We were supposed to fly to Norway with SAS, but my flight was canceled the day before I left due to a pilot strike.
The ticket will be refunded to me, but what about the other services already reserved and paid for?
Is the company required to reimburse us for all amounts lost through its fault?
Question from Olivier
Dear reader,
With already more than 25,000 flight cancellations scheduled for August worldwide, your question is relevant.
The prospect of a carefully planned vacation falling through is a nightmare for many travellers;
that of not being reimbursed in the event of cancellation of his flight is all the more so.
As you indicate in your question, your outbound flight will be reimbursed.
Be aware that in addition to the reimbursement of this ticket, the company must pay you a lump sum compensation (approximately 400 euros for Norway), as provided for by European regulation 261/2004 of February 11, 2004 [in the event of a canceled flight less two weeks before the departure date, the injured passenger is entitled to obtain compensation ranging from 250 to 600 euros depending on the number of kilometers separating the outward journey from the
Read alsoCascade flight cancellations this summer: how to get a refund for your ticket?
The choice of mediator or litigation
If this compensation is welcome, it is often not enough to cover all the expenses already advanced (hotels and activities to be done on site).
And unfortunately, the company is not required to reimburse everything.
But two appeals are possible: the first consists of contacting the Tourism and Travel mediator, as explained to us by Emmanuelle Llop, lawyer specializing in air tourism law at the law firm Equinoxe: "
Any traveler can contact the mediator of the tourism in the event of a dispute with an airline.
On the other hand, it must be a member of an organization that has signed the charter for the mediation of tourism and travel
".
This procedure must be initiated within a maximum period of one year after the cancellation of the flight in question and a notice is sent to the aggrieved consumer within 90 days of the admissibility of the request.
It is also possible to embark on the development of a legal procedure, which is a little more tedious: “
In the event of a dispute, you must be ready to embark on a longer procedure
” adds Emmanuelle Llop.
The passenger must then turn to a competent local court in the matter, and his dispute with the company must not exceed 10,000 euros.
It is therefore possible to have your ground services reimbursed in the event of cancellation of your flight, but the remedies are not automatic and will surely require time and patience.
Read alsoTourism: how to protect yourself well abroad?
9 travel insurances scrutinized
ASK US YOUR QUESTIONS
Do you have a travel-related question?
Do you need help organizing a future trip?
Are you running out of ideas for your next vacation?
The editorial staff of
Le Figaro Voyage
mobilizes with the most qualified experts to answer your questions.
You can send them to redactionvoyage@lefigaro.fr
