Airline Air Europa

Air Europa Lineas Aéreas, or Air Europa, is a Spanish airline founded in 1986. It is the third largest airline in the country after Iberia and Vueling.

It is also the first private Spanish airline to operate scheduled flights. It is the main competitor of Iberia, which is mostly owned by the Spanish state.

It serves over 130 destinations. Many are located in Europe, but Air Europa also operates numerous scheduled flights to the United States, Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, etc.), and the Near and Middle East (Turkey, Israel, United Arab Emirates).

As its name suggests, a large portion of its traffic is within Europe, but it remains primarily based in Spain.

Air Europa and European regulation

As a Spanish airline, Air Europa is subject to European regulation. This is defined by a piece of legislation: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

Adopted at the European level, this regulation governs the operation of civil aviation within the EU. It specifically outlines your rights as a traveller and the obligations this imposes on airlines.

Which flights are covered?

It is not always easy to know which law applies to a flight, as it often takes place between two countries. This depends on the departure and arrival airports, as well as the airline transporting you.

In the case of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, its scope is very clear. It applies to:

any flight departing from the European Union (including Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland)
flights arriving in the same EU area, operated by an airline based there.

If you take a direct flight with Air Europa, there is a high chance that your departure or arrival airport will be in Spain. In this case, you are covered.

In the case of a connecting flight, there is one exception. If only your transit airport is in Europe, you are not covered by European law.

However, there are compensation systems in other countries. This is the case, notably, in the United Kingdom, which incorporated European regulations into its law after Brexit. This is known as UK261.

Your rights under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004

When you travel by air, you have certain rights guaranteed by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

If you arrive on time for boarding with valid documents, you have the right to be transported to your destination. This is an obligation for Air Europa, which applies even in the event of disruption.

If your flight is cancelled or if the airline denies you boarding due to overbooking, they must offer you an alternative flight.

If your flight is disrupted, Air Europa is obliged to find you a solution as quickly as possible. In practice, this is not always feasible.

In the event of a significant delay, you may incur additional expenses. If you need to have a meal at the airport or stay overnight, the airline must cover your expenses. If you need to inform someone, Air Europa must also cover two phone calls.

Finally, if your flight is disrupted, you may be eligible, under certain conditions, for a fixed compensation.

Compensation with Air Europa, how does it work?

No one is immune to a flight incident. There are many scenarios. Your flight may be delayed, cancelled or overbooked. In the latter case, you may be denied boarding. Additionally, in the event of a delay, this can cause you to miss a connection.

If the airline is responsible, they must pay you compensation. The terms of compensation vary depending on the situation.

If your flight is delayed

A delay is likely the most common disruption you will encounter. And it will not always be the airline's fault. If they are responsible, in the event of a significant delay, you can request compensation.

The amount will be determined according to the fixed scale provided by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

It amounts to:

€250 for a flight of less than 1500 km with a delay of 3 hours or more
€400 for a non-EU flight between 1500 and 3500 km or an EU flight over 1500 km with a delay of 3 hours or more
€600 for a non-EU flight over 3500 km with a delay of 4 hours or more.

If your flight is cancelled

In the event of a cancellation, the calculation scale is the same. But even if your delay is reduced, you can still request compensation. However, this is halved if the delay does not exceed certain thresholds.

Thus, it reduces to:

If your flight is overbooked

It can happen that the airline issues more tickets than there are seats available on the plane. This is known as overbooking or overselling. This method is mainly used to ensure the plane is fully booked in case some passengers do not show up.

But if everyone shows up, some will not be able to board. If you are denied boarding for this reason, the airline must offer you an alternative flight, or, failing that, refund your ticket.

Additionally, you are entitled to compensation. The amount will be the same as for a flight cancellation.

obtain compensation for a flight with Air Europa

Exceptions

In certain cases, Air Europa is not required to compensate you. This mainly concerns disruptions for which they are not responsible or could not foresee.

They will therefore be exempt from compensating you:

if they informed you at least 15 days in advance
if they offered you an alternative flight, under the same conditions and at the same times
in the event of extraordinary circumstances (strike, safety risk for crew and passengers, bad weather).

Valid extraordinary circumstances are external to the airline.

If it is a technical failure of the aircraft, they are responsible. Similarly, a strike is only a valid reason if it involves personnel outside the airline. If it is their own staff on strike, Air Europa must compensate you.

Delayed helps you claim compensation from Air Europa

Have you experienced a delay, flight cancellation, or overbooking with Air Europa? You may be entitled to fixed compensation, as provided by European regulations.

Are you unsure how to make a claim, or do you not have the time to handle it?

Delayed can assist you in making your compensation claim.