“Right to care” means that if your flight gets messed up, you have the right to get help and support. This includes things like a place to stay, food, drinks, and being able to make phone calls or send messages. The main goal of this rule is to protect your rights as a traveler and to make your travel experience better.
If you have to wait at the airport due to flight delay or cancellation, you have a right to care.
Right to Care From Czech Airlines
According to European laws, air passengers must be provided protection.
According to the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, you have the right to get help if you’re flying on European airlines. Czech Airlines have to follow this rule on all of its flights to and from the European Union, UK and EEA. This means they have to help you if there are any problems with your flight.
Short Delays (3+ Hours)
You can get: food and refreshments.
If you experience a short delay of three hours or more during the day, Czech Airlines have to provide you with complimentary meals and drinks. You’ll also have the opportunity to make two free phone calls, or send emails.
Usually, it is provided in the form of coupons.
Long Delays (Overnight)
You can get: food, drinks, hotel stay and airport transfer.
If your flight with Czech Airlines is delayed overnight, they have to give you free accommodation, free airport transfer to and from the airport, and food and drinks. If no one has told you about these arrangements, you should quickly get in touch with Czech Airlines for help.
How to Get Free Meals and Free Hotel Stays from Czech Airlines?
Czech Airlines follows European law to ensure your comfort during delays.
Normally, you’ll automatically get free meals, hotel stays, and airport transfers for long waits – there’s no need to ask for anything.
If these services aren’t offered, you should go to the Czech Airlines customer service desk and ask for them. According to European law, the airline must provide these services for free if your flight is delayed long enough.
If the airline doesn’t arrange these services, you may need to organize things like meals, airport rides, and hotels on your own. Remember to keep all your receipts and proofs of what you bought. Then, you can ask Czech Airlines to pay you back by showing them what you spent during the delay. Be sure to give them all the details they need to make the process as smooth as possible.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Let’s first understand what they are.
What Are Extraordinary Circumstances?
Extraordinary circumstances are situations that often happen without warning and are beyond the airline’s control. This can mean anything from bad weather, strikes not connected to the airline, security alerts, political turmoil, or unexpected technical problems that could affect the safety of a flight. Even though these situations can be a hassle, the airline isn’t required to pay compensation, as they’re covered by an exception in Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.
However, passengers still have the right to assistance and care during these times, as mentioned before.
Are Technical Problems Considered Extraordinary Circumstances?
Under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, technical problems are usually not considered extraordinary circumstances.
This means that if an airline faces technical issues because of regular operations, like routine maintenance or minor repairs, these aren’t seen as extraordinary. They are within the airline’s control and part of their standard duties, so they don’t excuse the airline from offering passengers compensation or assistance.
However, if there is a hidden manufacturing defect that threatens flight safety, this could be seen as extraordinary. These situations are rare, pose an immediate risk to safe flying, and are outside the airline’s usual technical management.
Right to Care During Extraordinary Circumstances
Even in extraordinary circumstances, you have the right to care.
Even if Czech Airlines doesn’t have to pay you compensation for delays or cancellations that aren’t their fault, they still need to make sure you’re comfortable while you wait. This means they should give you food, drinks, and a place to stay if the delay is really long.
The same rule applies when it comes to offering an alternate mode of travel if the flight gets cancelled – you have a right to that new flight.
Right to Care: FAQ
This section covers common questions on right to care with Czech Airlines.
What Is the Right to Care?
The right to care means that airlines have to take care of their passengers if there are flight delays, overbooking, or cancellations. European laws say that airlines, like Czech Airlines, must keep passengers comfortable during these times.
They must provide free meals and drinks, and if the delay is long, they need to arrange a place for passengers to stay.
How to Get “Right to Care” If My Flight Is Delayed?
If your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more, Czech Airlines should give you free meals, drinks, and a place to stay if you have to wait overnight.
If they don’t offer any or some of these services, ask at the Czech Airlines customer service desk in the airport. You might have to pay for these services yourself first, then ask the airline to pay you back later. It’s best to request a reimbursement as soon after the flight as possible.
Do I Have the Right to Care If My Flight Is Cancelled?
Absolutely, if your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to the right to care.
This means Czech Airlines must give you meals, drinks, and a place to stay (if needed), along with a different way to get to your destination. If the flight is canceled because of the airline’s mistake, you also have the right to get compensation under European flight cancellation rules.
Are Extraordinary Circumstances an Exception to the Right to Care?
No, even if something beyond the airline’s control happens, like bad weather, security issues, or strikes, you still get rights to free meals, drinks, and a place to stay (if needed).
How Do I Request Reimbursement If I Had to Arrange for My Accommodation and Meals?
If Czech Airlines didn’t provide meals, a place to stay, or a ride to the airport, and you had to arrange these yourself, make sure to keep all your receipts and any proof of what you bought.
You can send these receipts and a description of what you spent money on during the delay to Czech Airlines to ask for your money back. Remember, they will only pay back money for basic needs, not for anything extra. So, if you go for a fancy meal, don’t expect the airline to cover it.
Does the Right to Care Apply to All Czech Airlines Flights?
The right to care applies to all Czech Airlines flights to and from Europe.
Since Czech Airlines is an EU airline, the right to care under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to all of its flights both departing from and arriving in Europe.
However, it’s important to note that with non-European airlines, like Turkish Airlines, this regulation only applies to flights that are departing from Europe. Flights on non-European airlines that are arriving in Europe from other parts of the world are not covered under this European law.
Does This Only Apply to Europeans?
No, this right to care extends to all passengers on Czech Airlines flights, irrespective of their nationality.
The law that gives you the right to care is called Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 in the EU and Regulation UK261 in the UK. According to these regulations, airlines in Europe must take care of passengers and offer them compensation when needed. So, if you fly with Czech Airlines, you have these rights no matter where you come from.
The only exception is in the case of non-European airlines, where this regulation applies only to flights departing from Europe and not those arriving in Europe from other parts of the world.
But again, it has nothing to do with the nationality of a passenger.
By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.