Air travellers to receive help in cancellation compensations

Industry expects are saying that airline passengers could soon be able to claim £1 million annually in compensation from

Travel Insurance News - 07/07/2008

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EUclaim will be launching a new branch office in the UK aimed at helping travellers reclaim money from airlines when their flights are cancelled.

Up to 1000 British passengers could be eligible to make a claim each daily, amounting to around 430 per person, according to the agency.

EUclaim is stating that airline companies take advantage of a loophole that exists in travel insurance regulations that deters passengers from making claims on cancelled flights.

According to EU laws, airlines are not required to compensate passengers if cancellations or passenger delays are caused by “extraordinary circumstances.”

EUclaim reports, however, that carriers often use this term to describe numerous technical difficulties that passengers typically do not challenge.

Chief executive of EUclaim, Hendrik Noorderhaven, said recently to Travel Bite: “It is no wonder that passengers don't bother to make a claim.

“It is virtually impossible for passengers to object to airline statements about technical circumstances.” EUclaim allows travellers to enter their flight details on its website and then initiates the claim behalf of the passengers.

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