Yzabelle Bostyn
A COUPLE have been awarded €1,700 after their flight was overbooked and their replacement was cancelled.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz residents were due to board a Vueling flight from Gran Canaria to Barcelona on December 10 2022, but were turned away due to overbooking.
They were given a replacement flight which was cancelled after they had waited 12 hours in the airport.
The couple were forced to spend the night in a hotel, paying for dinner and breakfast.
During the ordeal, Vueling reportedly did not offer any assistance and did not respond to requests for reimbursement after the fact.
The pair sought help from Facua Euskadi, the Basque Country’s consumer rights organisation.
Over two years later, the couple won their case, getting a hefty €1,7003,44: €103,44 for the waiting costs, €800 in compensation for the first overbooked flight and another €800 for the second cancelled flight.
Vueling did not make the process easy, forcing Facua to request the funds from the airline three times.
At first, Vueling refused to give the compensation for the second flight, saying it formed part of the same journey (it went to the same destination).
Facua resisted, saying it was a ‘clear violation of European law’ not to compensate passengers affected by cancelled flights, forcing Vueling to give in.
They refer to EU Regulation CE 261/2004 (February 11), which establishes compensation and help for passengers in case of denied boarding, cancellation or large delays of flights.
In the couple’s case, the flight exceeded 1.500 km, meaning they were entitled to €400 compensation for each flight and ticket, reaching a total of €1,600.
“The airline should also offer free accommodation, food, and drink for the time they are waiting. They should also provide transport to and from the airport,” said Facua.
