Air Passenger Rights

European Union regulations protect air passengers traveling through Tirana Airport. These rights cover flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding, and baggage problems. Understanding what you're entitled to helps you claim appropriate compensation when airlines fail to meet their obligations. EU Regulation 261/2004 establishes clear standards that carriers must follow, giving passengers legal recourse when things go wrong.

EU Regulation 261/2004

This regulation applies to all flights departing from EU airports (including Albania) regardless of airline nationality. It also covers flights arriving at EU airports when operated by EU-based carriers. The law creates enforceable rights that airlines cannot simply ignore. Passengers can pursue compensation through airlines directly, regulatory authorities, or specialized claim services.

Airlines often try to avoid paying compensation by citing "extraordinary circumstances" exemptions. Understanding when these exemptions legitimately apply versus when airlines use them as excuses protects your interests. Most delays and cancellations don't qualify as extraordinary circumstances, meaning you deserve compensation.

Flight Delays

When flights from Tirana arrive at destinations more than three hours late, passengers qualify for compensation depending on flight distance. The amount ranges from 250 to 600 euros per passenger based on how far you're traveling and how long the delay lasts.

Compensation Amounts

• Flights under 1,500km: 250 EUR for delays over 3 hours
• Flights 1,500-3,500km: 400 EUR for delays over 3 hours
• Flights over 3,500km: 600 EUR for delays over 4 hours

Delay time gets measured by when aircraft doors open at the destination, not when wheels touch the runway. A flight leaving on time but arriving late due to weather diversions or air traffic congestion still counts as delayed if you reach your destination significantly past schedule.

Assistance During Delays

Airlines must provide support while you wait for delayed flights. When delays exceed two hours for short flights or three hours for longer journeys, carriers owe you meals, refreshments, and communication access. This means free food and drinks at the airport plus phone calls or emails to inform people about your situation.

If delays extend overnight, airlines must provide hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel. They cannot abandon you at the airport expecting you to arrange your own lodging. Request these services from airline staff at the airport rather than booking independently then seeking reimbursement, though documentation of self-arranged necessities can support claims if airlines refuse immediate help.

Flight Cancellations

Cancelled flights trigger stronger rights than delays. Airlines must either rebook you on alternative flights or refund your ticket. Additionally, you're entitled to compensation unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances caused the cancellation.

Your Options

When your flight gets cancelled, choose between rebooking and refunds. Rebooking means the airline finds you alternate transportation to your destination as quickly as possible. This might involve switching to another carrier, taking indirect routes, or waiting for the next available flight.

If rebooking doesn't suit your needs - perhaps the next flight leaves days later or indirect routing adds unacceptable travel time - request a full refund. Airlines must return all money paid including taxes and fees. Refunds apply even for non-refundable tickets when airlines cancel flights rather than passengers choosing not to travel.

Advance Notice

Airlines escape compensation obligations by notifying you early about cancellations. Fourteen days advance notice eliminates compensation requirements, though rebooking or refund rights remain. Between seven and fourteen days notice, airlines might avoid compensation by offering alternative flights departing within acceptable timeframes of your original booking.

Denied Boarding (Overbooking)

Airlines sell more tickets than available seats expecting some passengers won't show up. When everyone arrives and planes can't accommodate everyone, somebody gets bumped. EU law protects involuntarily denied boarding passengers with compensation and assistance.

Voluntary vs Involuntary

Airlines first ask for volunteers willing to take later flights in exchange for compensation they negotiate. Volunteers receive whatever airlines offer - often vouchers, free flights, or cash - but aren't covered by mandatory EU compensation since they chose to accept offers voluntarily.

If insufficient volunteers come forward, airlines must deny boarding involuntarily. This triggers mandatory compensation at the same rates as cancellations based on flight distance. Airlines must also rebook you on the next available flight or provide refunds if you prefer.

Selection Criteria

Airlines cannot randomly or discriminatorily choose who gets bumped. They should consider factors like check-in time, fare class, and frequent flyer status. Passengers checking in late or holding cheap tickets face higher bumping risks than those who checked in early or paid full fares.

Nobody with reduced mobility or traveling with young children should be denied boarding unless volunteering. The same protection extends to unaccompanied minors. These vulnerable passengers receive priority boarding rights.

Baggage Issues

Lost, delayed, or damaged baggage falls under different regulations than flight disruptions. The Montreal Convention governs baggage liability, setting limits on airline responsibility and establishing claim procedures.

Delayed Baggage

When your bags don't arrive with you, airlines must compensate reasonable expenses buying essential items while waiting for luggage delivery. Keep receipts for clothes, toiletries, and necessities purchased. Airlines reimburse these costs up to convention limits.

Report missing bags immediately at the airport baggage service desk before leaving the terminal. Staff complete Property Irregularity Reports (PIR) documenting the issue. Without PIRs, proving bags went missing becomes difficult. Get copies of all paperwork and keep baggage claim tickets.

Lost Baggage

If airlines can't locate bags within 21 days, luggage gets declared lost. You can then claim compensation for bag contents up to approximately 1,400 euros per passenger under Montreal Convention limits. Provide proof of contents through receipts, photos, or detailed descriptions.

