Compensation for delayed, cancelled Qantas flights from Paris or Rome

Qantas flies to three European cities – London, Paris and Rome (on a seasonal basis) – but despite the best of intentions, flight delays and even cancellations can happen.

It’s inconvenient at best, and can even leave passengers severely out of pocket if they have to pay for another night at the hotel plus meals, taxis etc.

If those Qantas flights from Australia to London, Paris or Rome are hit with a significant delay or a cancellation, there’s currently no formal or legal compensation available: you’re at the whim of Qantas, unless you have travel insurance on your side.

(This may soon change, due to the ‘Pay on Delay’ legislation currently working its way through Australian Parliament.)

But for the return leg – the Qantas flights from London, Paris or Rome back to Australia – passengers on delayed and cancelled flights are protected by UK and EU laws requiring Qantas pay compensation as much as $1,000 to each passenger.

We’ve previously covered compensation for delayed and cancelled Qantas flights QF2 and QF9 from London, which falls under the  ‘passenger rights’ rule known as UK261.

This guide will walk you through what compensation payment you’re entitled to for delays or cancellations of Qantas flights QF6 from Rome and QF34 from Paris, which are covered by Europe’s EU261 law for as much as €600 (AUD$963).

That payment also applies to any passenger ‘bumped’ off QF34 or QF6 because the flight is overbooked.

Compensation differs depending on the hours impacted and the distance of your ticketed flight.

EU261 compensation for delayed or cancelled Qantas flights

EU261 applies in the following situations:

• when you’re travelling from an EU airport on any airline
• when you’re travelling to an EU airport on a EU-based airline (such as Air France, Finnair or Lufthansa).

EU261 obligates airlines to compensate passengers on those flights under the following circumstances:

• flight delays of three or more hours
• flight cancellations less than 14 days before the departure date
• denial of boarding due to overbooking

The amount you’re entitled to claim through UK261 is determined by the distance travelled, and Qantas flights QF34 and QF6 to Australia fall into the highest bracket (distances over 3,500km).

On that basis, a delayed departure of three or more hours – or an outright cancellation – makes Qantas liable to pay €600 to every passenger.

The same applies to passengers ‘bumped’ those flights in the event they’re overbooked.

For delays of three or more hours, as well as cancellations, Qantas is also required to cover reasonable ‘duty of care’ expenses such as meals and in some cases overnight accommodation at a hotel, plus your transport to the hotel and back.

Claiming EU261 compensation for delayed or cancelled Qantas flights

In an ideal world, the airline responsible for your delayed or cancelled flight will promptly notify you of your rights – especially with regards to any cash compensation.

Of course, this rarely happens, leaving it up to the traveller to make their claim and chase down the appropriate compensation.

For that reason, always hold onto your boarding passes as proof of your booking, and try to get some documentation from the airline confirming the flight delay or cancellation, or denial of boarding (in those events airlines are required by law to notify you of your rights in writing at the airport).

Airlines should have a page on their website explaining the process of how to make a claim, as well as stipulations on what and when you are entitled to make a claim for compensation. Qantas links to this under its Compensation and Refunds section.

The EU’s official website also has a handy tool helping you work out what compensation you may be entitled to.

If your flight lands several hours later than scheduled, you may be entitled to make a claim.

Airlines can deny a EU261 claim if the delay or cancellation was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – something out of the ordinary, such as extreme weather conditions (for example, a volcanic ash cloud, industrial action unrelated to the airline, and political or civil unrest).

But they can’t play this card if the reasons for a delay or cancellation include technical problems with the aircraft, conventional bad weather such as storms and snow, staff shortages or airline staff on strike.

How to claim EU261 compensation for delayed or cancelled Qantas flights

All EU261 claims must be directed to the airline in question, either by email or old-fashioned post.

It’s easy enough to find a template letter online, but there’s also the option of going through a ‘no-win, no-fee’ intermediary agent if you simply don’t have the time to make and follow up on your claim – although they’ll take a cut of the final compensation payment for their services (25% is not uncommon).

A typical claim letter should include:

• all passenger details
• your affected flight details, including booking reference number
• state that you are claiming compensation according to EU261
• state the reasons for your claim, including what happened and how long you were delayed for
• reaffirm that the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances or an ‘act of God’
• the amount of compensation you are seeking, in line with the guidelines above
• your payment details, and a reasonable deadline for when you want a response by

How each airline approaches the situation will differ. In less-than-ideal scenarios, some may offer you travel vouchers less than what you are entitled to – others may continue to cite ‘extraordinary circumstances’ or even ignore your letter outright.

In those cases, it might be easier to try again through one of many third-party agencies and law firms that prosecute UK261 and EU261 cases in exchange for a slice of your airline payout.

Be aware that accepting any voucher or negotiated offer from the airline – whether at the airport when your flight is delayed or cancelled, or afterwards when you are chasing compensation – actually waives your rights to EU261 compensation.