation will not be owed to you by the airline. Justifications or reasons given by the airline are to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Your other rights under the Regulation remain unchanged:

  • the right to information by the airline;
  • the right to assistance (right to reimbursement or rerouting);
  • the right to coverage measures.

The Regulation does not apply to situations where the passenger decides of his or her own free will to cancel or not start the planned trip for any reason, including circumstances related to COVID-19. In this case, the contractual conditions linked to the flight ticket remain in force.

European Union (EU) action in the field of air transport aims in particular to ensure a high level of protection for passengers.

A common set of rules applies to air passenger compensation and assistance in the case of:

  • denial of boarding
  • cancellation of flights;
  • significant delay of a flight.

At the same time, there are also certain rules and a specific protection of consumers with respect to package holidays and linked travel arrangements.

Travellers whose rights have been violated can file a complaint with the airline. If the airline fails to respond or if the response to the complaint is not provided to the client's satisfaction within 2 months, the complainant should then contact the Ministry of Consumer Protection.

Who is concerned

Any traveller can assert their rights if:

  • they are denied boarding;
  • their flight is significantly delayed;
  • their flight is cancelled.

The common rules for passenger compensation and assistance apply to:

  • passengers departing from airports located within the EU;
  • passengers:
    • departing from an airport in a third country;
    • bound for an airport in the EU;
    • via an European airline.

These provisions do not apply to passengers who:

  • travel for free;
  • indirectly benefited from a reduced rate.

Prerequisites

For these rights to be applicable, travellers must:

  • have a confirmed booking for the flight in question;
  • have checked in:
    • at the time specified by the airline in advance and in writing (including electronically); or
    • if no time is specified, between 45 minutes and 2 hours before the departure time (depending on the airport).

How to proceed

Denial of boarding

Voluntarily surrendering one's booking

In case of a denial of boarding, the passenger has the possibility to accept the denial and to voluntarily waive his reservation in exchange for certain services to be agreed with the airline.

If a passenger voluntarily gives up their reservation, the airline must, in addition to the benefits to be agreed:

  • refund the passenger's ticket at the purchase price:
    • for the part(s) of the trip not made;
    • for the part(s) of the trip already made and which has/have become useless taking into account the initial travel plan (with, if applicable, a free flight to the point of departure at the earliest opportunity); or
  • re-route the passenger to their final destination by offering a replacement flight, under comparable transport conditions, at the earliest opportunity; or
  • re-route the passenger to their final destination under comparable conditions and at a later date, subject to the availability of seats.

The airline must cover the cost of transfers between 2 airports or any other close destination agreed with the passenger, if:

  • the final destination of the traveller is a city, town or area served by more than one airport;
  • the airline offers the passenger a flight to different airport than originally planned.

Opting not to surrender one's booking voluntarily

In case of denied boarding, the traveller may refuse to renounce his reservation and, therefore, not to volunteer.

In such cases, the traveller is entitled to:

  • the reimbursement of his ticket or the routing to his final destination under the same conditions as a traveller who volunteered;
  • a compensation of:
    • EUR 250 for flights up to 1,500 km;
    • EUR 400 for flights within the EU of over 1,500 km, and for all other flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km;
    • EUR 600 for flights outside the EU of over 3,500 km.

In addition, the amount of compensation to which travellers who do not voluntarily surrender their booking are entitled is reduced by 50% if they are re-routed to their final destination on a flight other than the initial flight under the following conditions:

  • for flights up to 1,500 km: if the difference between the time of arrival of the re-routed flight and the arrival time of the originally scheduled flight does not exceed 2 hours;
  • for flights within the EU of over 1,500 km, and for all other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km: if the difference between the time of arrival of the re-routed flight and the arrival time of the originally scheduled flight does not exceed 3 hours;
  • for flights outside the EU of over 3,500 km: if the difference between the time of arrival of the re-routed flight and the arrival time of the originally scheduled flight does not exceed 4 hours;

The airline must also offer travellers:

  • meals/snacks and refreshments;
  • 2 telephone calls, telexes, faxes or e-mails;
  • accommodation at a hotel (with transfer costs), in case a stay of one or more nights is required.

Cancelled flights

Compensation and assistance

If the flight is cancelled, the passenger can chose between:

  • the refund of the original ticket price; or
  • request a replacement flight under comparable conditions of transport at the earliest opportunity.

