New research from money.co.uk reveals that 70% of delayed passengers dont claim for flight delays - something they are entitled to do if their flight is delayed by three hours or more - over the last six years.
Of those that claimed, 73% went directly to the airline but 27% claimed via a claims management or legal company, losing up to a third of any compensation paid out which, for a family of four, this could cost up to ?552.
The survey also found that 71% of those that went directly to the airline were successful; almost two thirds (64%) of these received payment from the airline but 7% had to escalate their claim to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to secure compensation.
Conversely, 29% had their claim declined by the airline, one in ten of these didn?t know how to escalate their case and 6% simply ?couldn?t be bothered?. Results also revealed that half of those surveyed are completely unaware that under EC regulation 261/2004 you can make a claim for at fault flight delays of three hours or more up to six years after they take place; just 30% of those surveyed have made a claim leaving 70% potentially eligible.
Hannah Maundrell, the company's editor in chief, said: ?Airlines make it really easy to lodge a claim and you don?t even have to call them ? most allow you to do it online. As the process is generally so simple, there?s no point paying a middle man; lodge the claim yourself and you should get to keep every penny.
?This isn?t about chasing compensation for minor inconveniences. If your travel plans have seriously been affected and the airline was at fault, you can and should ask for the compensation you?re entitled to. If the airline wasn?t to blame then look to your travel insurance instead.?
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