ECC Romania – a department within ANPC that handles and amicably resolves cross-border complaints – makes a series of useful recommendations, if you choose, during the winter holidays, to travel by plane within the European Union.
Authorities have a number of recommendations for holiday air travel
Before confirming your booking, please check your options as you do not have a 14-day right of withdrawal to cancel a flight booked online.
- Don’t be swayed by low price offers or mentions of the number of people checking the same flight and the number of seats left.
- Check the booked flight date, name, surname and date of birth.
- Find out if your baggage is included in the ticket price.
- If you book several separate flights, allow plenty of time for connections.
- Check where the departure and arrival airports are in relation to your original point of departure and final destination, so you can plan your transportation to and from the airport ahead of time.
Beware of hidden fees on plane tickets! In theory, airlines, travel agencies and intermediaries selling flights departing from the EU must specify the final price (including all taxes) to be paid from the start of the booking process. However, in practice, a number of hidden fees related to additional options can inflate the price of a plane ticket. These include cancellation insurance, extra baggage surcharges, airport check-in and seat number selection.
Passenger rights
The rights of passengers in the event of incidents related to scheduled air travel are:
Flight delay
In case of flight delay, passengers are entitled to soft drinks and two phone calls/SMS.
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If the delay requires an overnight stay, the airline is obliged to provide free accommodation and transport between the airport and the place of accommodation.
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If the delay exceeds three hours when you arrive at your destination you can benefit from financial compensation, which must be requested.
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If the delay exceeds five hours, you have the right to abandon the journey and request a full refund of the ticket price.
Flight cancellation
In case of flight cancellation, the airline must offer the option of refunding the unused ticket or rerouting to the final destination. If you opt for rerouting, it must be done as soon as possible, and the costs of necessary meals and accommodation during the waiting time will be covered by the company. Depending on the flight distance and specific circumstances, you may be eligible for financial compensation.
Refusal of boarding
In situations where passengers are refused boarding, although they comply with all the conditions imposed (valid reservation and on time presentation at check-in), they have the right to assistance, reimbursement and compensation, similar to those provided for delays and cancellations.
Where you can make complaints
If you want more information, depending on your situation, you can use the Compensation Calculator – Air Passenger Rights available on the ECC Romania website.
For any of these situations, the European Consumer Center Romania – ECC Romania recommends that you first try an amicable solution with the airline. If this is not possible or if your rights are not respected, you can file a complaint, using the form available on the website www.eccromania.ro.
ECC Romania is part of the Network of European Consumer Centers (ECC-Net) which includes 29 centers from all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway. The centers provide free and personalized information, advice and assistance to consumers who have problems with cross-border transactions carried out in another country within the Network.
