Thanks to certain official regulations governing passenger rights, such as Regulation EU 261/2004 EC, Singapore Airlines passengers who miss their connecting flight due to a delay or cancellation can receive financial compensation. However, it should be noted that this law only applies to flights departing from European Union airports (such as Paris CDG, Milan Palpensa, Barcelona El Prat, London – Heathrow, ect).
Once the airline has sold a ticket with multiple legs, it is obligated to provide passenger care up to the final destination.
According to European Air Passenger Rights Regulation No. 261/2004, if a second flight is missed due to a delay to the first, the airline is obligated to provide passenger care. Financial compensation must be provided to passengers who miss their connection if their first flight arrives with a minimum delay of 3 hours.
Compensation ranges from €250 to €600:
- €250 for flights less than 1,500 km
- €400 for medium-haul flights less than 3,500 km
- €600 for long-haul flights more than 3,500 km
Other rights to consider
Replacement on another flight to the original destination is also possible, but delays can be longer. This is always complicated to organize, especially during periods of traffic congestion.
In this case, compensation is reduced by half if the new flight arrives at the final destination at the same time as the original flight.
Your rights at the airport
These are the rights you must claim for compensation if you find yourself stuck at the airport, either due to a flight delay or a definitive cancellation while you wait for the airline to offer you alternative transportation:
-
A meal voucher and a night’s hotel stay if necessary
Singapore Airlines must provide you with a meal voucher and beverages to sustain you if you have to wait two hours or more.
And if you were moved to another flight the day after your scheduled travel date, the airline must book you a hotel room near your departure airport. You are entitled to a refund for your hotel room if you booked it yourself, as well as the transportation used to get there.
Refund your flight ticket
In the event of a delay of at least five hours, passengers have the right to cancel their booking, receive a full refund for their flight ticket, or request free rerouting to their original airport. The airline is required to provide assistance and reimburse necessary expenses incurred, such as hotel reservations and transportation from the airport to the accommodation.
In the case of a combined trip : If your flight consists of two or more connections, and the flights are not listed under the same reservation number, i.e., they are operated by two or more different airlines, Singapore Airlines will not be held liable for any delay resulting in a missed connection. In such cases, you cannot claim a refund or rerouting. Only the delay of the first flight (if it exceeds three hours) may entitle you to compensation and a refund if it is canceled.
Therefore, it is recommended to make a single reservation when taking multiple flights, or to purchase additional insurance. Also, be sure to allow at least three hours for connections, to allow for delays and security checks.
Flight delayed or canceled due to extraordinary circumstances
This could be an air traffic controller strike, bad weather, a computer outage at the airport, or any other event unrelated to the airline itself, unlike common problems such as technical failures, pilot or cabin crew strikes, denied boarding due to overbooking, etc., which entitle you to lump-sum compensation.
So if you are or will be affected by the disruption to the first half of your journey caused by a force majeure event, what recourse do you have?
– A meal and one night’s hotel if necessary: Yes
– A ticket refund: Yes
– Compensation: No, as the airline is not responsible for the events that caused the disruption to your trip.