====== Flights - The most common reasons for flight delays ====== ===== 1. Air Traffic Control (ATC) restrictions ===== **NOTE:** When a flight is delayed or cancelled due to air traffic restrictions, **no** compensation is due. * The decision has to be respected by the airline. * It is part of the extraordinary circumstances clause under EC261/2004 Regulation, which exonerates them from liability. ---- ===== 2. Adverse weather conditions ===== Adverse weather conditions, usually means extreme weather conditions, such as Tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, etc. * Weather only causes around 6% of delays. * In practice airlines often cite bad weather as the reason for a delay, that is more often than not, not the actual reason. In order to determine if weather was indeed the reason for a flight delay, look at the METAR reports. * These METAR reports are a format of reporting weather information used in aviation. * They contain various information, including temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, visibility and barometric pressure. * The information is encoded and needs to be decoded and analyzed in order to understand whether or not a flight could have been operated on time. * This requires technical expertise to check whether your flight was facing adverse weather conditions or not. * Usually passengers make use of a specialized service company for this. * A legal team that can make the argument when the airline is not cooperating. **NOTE:** This could entitle you to compensation even if the airline told you that the flight was delayed due to bad weather. ---- ===== 3. Bird strikes ===== A collision between an aircraft and an airborne animal (usually a bird). They are **not** that rare an occurrence. * There are thousands of bird strikes per year. * Most of these strikes happen during takeoff and landing. * While they typically cause little damage, they are nevertheless regarded as a security threat. * Security protocol requires airlines to perform a particular set of procedures following a bird strike, which may impact its on-time performance. **NOTE:** When it comes to EC261 claims for compensation, while the European Court of Justice deemed bird strikes as extraordinary circumstances in which no compensation is due, the airline cannot deny a claim without proving that it did all within its control to reduce the impact on subsequent flights. ---- ===== 4. Knock-on effect due to a delayed aircraft ===== A knock-on effect is the main cause for what is also known as rotational delay. * When a flight is delayed because of the late arrival of an incoming aircraft. **NOTE:** Knock-on effects do not automatically exonerate the carrier from liability to pay compensation under EC261/2004. * A claim can be denied on grounds of knock-on effect delay only if the delay was caused by what is considered an extraordinary circumstance and the effect of the disruption cannot be extrapolated indefinitely, but is capped at 24h post the original event. * To put it simply: * If you’re flying on Friday on an aircraft which was operating a flight on Monday and happen to experience a bird strike, which affected the entire schedule going forward, the airline cannot cite the knock-on effect as a reason to reject your claim. ---- ===== 5. Strikes ===== Airline staff can decide to go on strike. * Strikes can vary from minimal impact to complete chaos. **NOTE:** A strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance and no compensation is due if your flight has been affected. * There are some exceptions, which need to be considered. * If a flight does not fall within the immediate strike period, but is disrupted, then the carrier cannot invoke the extraordinary circumstances clause and must honor your claim. ---- ===== 6. Waiting for connecting passengers ===== In certain cases, an airline may slightly delay the flight in order to board connecting passengers. * As a general rule of thumb, carriers will not wait for connecting passengers. **NOTE:** This will be treated on a case by case basis. * It is highly unlikely that a flight will be delayed for a long period to board connecting passengers. ---- ===== 7. Waiting for connecting bags ===== A minor flight delay may be caused as ground handling will require a bit more time transferring the luggage. **NOTE:** This will be treated on a case by case basis. * It is highly unlikely that a flight will be delayed a long time because ground handling is transferring luggage. ---- ===== 8. Waiting for cargo ===== Commercial airlines are not only carrying passengers and their luggage * Cargo makes up between 5 and 10% of their total revenue. * A flight can sometimes be delayed because of the late arrival of freight. **NOTE:** This will be treated on a case by case basis. * It is highly unlikely that a flight will be delayed a long time waiting for cargo to load. ---- ===== 9. Waiting for crew ===== A flight may be delayed for take off if it does not meet the required number of crew. * There is a chance that the crew may be arriving from another destination, and if that flight is delayed, so will be the crew. * As a result, your flight can be delayed if the crew has not arrived yet. **NOTE:** It is not impossible for a flight to be delayed by several hours if the crew is late. * As these situations