Flight delays are a common problem that affect the plans of millions of passengers every year. They can lead to significant material losses and can easily ruin perfectly planned holidays. So, in this guide, we’re going to explain how to use the free flight delay checker and why it’s an important part of determining your delay compensation eligibility.
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Submit ClaimIf you’re about to begin your trip, you can check the status of your flight by using different delayed flight checkers. This will give you live updates about any delays or cancellations prior to the departure time. And if you find that the flight is or was actually delayed then our tool will give you an idea of whether or not you are eligible for flight delay compensation.
So how do you check to see if and why your flight is delayed? You can use one of these flight tracking tools: FlightAware, FlightStats, and Flightradar24.
Their main goal is to offer detailed live flight data, terminal information, seat maps, and alerts for gate changes.
These apps - easily downloadable to your smartphone, tablet, or even smartwatch - not only track your flight and warn of delays. They also perform the function of a free flight delay checker.
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What Is a Flight Delay Checker
The flight delay checker is a little bit different from the disrupted flights list. This tool allows you to search for any flight that you’ve had to see if it’s eligible for any kind of delay compensation from the airline. You can check flights that were delayed an hour ago or several years ago, and it will tell you if and how much compensation you could claim.
Why is it important?
The flight delay checker is an important tool because many passengers will experience flight delays but they’re unsure whether their specific flight meets the criteria needed for delay compensation.
It saves you the trouble of figuring out passenger rights regulations
The rules that determine eligibility can be complex, and if you’re in a hurry or stressed, you might not want to untangle the specifics. And why should you when you can simply enter your departure and arrival airports and find out instantly if your flight meets the requirements.
It allows you to check if past flight delays are eligible
Many people only learn about passenger rights regulations like EU261 and UK261 a year or so after they had a delay. Because so much time has passed, it’s hard to remember the details of the disruption like the reasons behind the delay. This information is vital for determining your compensation eligibility. But when you use Flight Delay Checker, you don’t have to remember every little detail. All you have to remember are the basics of your flight: Where you were travelling to and from and you’ll get an estimate of how much you could get per person in compensation.
How to Check Your Flight Compensation for Free
One of the best parts of this tool is that it’s free, but it’s also very easy to use!
STEP 1
All you have to do is enter your departure and arrival airports, as seen below, and click ‘check flight’.
STEP 2
You’ll get your estimated compensation amount instantly! We say estimated because you may be owed more depending on your specific details including reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.
STEP 3
Now, simply click the ‘Claim Now’ button and you’ll be taken to the next screen as seen below. At this point, we will walk you through a series of questions about your flight like:
- Did you have any connecting flights
- Your scheduled departure date and time
- How long were you delayed at your final destination, etc.
How to Check if a Past Flight Was Delayed?
Flight tracking apps allow you to access the historical flight status and see if you are entitled to compensation. Here you can find all methods to retrieve old flight details.
Remember! You can claim flight delay compensation for the travels done up to 3 years back.
Most airlines have built-in tools to help identify potential air travel delays.
When Are You Entitled to Compensation?
Flight delay compensation regulation is enforced by the EU Regulation 261/2004 or by UK 261, depending on where you’re travelling.
Both sets of regulations state that passengers on flights on an EU or UK airline, or those departing from an EU or UK airport could be able to claim as much as €600 (£520) for delayed flights.
If you arrived at your final destination 3 or more hours later than your scheduled arrival time AND if the airline is at fault for the delay, then you are eligible for compensation. The exact amount is determined by the delay time and the distance of your flight.
So, if you would like to submit a delay compensation claim, be sure to gather all your flight-related documents including:
- Flight numbers, dates, and times
- Boarding pass
- Booking receipt
- Any receipts for out-of-pocket expenses
Compensation Amounts
Flight delay compensation amounts basically depend on the distance of the whole flight from the point of departure to the point of the final destination.
