Passenger rights

We regret that you have been affected by a flight irregularity. Below we provide you with an overview of the main rights to which you are entitled under the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation as well as the contact forms and addresses of the airlines offering flights from Saarbrücken Airport as a special service provided by Saarbrücken Airport. This only provides an initial overview; further legal advice should be sought in each individual case.

If you have booked a package tour, you may have additional claims against the tour operator. If possible, please keep your boarding passes, invoice/travel confirmation, receipts for your own expenses (e.g. hotel, cab, meals) and, if possible, make a note of the name and address of one or more witnesses who did not book with you.

Claims should be made against the airline that actually operates your flight. The contact forms and addresses of the airlines offering flights from Saarbrücken Airport can be found under Complaints. If the airline refers you to a third company, please note that if you assign your rights to this company, you will no longer be able to enforce your rights independently of this company.
You can obtain legal advice and assistance from Dr. Caroline Gebhardt, lawyer, for example, at fluggastrechte@rae-gebhardt.de. Further information can be found on the homepage of Gebhardt & Kollegen lawyers www.rae-gebhardt.de.

Delay

Cancellation

Denied boarding

Complaints

If your flight is delayed at least as follows:

by 2 hours for flights of 1,500 km or less;
by 3 hours or more for intra-Community flights over a distance of more than 1,500 km and by 3 hours or more for all other flights over a distance of 1,500 km and 3,500 km;
by 4 hours or more for all other flights of more than 3,500 km,

you will receive the following free care services:

Meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to waiting time Hotel accommodation, if necessary
Transportation between the airport and the place of accommodation
2 free telephone calls or 2 telexes or 2 e-mails

Special attention must be paid to the needs of persons with reduced mobility and their accompanying persons, as well as unaccompanied children, when providing care services. If the delay is at least 5 hours, you have the same rights as in the case of denied boarding. Furthermore, you are entitled to compensation as described under the heading Denied boarding if your arrival at the destination airport is delayed by 3 hours or more and the airline does not prove the existence of extraordinary circumstances.

In the event of a cancellation, you have the same rights as in the event of denied boarding.

In the event of re-routing, where the expected departure time is the day after the scheduled departure time of the cancelled flight, you are also entitled to hotel accommodation and transportation between the airport and the place of accommodation.

You are not entitled to compensation if the airline proves that the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Claims may also be excluded if you were informed of the cancellation at least 14 days in advance or if the flight times of your replacement flight differ only slightly from those of the original flight.

In the event of denied boarding, for example in the event of overbooking, the airline may first voluntarily offer you to withdraw from the flight in exchange for certain consideration. If you do not do this, you have the following rights between which you can choose:

Assistance services (see the section on delays) refund of the ticket price within 7 days
Return flight to the first point of departure at the earliest possible time, or
Other transportation to the destination under comparable travel conditions at the earliest possible date, or
Transportation to the destination on the desired date under comparable travel conditions (subject to available free seats) or

In addition, you have the right to compensation (you do not have to accept a voucher). The amount depends on the planned route and is as follows

For flight distances up to 1,500 km: € 250.00
For flight distances of more than 1,500 km for intra-Community flights and for all other flights between 1,500 km - 3,500 km: € 400.00
For flight distances over 3.500 km: 600,00 €

If you are offered an alternative flight whose arrival time is no later than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the originally booked flight for all flights of up to 1,500 km, no later than 3 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the originally booked flight for all intra-Community flights of more than 1,500 km, and no later than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time of the originally booked flight for all other flights between 1,500 km - 3,500 km, the compensation payment shall be 50% of the above amounts.