fall within the control of the carrier, passengers are entitled to claim compensation. ---- ===== 10. Complying with flight crew rest requirements ===== Regulations are set in place to ensure that members of the crew, meaning pilots and flight attendants, are well rested before the flight. * Sometimes the crew may max out their hours because of scheduling difficulties or a rotational delay. In these situations, unless the airline can replace the crew, there is a good chance that the plane will be grounded. **NOTE:** These circumstances fall within control of the carrier, and do not exonerate them from liability. * Hence, according to EC261/2004 if your flight has been delayed because the crew maxed out its hours, then you are entitled to compensation. ---- ===== 11. Waiting for catering ===== This does not only include food, but also utensils, service ware, hygienic and miscellaneous items for assisting passengers. * These are usually managed by an airline catering agent, which is responsible for all aspects of catering line operations. **NOTE:** The airline cannot be exonerated from liability even if catering is managed by a third party service provider and must pay compensation if the flight falls within EC261/2004 Regulation. ---- ===== 12. Getting security clearance ===== There are many events that need to happen before the engines of an aircraft are even turned on, including: * Pilots preparing the aircraft for take off, * Crew closing the doors, * Air Traffic Control (ATC) being contacted, and then specifying which runway to use. * Airline dispatch and operations control deciding the route which the aircraft will take, considering the weather conditions, fuel capacity, passenger load, etc. **NOTE:** These security requirements are split between factors, some which are within the airlines control and some not. * This may have an impact on whether or not the delay of the flight would qualify under EC261/2004 for compensation. ---- ===== 13. Preparing the aircraft ===== There are a lot of things that can delay the preparation of the aircraft, and consequently, its take off on time, including: * Boarding. * Cleaning the aircraft. * Loading the catering and disposing of used galley carts. * Refueling. Slowness in performing these tasks could have an impact on the boarding time, which can result in a flight missing its slot, etc. **NOTE:** It is rather rare (but not impossible) for a flight to be delayed by several hours because of issues surrounding preparation. * This may have an impact on whether or not the delay of the flight would qualify under EC261/2004 for compensation. ---- ===== 14. Fixing a mechanical issue ===== Aircrafts are subject to very strict technical maintenance rules. and it is not uncommon for a flight to be delayed because of a technical issue which requires immediate attention. This includes: * Aircraft parking issues. * Problems with the water draining system during winter. * Issues with the engine fan blades. **NOTE:** Flight delays caused by a technical malfunction which requires immediate attention, the EC261/2004 Regulation is clear that passengers are entitled to compensation. * The Department of Transportation in the US also states that a technical issue, even if it is extraordinary, does not exonerate the carrier from liability. ---- ===== 15. Complying with weight restrictions ===== Every airplane has something called maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), which is the combined weight of cargo, passengers and their luggage, fuel, catering, etc. * If an airplane exceeds that weight, it cannot take off. * This is not a constant number - it depends on things like atmospheric conditions and elevation. * So an aircraft taking off at sea level will have a different MTOW than an aircraft taking off at a higher altitude. **NOTE:** It does not qualify as extraordinary circumstances and the airline must pay compensation. ---- ===== 16. Problems with the coffee machine ===== These are special machines, allowing water to boil properly even at high altitudes and the electric circuit is only compatible with that of an airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration in the US and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency require coffee makers to have safety features to prevent fires caused by electrical malfunctions. * Should a coffee maker go out of order, then it must be fixed before take off. **NOTE:** Unfortunately this sort of delay is considered to be the responsibility of a third party, not the airline. * As a result, you will not be compensated for arriving late. ---- ===== 17. Waiting for turtles to clear the runway ===== It is believed that turtles like the sand surrounding some airports, which is at a natural elevation above the tide, and therefore a safe place to lay eggs. **NOTE:** There is no compensation in such cases. ---- ===== 18. Passengers going nuts ===== It is not uncommon for unruly passengers to interfere with the normal operations of a flight. **NOTE:** There is no compensation in such cases. * Considered outside of the airline control. ---- ===== 19. There is a criminal on board ===== During a flight, the plane might back around so that the Police / FBI can apprehend someone. **NOTE:** There is no compensation in such cases. * Considered outside of the airline control.