Here are the flight delay compensation amounts prescribed by the EU Regulation 261/2004:
- €250 (£220): for all flights less than 1,500km, ex. London - Berlin
- €400 (£350): for all internal EU flights over 1,500km, ex. London - Athens
- €400 (£350): for all non-internal EU flights between 1,500km - 3,500km, ex. London - Kyiv
- €600 (£520): for all non-internal EU flights over 3,500km, ex. London - New York
The compensation amounts may vary according to the possible flight delays scenario. You can check your compensation amount with our free flight delay compensation calculator. These compensation amounts are valid for cases of flight cancellation or missed connection.
In order to be eligible for flight delay compensation, you must check-in and arrive at the gate on time.
How to Find Out Why Your Flight Is Delayed
Flight delays happen for many different reasons which is why it’s so important to find out what caused the delay. Be sure to ask airline staff the reason behind the disruption. This is important because whatever caused the delay will also determine whether or not you can get compensated.
If the airline could have controlled the events leading to the delay, then you can get compensated, but if it was the result of extraordinary circumstances like air traffic control issues or severe weather, then you won’t be eligible.
Scheduling issues, operational problems, insufficient crew, and airline maintenance are all situations that the airline can control, so if your delay stemmed from one of these situations, you will likely be eligible for delay compensation.
Delays Caused by Bad Weather
If your flight is delayed because of a storm, dense fog, high winds, ice, or a blizzard, you may not be able to collect compensation because these events are clearly beyond the airline’s control.
But sometimes airlines will use the excuse of severe weather to avoid paying passengers the compensation they’re due. Because of this, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) created an aviation ombudsman scheme that can force airlines to pay passengers delay compensation.
What to Do in Case of Flight Delays?
Whenever you experience a delay, follow these steps:
- inquire about the reason of the delay (get some written proof of delay);
- ask for complimentary meals and drinks;
- ask for a free hotel room and transportation (if necessary);
- ask for access to baby care facilities (for passengers travelling with children under 7 years old);
- hold onto your boarding pass, e-Ticket, and other travel documents - they will be useful in claiming your flight delay compensation;
- hold onto the receipts of any extra expenses you may have while waiting for the delayed flight (meals, personal hygiene items, etc.);
- do not sign any waivers or other documents - you may lose your right to flight delay compensation.
Be prepared by learning more about your right to compensation in case of flight delay.
How Can AirAdvisor Help You to Claim Compensation?
This sort of gray area we mentioned above with weather-related flight delays can cause a lot of frustration for passengers fighting huge airlines on their own. But you can always let AirAdvisor handle your delay claim even if you’ve already started it. We can facilitate the entire process so you don’t have to worry over the details or stress about the intricacies of submitting a claim. Our legal team makes it easy for you!
Our company has more than 7 years of experience defending air passenger rights for clients around the globe. In fact, more than 400,000 have trusted AirAdvisor with their claims. We also have a 98% win rate, but best of all, we work on a no-win, no-fee basis and our rates are lower than any other service in the industry.
Get started with your claim today!
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Tools to Help You Out
See our list of FREE tools in the links below:
Resources & Additional Reading
Some extra resources to help you better understand flight delay compensation:
- Delayed Flight Compensation Claim Deadlines
- What are Delay Reversals?
- Should I Accept Cash or Vouchers for a Delayed Flight?
- Business Trip Flight Delay Guide
Flight Delays by Issue
Read more about the most popular flight delay causes:
- Flight Delay due to Weather
- Flight Delay due to Diversion
- Flight Delay due to Aircraft Maintenance
- Flight Delay due to Overfueling
- Flight Delay due to Extraordinary Circumstances
FAQ
How to check if your flight is delayed?
There are multiple ways to do it: you can check on the airport or airline website or on a flight tracking app.
How long can a flight be delayed?
There is no standard maximum flight delay time. Airlines usually delay flights for up to 24 hours. After 3 hours, you are entitled to compensation and after 5 you can even ask for a ticket refund.
Does the flight tracker give you real time results?
Yes, most flight tracking apps give you real-time data. This means you can easily track if your flight will be delayed or on time.
Which flight tracker is best?
There's no one flight tracker that is the best. To decide which one is most useful to you try reading several reviews.
Flight Delay Compensation Calculator:
Check if you are entitled to flight delay compensation in just 3 minutes.
