A consumer rights body is poised to launch a website it says will assist passengers’ bid for unclaimed compensation from airlines estimated to be worth £130 million a year.
EUclaim is introducing a website with a suite of ‘do it yourself’ products in particular response to Ryanair saying that it will only deal with passenger claims directly.
Based on an average UK flight cancellation rate of 1.2%, the company estimates that 1,000 UK passengers a day are entitled to up to £476 each – amounting to £130 million in unclaimed compensation a year.
Details are due to be announced today (Tuesday) “designed to maximise assistance to air passengers” in pursuing compensation rights under EC Regulation 261/2004.
Introduced six years ago this rule is supposed to give consumers rights to compensation and assistance in the event of denied boarding, cancellations, long delays and involuntary downgrading.
Under EU law airlines can cancel flights up to two weeks before departure without paying compensation and they do not have to pay in cases of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ such as technical problems before take-off.
EUclaim says it will outline how airlines are still making it as difficult as possible to claim compensation, such as Ryanair’s ‘compensation levy’. Chief executive Hendrik Noorderhaven and director and group legal counsel Mike Rattenbury are due to provide more details in London this morning.