To listen:
You got to the airport on time, only to discover that your flight is overbooked and you’ve been “bumped”. Overbooking is a fact of life in the airline industry and it happens every day. Know your rights!
Israel’s Aviation Services Law (Compensation and Assistance for Flight Cancellation of Change of Conditions), 5772-2012 dictates what recourse passengers have in the event of denied boarding.
What is overbooking?
Airlines usually try to sell more tickets for any given flight than the actual number of seats on the plane, assuming that a certain percentage of passengers will be “no shows”, based on statistical models. In Europe, for example, as many as 10% of passengers are “no shows” for their flight! This practice protects the airline from lost revenue by taking off with empty seats, but from time to time the airline’s estimates were off and there aren’t enough seats on the flight for all the passengers who checked in.
What are my rights?
If you find yourself being “bumped” for your flight despite having checked in on time, the airline is required to give you Assistance Services such as food and drink, as well as the option to communicate with your relatives, friends, etc. regarding the delay.
Furthermore, you are entitled to cash compensation depending on the distance of the flight:
Up to 2,000 km: 1,250 shekels
Up to 4,500 km: 2,000 shekels
Above 4,500 km: 3,000 shekels
What about my damages?
In addition to the assistance, refund, and/or compensation due to you under Israeli law, you may be able to sue for other damages caused due to the delay under the provisions of the Montreal Convention 1999.
Contact our offices today to check your eligibility for compensation!
