Getting an upgrade for your flight sounds like a dream come true, especially if it is a long-haul flight. Who wouldn’t want to fly more comfortably? Naturally, business or first-class tickets are more expensive than economy class. Because of this, you might think that if you paid more, you deserve more compensation. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Premium Tickets And EU261 Regulation Compensation
Imagine this: you have an economy class ticket and were denied boarding because the flight was overbooked. The airline has rebooked you on a new flight for business class. Of course, you are entitled to compensation due to denied boarding, but this does not mean that the compensation amount will change just because you have a better ticket.
Another scenario, you have a business class ticket, your flight was cancelled, and the airline has rebooked you to another flight, also with business class. You may be entitled to compensation for the cancellation, but the price of the ticket has nothing to do with it.
Was Your Flight Disrupted?
Turn your delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight into a compensation up to €600!
People often emphasise how much their tickets cost, expecting greater compensation. However, the price does not matter at all. Under EU261 Regulation, compensation amounts are fixed and are based on the distance of the flight, and they apply to all types of tickets. So it doesn’t matter if your tickets cost 30 EUR or 300 EUR, the compensation amount will remain the same.
Although there are other perks that you can enjoy if you have a premium ticket! In case of disruptions, you will be given priority rebooking, which means you will be rebooked faster in comparison to passengers flying in economy class. You can also have access to airport lounges where you can comfortably wait for your alternative flight. Airlines are required under EU261 to provide accommodation, transport, and meals in case of long delays; premium passengers often get better quality accommodations or faster access to them. However, travel disruptions may also involve baggage-related problems, so it is important to know what to do if your luggage is missing or damaged during your journey.
Premium tickets do not change the compensation amount, but they change in how you are treated.
What About Downgrades?
Let’s talk about downgrading. Airlines downgrading you to a lower class is also possible. It can happen for various reasons. Aircraft might be swapped with a smaller one with fewer premium seats, overselling business or first-class seats in anticipation of no-shows, and some passengers may be downgraded because of this: some seats, including premium cabins, might be blocked for safety or weight distribution. Unlike upgrades, there is a monetary loss incurred when you are downgraded. In case of a downgrade, you are entitled to compensation.
Here is what you can expect from the airline if the only issue with your flight is a downgrade:
- 30% of the ticket price for all flights of 1500 km or less, or
- 50% of the ticket price for all flights within the EU of more than 1500 km, and all other flights between 1500 and 3500 km, or
- 75% of the ticket price for all flights not falling under A or B.
Was Your Flight Disrupted?
Turn your delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight into a compensation up to €600!
Keep in mind that you can only request this compensation if you’ve been involuntarily downgraded. If you volunteer to downgrade or accept vouchers from the airline, this will be seen as a voluntary downgrade, which means that you are no longer entitled to compensation.
What’s important is that if, for example, your flight was cancelled, and you paid for a premium ticket, but you were rebooked on a flight where only economy class is available. You are entitled to compensation for the downgrade and might be entitled to disrupted flight compensation.
In short, if your flight is not disrupted, you can only request compensation for the downgrade, but if your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours, was cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure date or in case of denied boarding due to overbooking, you may request downgrade and disrupted flight compensation.
If you are not sure if you are eligible for compensation or not, you can always check by filing a claim at Skycop.com. Professionals will evaluate your claim and will fight for your rights if there is a chance of obtaining compensation!