If the passenger was informed of the cancellation less than 2 weeks before the scheduled departure date, they are also entitled to a compensation which may vary between EUR 250 and 600:

  • EUR 250 for flights up to 1,500 km;
  • EUR 400 for flights within the EU of over 1,500 km, and for all other flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km;
  • EUR 600 for flights outside the EU of over 3,500 km.

Airlines are not required to pay such compensation if they are able to prove that the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances.

The passenger is also entitled to a coverage of:

  • refreshments;
  • a meal;
  • accommodation;
  • 2 free phone calls.

If the coverage has not been offered when it should have been, the passenger can claim a reimbursement of the costs incurred from the air carrier, provided that the amounts spent are:

  • necessary;
  • appropriate;
  • reasonable.

Delayed flights

If a flight is delayed, airlines are required to offer passengers certain services if they anticipate delays of:

  • 2 hours or more for flights up to 1,500 km;
  • 3 hours or more for flights within the EU of over 1,500 km, and for all other flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km;
  • 4 hours or more for flights outside the EU of over 3,500 km.
In particular, it must offer:
  • meals/snacks and refreshments;
  • 2 telephone calls, telexes, faxes or emails.

If the delay is 5 hours or more, travellers are entitled to a refund of the ticket at the purchase price:

  • for the part(s) of the trip not made;
  • for the part(s) of the trip already made and which has/have become useless taking into account the initial travel plan (with, if applicable, a free flight to the point of departure at the earliest opportunity).

Compensation offered in the event of cancellation or denied boarding must also be given to passengers whose flight is delayed for 3 hours or more, unless the airline provides evidence that the delay is due to extraordinary circumstances.

If the delay requires an overnight stay, the airline must also provide accommodation at a hotel, with the transfer costs included.

Upgrades and downgrades

If the airline assigns a passenger to:

  • a lower class than the one for which the ticket was purchased (downgrade), the passenger must be reimbursed within 7 days:
    • 30% of the ticket price for all flights of 1,500 km or less;
    • 50% of the ticket price for all flights within the EU of over 1,500 km—excluding flights between the European territories of the Member States and the French overseas departments—and for all other flights from 1,500 km to 3,500 km;
    • 75% of the ticket price for flights outside the EU of over 3,500 km;
  • a higher class than the one for which the ticket was purchased (upgrade), the carrier cannot claim any supplement for this.

Priority is given to:

  • people with special needs;
  • unaccompanied children;
  • people with reduced mobility and any person or certified guide dog accompanying them.

Disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility

A person who is disabled or has reduced mobility may not be denied boarding on account of their disability, except for:

  • safety reasons; or
  • specific technical reasons.

In this case, the person in question must be informed within 5 working days and an acceptable alternative solution must be proposed.

For organisational reasons, and to guarantee the delivery of the best possible service to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, it is strongly advised that the airport or the airline be informed of those specific needs (such as wheelchairs):

  • as precisely as possible;
  • at least 48 hours before the flight.

Lodging a complaint

Travellers who wish to file a complaint must first contact the customer service of the airline in question.

In general, airlines respond within 2 months.

In the event that the company's response is not satisfactory, the traveller can lodge a complaint with the Air Passenger Rights service of the Ministry of Consumer Protection via:

  • the online assistant for filing a complaint;
  • by downloading the complaint form and sending it, completed, dated and signed:
    • by email to: passagersaeriens@mpc.etat.lu
    • by post to:
      Ministère de la Protection des consommateurs – Droits des passagers aériens
      271, route d’Arlon
      L-1150 Luxembourg-Ville

Disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility may file a complaint with the Directorate of Civil Aviation.

Forms / Online services

Passenger rights - Complaint form

To complete your application, the information about you collected from this form needs to be processed by the public administration concerned.

That information is kept by the administration in question for as long as it is required to achieve the purpose of the processing operation(s).

Your data will be shared with other public administrations that are necessary for the processing of your application. For details on which departments will have access to the data on this form, please contact the public administration you are filing your application with.

Under the terms of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, you have the right to access, rectify or, where applicable, remove any information relating to you. You are also entitled to withdraw your consent at any time.

Additionally, unless the processing of your personal data is compulsory, you may, with legitimate reasons, oppose the processing of such data.

If you wish to exercise these rights and/or obtain a record of the information held about you, please contact the administration in question using the contact details provided on the form. You are also entitled to file a claim with the National Commission for Data Protection (Commission nationale pour la protection des données), headquartered at 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.

By submitting your application, you agree that your personal data may be processed as part of the application process.

Droits des passagers aériens: Formulaire de plainte

Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.

Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement

Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.

En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.

Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.

En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.

Fluggäste: Beschwerdeformular

Ihre in diesem Formular erfassten personenbezogenen Informationen werden von der zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörde verarbeitet, um Ihren Antrag erfolgreich abzuschließen.

Diese Informationen werden von der Behörde für den zur Verarbeitung erforderlichen Zeitraum gespeichert.

Die Empfänger Ihrer Daten sind die im Rahmen Ihres Antrags zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörden. Um die Empfänger der in diesem Formular erfassten Daten zu erfahren, wenden Sie sich bitte an die für Ihren Antrag zuständige Behörde.

Gemäß der Verordnung (EU) 2016/679 zum Schutz natürlicher Personen bei der Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten und zum freien Datenverkehr haben Sie das Recht auf Zugang, Berichtigung und gegebenenfalls Löschung Ihrer personenbezogenen Informationen. Sie haben zudem das Recht, Ihre erteilte Einwilligung jederzeit zu widerrufen.

Weiterhin können Sie, außer in Fällen, in denen die Verarbeitung Ihrer Daten verpflichtend ist, Widerspruch einlegen, wenn dieser rechtmäßig begründet ist.

Wenn Sie diese Rechte ausüben und/oder Einsicht in Ihre Informationen nehmen möchten, können Sie sich unter den im Formular angegebenen Kontaktdaten an die zuständige Verwaltungsbehörde wenden. Sie haben außerdem die Möglichkeit, bei der Nationalen Kommission für den Datenschutz Beschwerde einzulegen (Commission nationale pour la protection des données, 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux).

Wenn Sie Ihren Vorgang fortsetzen, akzeptieren Sie damit, dass Ihre personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihres Antrags verarbeitet werden.

Air passengers' rights – Complaint form

To complete your application, the information about you collected from this form needs to be processed by the public administration concerned.

That information is kept by the administration in question for as long as it is required to achieve the purpose of the processing operation(s).

Your data will be shared with other public administrations that are necessary for the processing of your application. For details on which departments will have access to the data on this form, please contact the public administration you are filing your application with.

Under the terms of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, you have the right to access, rectify or, where applicable, remove any information relating to you. You are also entitled to withdraw your consent at any time.

Additionally, unless the processing of your personal data is compulsory, you may, with legitimate reasons, oppose the processing of such data.

If you wish to exercise these rights and/or obtain a record of the information held about you, please contact the administration in question using the contact details provided on the form. You are also entitled to file a claim with the National Commission for Data Protection (Commission nationale pour la protection des données), headquartered at 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.

By submitting your application, you agree that your personal data may be processed as part of the application process.

Droits des passagers aériens - Formulaire de plainte

Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.

Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement

Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.

En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.

Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.

En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.

Fluggastrechte – Beschwerdeformular

Ihre in diesem Formular erfassten personenbezogenen Informationen werden von der zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörde verarbeitet, um Ihren Antrag erfolgreich abzuschließen.

Diese Informationen werden von der Behörde für den zur Verarbeitung erforderlichen Zeitraum gespeichert.

Die Empfänger Ihrer Daten sind die im Rahmen Ihres Antrags zuständigen Verwaltungsbehörden. Um die Empfänger der in diesem Formular erfassten Daten zu erfahren, wenden Sie sich bitte an die für Ihren Antrag zuständige Behörde.

Gemäß der Verordnung (EU) 2016/679 zum Schutz natürlicher Personen bei der Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten und zum freien Datenverkehr haben Sie das Recht auf Zugang, Berichtigung und gegebenenfalls Löschung Ihrer personenbezogenen Informationen. Sie haben zudem das Recht, Ihre erteilte Einwilligung jederzeit zu widerrufen.

Weiterhin können Sie, außer in Fällen, in denen die Verarbeitung Ihrer Daten verpflichtend ist, Widerspruch einlegen, wenn dieser rechtmäßig begründet ist.

Wenn Sie diese Rechte ausüben und/oder Einsicht in Ihre Informationen nehmen möchten, können Sie sich unter den im Formular angegebenen Kontaktdaten an die zuständige Verwaltungsbehörde wenden. Sie haben außerdem die Möglichkeit, bei der Nationalen Kommission für den Datenschutz Beschwerde einzulegen (Commission nationale pour la protection des données, 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux).

Wenn Sie Ihren Vorgang fortsetzen, akzeptieren Sie damit, dass Ihre personenbezogenen Daten im Rahmen Ihres Antrags verarbeitet werden.

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