Claim compensation for your flight delay or cancellation

We are all over the place today. Moving along (probably briefly) from Holland America Week news to Air Travel news, an international story that might hit close to home.

You might have heard the news that Swiss Air lost Matt Damon’s luggage during his trip to Davos, Switzerland yesterday, leaving him to wear another man’s suit at the World Economic Forum. No? Just play along, it will make sense shortly.

Fact: Flight delays happen

…but that doesn’t mean we have to accept them. You may be entitled to as much as $700 in compensation if your flight has been delayed, canceled or overbooked within the last three years.

Do I have your attention? Say hello to AirHelp.

AirHelp is the world’s leading air passenger rights company, helping with compensatable events like lost luggage. It’s a bit of a watchdog outfit with an eye on specific passengers’ rights when experiencing flight issues. I know we have rights but what they are, not so much. I just know that upon boarding if I turn left I have more rights than if I turn right.

Regarding Matt Damon’s issue, Henrik Zillmer, CEO of AirHelp reveals much of what this company is about. Really detailed.

“Whether you’re flying within the US or to one of the other 120 countries that ratified the Montreal Convention, if you experience luggage issues while traveling, you may be entitled to compensation. Under U.S. and Montreal Convention air passenger rights laws, the maximum compensation from an airline for checked luggage that is either lost or damaged is $1,525 – $3,500. If your luggage is damaged, make sure to file a report within 7 days, and complaints for delayed luggage should be filed within 21 days. Luggage that doesn’t arrive within 21 days, is considered lost – after this period there is no time limits for complaints. Make sure to always hold onto your receipts, because you can be reimbursed for anything that was lost or damaged that you needed for your tip. For example, if you have to buy a suit for an important meeting, or scuba gear for your diving trip, you can get reimbursed for the suit and scuba gear so you can replace them.”

Yes, that’s more than I want to know. Good that they know what they are talking about. Try this. Click here, punch in some flights you know were delayed and see what happens.