"We apologize for the inconvenience" is a typical response from airlines when a flight is delayed or cancelled. But for European departures at least you might also be able to claim flight delay or Hainan Airlines cancellation compensation under a law known as EC 261. You could be owed as much as $700 (€600) per person.
Click below to find out how much Hainan Airlines flight compensation you're owed and how we can help you get it.
While Hainan Airlines isn't a European airline, whenever they fly in Europe they comply with European regulations. That is good news for any passenger affected by a flight cancellation, as a last-minute cancellation of a European departure may entitle them to a fair Hainan Airlines compensation payout.
With any Hainan Airlines flight cancellation, you'll be offered an alternative flight to your destination, or a full refund if that's what you'd prefer. But in addition, if your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before you were due to depart a European airport, EU laws say passengers may be entitled to up to $700 per person in compensation.
If Hainan Airlines was able to offer you an alternative flight that would land at a very similar time to your original, they won't have to pay you compensation. They would also be exempt from paying compensation if there were extraordinary circumstances which made the cancellation necessary. That means anything that is beyond the airline's control, for example, bad weather, a medical emergency, or some form of disruptive event affecting the airport.
Because there are these exceptions, the easiest way to check if you're owed Hainan Airlines cancelled flight compensation is to use our free compensation calculator.
If you've been on a late flight departing from a European airport, it's worth checking if you're owed Hainan Airlines flight delay compensation. That's because under EU law, flights that are delayed by 3 hours or more might be eligible for up to $700 per person in compensation from their airline.
It doesn't matter where you were flying to — what does matter is your arrival time. For compensation, it is the time that you arrived in your destination that's significant, not the time that you took off. So even if you technically departed on time, if you arrived at your destination more than 3 hours late, you may be eligible for compensation.
One important exclusion is for those Hainan Airlines flight delays that are caused by extraordinary circumstances. This refers to situations that are outside of the airline's control. Common examples are delays caused by bad weather or an air traffic control strike. Because the airline cannot prevent these delays, they shouldn't have to pay compensation for them.
But if the delay is due to something they can control — such as a strike by Hainan Airlines staff, or a maintenance issue, then you're entitled to submit a flight delay compensation Hainan Airlines claim.
Europe's air passenger rights, EC 261, are among the most comprehensive in the world. They are designed to ensure airlines like Hainan Airlines take appropriate care of their passengers and compensate passengers fairly when their journeys are disrupted by flight delays, cancellations, or overbookings.
All passengers on a flight departing from a European airport are covered by EC 261. However, as Hainan Airlines is not a European airline, they do not need to pay EC 261 compensation when they are flying outside of Europe, or even on flights to Europe if the departure airport is outside the EU.
Covered by EC 261 | |
---|---|
Flights departing EU airports | ✔️ Yes |
Flights arriving at EU airports | ❌ No |
Distance | Compensation |
---|---|
All flights under 1,500 km | Up to €250 per person |
Internal EU flights over 1,500 km | Up to €400 per person |
Non-internal EU flights between 1,500 - 3,500 km | Up to €400 per person |
Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km | Up to €600 per person |
Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261
All paying passengers are treated equally by EC 261. It doesn't matter where a passenger is from, whether they are an adult or a child, or how much they paid for their ticket — the compensation amounts are the same.
As you might expect with any law, there are exceptions and special circumstances that can affect how much compensation is owed in every individual case. AirHelp makes it simple to check what you’re owed with our free compensation calculator.
SmartWings reimbursement
Danish Air Transport refund and reimbursement
Mcs Aerocarga refund and reimbursement
Azul Airlines reimbursement
China Airlines refund and reimbursement
AB Aviation reimbursement
Cubana refund and reimbursement
Volaris refund and reimbursement
Air Italy S.P.A. reimbursement
Aegean Airlines refund and reimbursement
Linear Air refund and reimbursement
Wind Rose Aviation refund and reimbursement
Chair Airlines refund and reimbursement
EasyJet Reimbursement
Pakistan International Airlines reimbursement
Nesma Airlines refund and reimbursement
Sun Air refund and reimbursement
Czech Airlines reimbursement
Portugalia refund and reimbursement
Iraqi Airways refund and reimbursement
AMC Airlines refund and reimbursement
Peoples Vienna Line refund and reimbursement
Air Greenland refund and reimbursement
Aer Lingus reimbursement
Edelweiss Air reimbursement
Norwegian Long Haul refund and reimbursement
Aurigny Air Services refund and reimbursement
Turkish Airlines reimbursement
GOL reimbursement
Freebird Airlines refund and reimbursement
AirHelp has been featured in:
AirHelp is a part of the Association of Passenger Rights Advocates (APRA) whose mission is to promote and protect passengers’ rights.
Copyright © 2023 AirHelp