Airplane User Rights
I do not know if you have been one of the thousands of passengers who have experienced in recent times all the inconveniences that arise when traveling by plane, from the delay and even the cancellation of flights, as well as undue charges or modifications of fares; where the main causes that the airlines have said that have caused these inconveniences are the weather, the overbooking made, the large number of operations and flights that are in the airports, among others, making your trip become a nightmare; By giving those excuses, the airlines disclaim any responsibility and leave you adrift; how many of you have not happened to the flight that the flight is canceled, they put you on the next flight that is the next day and they do not pay you the accommodation, and although it is well known that they have the obligation to provide you with the accommodation or any additional expense that is generated by said modification (for which you are not responsible) they hide behind saying that there is no supervisor who authorizes such payment, so you end up staying in the waiting rooms because in the end you must take the flight that takes you back home, to close a business or to a medical appointment; or you arrive at the airport and they make you pay X amount for issuance of the boarding pass, because you carry a stroller, wheelchair, security fee for carrying an infant, etc. So many complaints from users generated investigations to really determine who is responsible for these inconveniences, which led to the reform of the Civil Aviation Law, which as of today comes into force with new provisions regarding the Rights of Users traveling by plane, And you may wonder what these rights consist of?, because some of the rights are the following: Passengers with Disabilities : They must allow them to board without conditions and be transported according to the security measures established for their handling, likewise, they will be able to carry with them what is necessary for their displacement or mobility without generating any charge Modifications: They must inform the passenger by telephone, email, text message or any electronic means at least 24 hours. before the scheduled time of departure of any possible modification that is generated in his trip, providing him with the possible options so that he can choose the one that suits him best; In the event that the modifications are within 24 hrs. Prior to departure, they must notify it once they are certain that the changes are inevitable, without exempting them from the responsibility they have with Free Infant passengers : Any adult may carry under their care a child under 2 years of age (infant) without occupying a seat and without free baggage; without paying any fee, so the airlines must issue in favor of the infant the ticket and boarding pass corresponding, likewise, they may carry a stroller for transportation free of charge Baggage allowance: For National and International flights, the passenger may transport at least 25 kg. of luggage without charge when the flights are made in aircraft with capacity for twenty passengers or more and 15 kg. of baggage when flights are operated on smaller aircraft. Likewise, the passenger may carry up to two pieces of hand luggage in the cabin. The dimensions of each will be up to 55 centimeters long by 40 centimeters wide by 25 centimeters high, and the weight of both should not exceed ten kilograms Connections or Segments: When buying round trip or connecting tickets, they can be available in particular, that is, Airlines may not deny boarding to a flight if the passenger did not use any of the segments of the route in total, for this, the passenger must inform the airline 24 hours. counted from the time of the connection or flight not taken, which will make use of subsequent flights Right to cancel the trip: the passenger may cancel his flight and request a refund of the corresponding amount as long as this cancellation is made within 24 hours. counted from the purchase of the same without charge, after that time the airlines will determine the cancellation conditions Overbooking: When there is overbooking , airlines must request volunteers to renounce boarding in exchange for benefits that they agree directly with the passenger Compensation for Flight Delays: Due to delays in flight departures, airlines must compensate the passenger If the delay is more than one hour and less than four, it must include at least discounts for flights at a later date to the contracted destination and / or food and beverages If the delay is greater than two hours but less than four, The discounts included in the compensation policies may not be less than 7.5% of the ticket price If the delay is greater than four hours, the passenger will be compensated and the compensation that applies is the one that corresponds to cancellation of the flight In any case, airlines must offer facilities to waiting passengers to make phone calls and send emails Flight Cancellation Compensation: In the event that the airline cancels a flight, it must a) Refund the ticket price or the proportion corresponding to the unrealized part of the trip b) Offer substitute transportation on the first available flight and provide, at a minimum and free of charge, access to telephone calls and sending emails; food in accordance with the waiting time until boarding on another flight; Accommodation in an airport or city hotel when an overnight stay is required and, in the latter case, ground transportation to and from the airport c) Transport on the later date that suits the passenger to the destination for which the flight has been canceled In the cases of subparagraphs a) and c), they must also cover compensation to the affected passenger that will not be less than 25% of the price of the ticket or The unrealized part of the trip Compensation must be paid in a period not exceeding 10 calendar days after your claim, with the exception of lodging and food services, which must be covered at the time. According to the new Civil Aviation Law, in no case will it be possible to pardon, pardon or any figure that implies the non-payment of compensation, compensation or sanctions established Landing at a different destination: If by fortuitous event or force majeure, the airline must make a landing in a place other than the destination, You must transfer the passenger by the fastest means of transport available to the place of final destination Pets : The transport of domestic animals will be carried out observing at all times a humane treatment, understanding as humane treatment the set of measures that seek to reduce tension, suffering, pain and the production of trauma during the movement of animals Loss or breakdown of luggage: The compensation for the destruction or damage of hand luggage will be up to eighty Units of Measure and Update. For the loss or damage of checked baggage, the compensation will be equivalent to the sum of one hundred and fifty Units of Measure and Update Additional Services : Airlines may offer additional services at the time of purchase to passengers, but these services should not be conditions for obtaining it, so from the beginning the total price of the ticket must be shown including taxes Passenger service modules: Airlines must have a passenger service module in each of the terminals where they operate; may implement electronic procedures in order to streamline the processes of passenger service and its follow-up, as long as they report in a clear and timely manner on their operation and, if required, provide the necessary support for their use. Let's hope that these modifications really benefit the thousands of users of the airlines and are nothing more than something that remains only on paper, That way a better service will be achieved and why not say it, the number of people who prefer to travel by plane will also be increased If you require more Czech information:
