Airline Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines, or simply Austrian, is the national airline of Austria. It was founded in 1957 under the name Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG. The airline was created from the merger of Air Austria and Austrian Airways.

A subsidiary of the German group Deutsche Lufthansa AG, it operates a fleet of 85 aircraft and serves 130 destinations worldwide. While the airline serves the entire globe, a significant portion of its traffic is within the European Union.

Its headquarters are at Vienna-Schwechat International Airport. Austria being a member of the European Union, Austrian is therefore a fully-fledged European airline. Except for certain exceptions, it is subject to EU law.

Here's what this means for you.

Austrian Airlines: an airline subject to European regulations

Austria is a member of the European Union, so its operations are fully governed by EU law.

This includes Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, which supplements international regulations.

It clearly defines the rights of air passengers. This regulation is binding on airlines operating within the European Community area.

European regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to:

all flights departing from the European Community area (including Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland);
flights arriving in the same community area, operated by a European airline.

Flights operated by Austrian all originate from or are destined for Austria, and therefore the European Union. It may happen that the airline offers you flights operated by Lufthansa, its parent company. In this case, it is a German, and thus European, airline. The regulation still applies.

There is one exception: if you have an Austrian flight with a stopover from and to third countries.

Under what conditions can you get a refund from Austrian Airlines?

If you decide to cancel your flight, the refund terms will depend on the options you have chosen.

Most of the time, an airline ticket is not refundable. However, more and more airlines are offering options to refund you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Austrian offers four fare options in economy class and three in business class. Two of them offer refund options:

Economy Flex: refund possible, up to €70 per passenger;
Business Flex: refund possible with no specified limit.

However, this type of offer can lead to a significant additional cost.

Unlike other airlines, Austrian does not offer cancellation insurance. However, if you have a Visa Premier or a Gold Mastercard, a refund is possible through them.

If a ticket refund is not possible, you can still reclaim your airport taxes from Austrian in the event of a flight cancellation.

There is one situation where a refund of your ticket is possible, regardless of the fare option chosen: if Austrian has cancelled or rescheduled your flight, or has denied you boarding due to overbooking.

This scenario falls under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

However, in the event of flight disruption, this is not the first option we would recommend.

Flat-rate compensation, an alternative to a refund

If your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked, under European law, you have suffered a loss. This entitles you to compensation.

This is subject to conditions and is not automatically paid. The amount varies depending on the number of kilometres your flight covers and the status of the flight.

In case of delay

Delay is the most common disruption on a flight. Most of the time, a delay does not exceed certain limits (around 1 hour).

But sometimes, a delay can be much longer. In the event of a major issue, a flight can be delayed by two, three hours, or even more.

If Austrian Airlines is responsible, they must pay you a flat-rate compensation. The amount depends on the distance covered by your flight. It amounts to:

€250 for a flight of less than 1500 km, payable from 3 hours of delay;
€400 for a non-EU flight of 1500 to 3500 km or an EU flight of more than 1500 km, payable from 3 hours of delay;
€600 for a non-EU flight of more than 3500 km, payable from 4 hours of delay.

In case of cancellation

If your flight is cancelled, the same compensation scale applies. But there is a difference: you are eligible for compensation without a minimum delay time.

However, the compensation amount can be halved if a certain duration is not exceeded. It then becomes:

€125 for a flight of less than 1500 km with less than two hours of delay;
€200 for a non-EU flight of 1500 to 3500 km or an EU flight of more than 1500 km with less than 3 hours of delay;
€300 for a non-EU flight of more than 3500 km with less than 4 hours of delay.

In case of overbooking

If Austrian Airlines sells more tickets for a flight than there are seats, this is known as overbooking. The consequence, if everyone shows up for boarding, is that not everyone will be able to board.

If you were denied boarding for this reason, you are entitled to compensation, calculated in the same way as for a flight cancellation.

Austrian Airlines aircraft at the airport

Your other rights in case of flight disruption

Compensation is one of the most important rights, but it is not the only one. Moreover, it is not always due. In exceptional circumstances, or if Austrian informed you of the disruption at least 15 days in advance, they are not obliged to compensate you.

Nevertheless, they still have certain obligations.

Care until your arrival

You paid for a ticket to be transported somewhere. If your documents are in order and you arrive on time for boarding, Austrian must take you there.

In case of disruption, the airline must take care of you until they fulfil this obligation. If you experience a significant delay, they must provide you with meals and drinks within reasonable limits. They may also, if necessary, cover these costs at airport vendors.

If your flight is cancelled or if Austrian denied you boarding due to overbooking, they must offer you an alternative flight, under the same conditions, and as soon as possible.

A refund in case of cancellation, overbooking, or excessive delay

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 provides numerous rights in case of flight disruption. Therefore, a refund is not necessarily the most advantageous option.

However, in certain situations, it remains possible. If your flight is cancelled or overbooked, you are entitled to a full refund of your ticket. This is also an option in case of a delay of more than 5 hours.

This is indeed a right provided by European legislation. It is therefore guaranteed regardless of the fare option you have chosen.

However, if you request a refund, it means you forfeit your journey, as well as any care. Additionally, you also waive the right to claim compensation.

Is your Austrian Airlines flight disrupted? You may be entitled to compensation

Austrian Airlines is a European airline. Therefore, unless there are exceptions, if you fly with this airline, you are covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

If your flight has been delayed, cancelled, or overbooked, you may be entitled to compensation.

This is not automatic; you must apply for it. Does the process seem complicated? We handle it for you.