High-value items like jewelry, electronics, or important documents shouldn't travel in checked bags. Airlines limit liability for valuables, and proving their presence in lost luggage gets complicated without documentation. Keep irreplaceable items in carry-on bags under your control.

Damaged Baggage

Report visible damage immediately at baggage claim. Airlines must see damage before you leave the airport to validate claims. For internal damage discovered later, report it within seven days. Airlines repair or compensate damaged bags, though normal wear and tear from travel doesn't qualify.

Extraordinary Circumstances

Airlines avoid compensation by proving extraordinary circumstances caused problems. These situations fall outside airline control, making them unable to prevent disruptions even with reasonable precautions. However, airlines overuse this exemption, claiming it applies when actually they're responsible.

Legitimate Exemptions

• Severe weather: Hurricanes, snowstorms, volcanic ash making flying unsafe
• Political instability: Wars, riots, civil unrest closing airspace
• Security threats: Credible terrorism concerns grounding flights
• Air traffic control: Strikes or restrictions beyond airline control
• Bird strikes: Unexpected collisions damaging aircraft

Not Extraordinary Circumstances

• Technical problems: Mechanical failures from poor maintenance
• Crew issues: Insufficient staff due to bad planning
• Airline strikes: Labor disputes within the carrier
• Routine maintenance: Scheduled repairs poorly timed
• Knock-on delays: Earlier disruptions affecting later flights

Airlines claiming extraordinary circumstances must prove it. Don't accept vague excuses. Request detailed written explanations documenting exactly what happened and why it qualified as beyond their control. This evidence helps if you need to dispute their refusal to compensate.

Filing Claims

Start by contacting the airline directly. Most carriers maintain customer service departments handling compensation claims. Submit requests in writing via email or complaint forms on airline websites. Include flight details, booking references, and explanation of what went wrong.

Required Documentation

• Booking confirmation showing purchase
• Boarding passes proving you checked in
• Receipts for expenses during delays
• Photos of departure boards showing delays/cancellations
• Written statements from airline staff
• PIR reports for baggage issues
• Communication records with the airline

Claim Deadlines

Time limits vary by issue type. Baggage claims require immediate airport reporting plus written follow-up within specific days. Flight disruption claims can be filed months or years later depending on jurisdiction, but prompt submission increases success rates.

EU regulations don't specify exact deadlines for delay and cancellation claims, but individual countries set limitation periods. In many jurisdictions, you have 2-3 years to claim. However, evidence gets harder to gather as time passes, so file claims within weeks of travel when details remain fresh.

Specialized Claims Services

Companies like AirHelp, ClaimCompass, and others specialize in pursuing airline compensation on passengers' behalf. They handle paperwork, negotiate with carriers, and even pursue legal action if necessary. In exchange, they take percentages (typically 25-35%) of successful compensation.

When to Use Claim Services

These services make sense when airlines deny legitimate claims or refuse to respond. Fighting denials yourself requires time and knowledge of aviation law. Specialists know exactly how to counter airline excuses and pressure carriers into paying.

For straightforward cases where airlines acknowledge fault, filing directly yourself keeps full compensation. But when facing complex situations, international connections, or unresponsive airlines, specialists' success rates often justify their fees.

Regulatory Authorities

If airlines won't resolve complaints satisfactorily, escalate to regulatory authorities overseeing passenger rights. In Albania, civil aviation authorities enforce EU regulations at Tirana Airport. They investigate complaints and can force airlines to comply with legal obligations.

Most EU countries operate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes providing free mediation between passengers and airlines. These neutral services help resolve disputes without court proceedings. Check which ADR scheme covers your situation based on airline nationality and flight route.

Special Circumstances

Connecting Flights

When separate tickets cause missed connections, airlines don't owe you anything. You booked independent flights taking risks connections might fail. However, single tickets covering multiple flights create airline responsibility. If the first flight delays causing you to miss the connection, the carrier must rebook you free and provide compensation if total delay exceeds thresholds.

Package Holidays

Tours booked as packages through travel agents fall under additional consumer protection beyond airline regulations. Package travel directives give you rights against tour operators who must ensure entire trips proceed as advertised. Flight disruptions affecting packages trigger compensation from both airlines under EU 261/2004 and tour operators under package travel rules.

Business vs Leisure

Your reason for travel doesn't affect rights. Business travelers on expensive fully-flexible tickets have identical compensation entitlements as leisure passengers on cheap restricted fares. Flight class matters for boarding priority and service quality but not for disruption compensation.

Practical Advice

Prevention beats compensation. Book morning flights less likely to suffer knock-on delays from earlier problems. Choose airlines with good reliability records. Allow adequate connection times avoiding tight transfers prone to missing flights.

When disruptions occur, stay calm but firm asserting your rights. Airline staff may not voluntarily offer entitlements hoping uninformed passengers don't claim them. Ask directly for meals, hotels, compensation, or whatever you're entitled to receive.

Check our terminal guide to navigate Tirana Airport efficiently and our airlines page for carrier contact information when filing claims.