An AirHelp study shows that Romanians are too lazy and do not know how to apply for their rights. According to the report, over 23000 of Romanians (eligible for compensation) were affected last summer by delayed, canceled or refuse boarding flights.
Of these, only 10 000 claimed their rights under the European Directive 261 / 2004 and received damages up to € 600. More information about passengers' rights in case of canceled / delayed flights.
Over 10000 passengers received compensation
The rest of 13 000 of affected passengers have not yet taken these steps to receive their money. However, European law gives them the right to file an application for three years after the incident.
Most of them had flights departing from Bucharest, but many passengers also encountered problems in Cluj-Napoca and Iasi. At the opposite end, the passengers departed from Suceava, Satu Mare and Craiova.
Over 23 000 passengers were affected by canceled or delayed flights
Below is the table with the total number of passengers eligible for compensation, depending on the airport of departure.
AirHelp analyzed how many passengers were affected during the 15 June - 15 September 2018 flights delayed, canceled or denied boarding and are thus eligible to get compensation up to 600 euros, according to the European Directive 261 / 2004.
| Airport | Eligible passengers | Passengers who obtained compensation | Passengers who did not request compensation |
| Sibiu | 870 | 380 | 490 |
| Oradea city | 600 | 260 | 340 |
| Timisoara | 940 | 410 | 530 |
| Cluj-Napoca | 2,800 | 1.220 | 1.580 |
| Craiova | 240 | 100 | 130 |
| Bucureşti | 16.350 | 7.120 | 9.230 |
| Suceava | 70 | 30 | 40 |
| Satu Mare | 150 | 60 | 90 |
| Iaşi | 1,100 | 480 | 620 |
A survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Airhelp, the world's largest airline passenger rights organization, shows that 66% of travelers experiencing a flight break make a claim. Of these, 66% states that they received compensation.
"The eligibility of each passenger is checked in a very short time, on our website. However, it is necessary for the passenger to keep the boarding pass and other travel documents and to properly communicate our data. Thus, his file for damages must be complete ”, says Marta Koziarz, Airhelp expert in passenger rights.
Abusive clauses imposed by some airlines
Since 2013, when AirHelp was founded, the company has helped more than 13 million passengers in more than 35 countries. In 2019, several airlines, including British Airways and Easyjet, implemented an extremely incorrect and hostile clause to passengers due to the conditions it imposed.
The clause was first used by Ryanair and subsequently copied by other airlines. The controversial clause obliges the passenger that in case of a delay, in order to receive compensation, he must contact the airline himself, not through third parties.
Only after he has done this and has not received compensation, the passenger is allowed to seek legal assistance to obtain his money. AirHelp sued Ryanair in the Dutch courts for eliminating the clause and won, forcing the airline to cancel it.
"It is the first law of its kind in a country with a strong aviation industry, and the success certifies our beliefs in support of passengers who must not be restricted their rights and must have the freedom to choose. We hope that other courts across Europe will resonate with those in the Netherlands, ”says the AirHelp expert.
And in 2019, the number of those affected by canceled or delayed flights might be similar to 2018
A number of passengers affected similar to the one in 2018 are expected to apply for compensation this year, as Airhelp expects the 2019 season to be marked by many discontinued flights.
A recently announced statistic shows that Romanian airline passengers lost 2.500 vacation hours last summer due to countless delays.
Specifically, a number of 636.000 passengers faced delayed flights, of which almost 5.600 took off with a delay of more than 15 minutes, and 100 were canceled. Regarding the flights eligible for compensation (delays greater than 3 hours) during the summer season, over 23.000 passengers were affected.
Our question is: You, the rest, what do you expect? Or do you need money? 🙂 Apply for financial compensation up to 600 €!