Top 5 legal rights every airline passenger should know

Jan 16 2025 MFR travel team

Even if you are a frequent flyer, or an occasional traveller, it’s truly important to be aware of your passenger rights. By having this knowledge, it can be very helpful when your flight plans don’t go according to the plan. But understanding your rights is especially important when your flight gets delayed, cancelled, or other issues come your way. We would like to introduce you to the top 5 legal rights that every passenger should be aware of.

1. The right to compensation (EC261)

Under the European EC261 regulation, if passengers are flying within, from, or the EU with an EU-based airline, are entitled to compensation for significant delays or cancellations that are only within the airline’s control. Here is an easy breakdown to the regulations:

• Delayed flights: If your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, you may be entitled to compensation, depending on your flight's distance.
• Cancelled flights: If your flight is cancelled within 14 days of departure and the airline fails to offer an alternative flight, you’re entitled to compensation, ranging from €250 to €600.

Your passenger rights also include the option to choose between full refund, or rebooking the delay or cancellation is unacceptable. Those rights apply only specifically to EU-regulated flights, but also other countries have similar laws and protections. Better check if your destination is a passenger-friendly regulations!

2. The right to assistance during long delays

Let’s imagine this situation – you are stuck at the airport, because of a long flight delay. Sounds horrifying, right? Now it’s the time to remember your passenger rights that apply across the EU and many other regions:

• Food and refreshments: If your flight is delayed for over two hours or more, airline must provide you with meals and refreshment, or other form of sustenance, depending on the length of the delay and the flight distance.
• Accommodation: Your flight probably got delayed overnight. We know it is not the best outcome, but this is why the airline must provide you with accommodation for the night or cover the hotel you booked on your own and the transportation to and from the airport.
• Communication: After everything, you need to call home and let everyone know that you are okay. For this specific thing, the airline must cover your essential communication needs, such as phone calls, email or even fax, so you can stay connected.

Well, sometimes the delays happen outside of the airline’s control, such as bad weather. In that case, the airline must make sure that you are comfortable while you wait for your flight.

3. The right to rebooking or a refund

So far, we discussed what the airline must provide you with, if things don’t go according to plan. If your flight got cancelled, overbooked, or just significantly delayed, you have the right to request a full refund, or be rebooked free of charge on another flight. What to expect in that case though?

• Rebooking: Airline are required to rebook you on the next available flight to your destination. Sometimes they might even rebook you on a different airline’s flight, as long as this can get you to the destination sooner.
• Refund: Maybe you prefer to not wait to be rebooked. This is why you can aim for a full ticket refund to the unused portion of your booking. It can apply to both one-way and return tickets.

This right also covers situations where passengers are denied boarding due to overbooking, which entitles you to a choice between a full refund or alternative transport.

4. The right to luggage compensation

After we went through the whole extend of the passenger rights regarding delays, cancellations and denied boarding, now comes the topic of The Montreal Convention. What is that, you ask? This is the right for compensation for lost, delayed, or damaged luggage on international flights. Let’s see what it does include:

• Delayed luggage: Imagine your luggage is delayed. Isn’t that stressful? This is why you might be eligible for reimbursement of the essentials – clothes, toiletries, or even medication that you need while you wait for your luggage. Remember to always keep the receipts!
• Damaged luggage: Your luggage arrives on the luggage belt at the airport, but low and behold, it has damage. The airline must repair it or at least compensate you for the cost of repairs. But if your luggage is severely damaged, then you might be eligible for complete replacement.
• Lost luggage: Every passenger’s worst nightmare – the luggage is officially lost and it is also declared as such (usually within 21 days), you could very well be eligible for compensation up to 1,400€ under the Montreal Convention.

Remember one thing – you must act quick for luggage claims. As soon as you discover if your luggage is missing or damaged, report this to the airline.

5. The right to information about flight status 

The airlines are legally responsible for keeping passengers informed in case of a flight delay, cancellation or overbooking. Now, this is how the right applies:

• Clear communication: Airline must notify passengers promptly about each event related to the flight, whether cancelled, delayed or any change of your booking. They must provide you with regular updates.
• Written explanation: In any of the above-mentioned cases, the airline must always provide you with a written explanation detailing the reasons why your flight was affected by such event. Their explanation can be very important for your claim. And if the airline does not provide you with such, make sure to always ask them about clear information on your rights and options.

Extra support from MYFLYRIGHT

Understanding your passenger rights and claiming compensation can be tricky, especially if an airline isn’t meeting its legal responsibilities. MYFLYRIGHT simplifies the process by handling everything for you without any upfront costs. Whether it’s compensation for flight delays, flight cancellations, or lost luggage under EU261 or the Montreal Convention, they take care of the paperwork and negotiations, so you don’t have to. Air travel can be unpredictable, but these protections ensure fair treatment and peace of mind. If the process feels overwhelming, MYFLYRIGHT is here to help you claim what you’re entitled to, making travel less stressful.