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How do airlines proceed regarding expenses due to flights been delayed?

I am entitled to a monetary compensation of 400€. Is this compensation meant to cover expenses, or, are expenses reimbursed separately?

I spent 12+ extra hours at the airport, and my expenses are around 40€ (for lunch, coffee, snack, internet+printing). All of these were incurred after the official departure time. Are these reasonable expenses?

The airline is RyanAir, and I thought about asking them for vouchers. The queue was really long though, and it would have taken me 1 hour or more standing in line in an already horrible day.

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    The airline is responsible for your meals and accommodations. Whether they must accept your choice to forego the voucher, and whether the reason for making that choice matters, I do not know.
    – phoog
    Nov 28, 2018 at 22:18

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The cash compensation is intended to compensate you for the inconvenience of losing time due to delay/cancellation.

As for your expenses at the airport: The airline is obliged to provide you with meals and refreshments, accommodation if necessary, and so forth. They get to choose how they provide that. If you refuse or ignore their offer of assistance (and the offer was reasonable). then whichever expenses you incur as a result of not taking their offer are not the airline's problem.

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While it would have likely been simpler to get the vouchers, you are entitled reasonable expenses, as specified, from RyanAir in addition to compensation.

If you go to their EU261 claim form, the "Type of Claim" lists both compensation and expenses as options.

The RyanAir EU261 FAQ further states

If you are delayed you may be entitled to the following*:

  • meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time;
  • two telephone calls or e-mails;
  • reasonable hotel accommodation where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary;
  • reasonable transport between the airport and place of accommodation (hotel or other).

and

Customers who wish to submit a travel/transport/refreshments expense/compensation claim following a flight cancellation or delay over 3 hours on arrival can click here to access the EU261 claim form.

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  • But does someone have concrete information about what constitutes "reasonable"? I suppose my 40€ is acceptable (at least for me), but how far can you go?
    – Quora Feans
    Nov 29, 2018 at 0:49
  • @QuoraFeans: Internet and printing where directly related to the delay? Snacks are usually not considered. In my experience (see stranded people around me at airports) the missing launch is often replaced by a sandwich and a bottle of water or a 10 to 15 euro voucher. 12 hours is already enough for 2 (or three meals), so probably 40 is reasonable. Within 12 hours you didn't ask for voucher, so it is difficult to say "reasonable".
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Nov 29, 2018 at 15:00
  • @GiacomoCatenazzi: well, I had to keep connected and print the new tickets. I wouldn't even be there if it was not for the delay. And the queue was really impressive. As I said above, it was RyanAir. Other flights of them were also delayed/cancelled. So, loads of angry people asking for solutions. Add to the top of it that I didn't really know it would be 12h. It was more a slippery delay where every 90 min they announced a new delay.
    – Quora Feans
    Nov 29, 2018 at 17:14
  • @GiacomoCatenazzi You're explicitly entitled to reimbursement for "e-mails" so Internet access is part of that. Snacks are compensated ("refreshments"), though it seems to be a way to cheat you out of the reimbursement for a full meal.
    – user71659
    Nov 29, 2018 at 20:00
  • @QuoraFeans: Often it is easier to use transfer desks/computers to print new tickets (and often it prints also the vouchers). But I'm not sure Ryanair support them. I agree with printing tickets: this backfires Ryanair which requires printed ticket from home (or a supplement).
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Nov 30, 2018 at 10:29

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