If you believe that something has not worked as it should before, during or after your flight, it is good to know what rights exist for air passengers. To obtain information about what rights exist for air travelers, you should contact the Swedish Consumer Agency.
There are strict rules regarding compensation for air passengers in the event of, for example, delays, cancelled flights, when something happens to luggage or if someone is injured on board.
The rules primarily give you the right to assistance in the form of rebooking your flight ticket and service during unplanned waiting times, but in some cases you are entitled to financial compensation.
The Swedish Consumer Agency is responsible for helping you if something happens to you or your luggage before, after or during your flight.
When something happens
The main rule is that you should always try to resolve any situation that arises on the spot. The airline often has representatives at the airport that you can contact.
You can get help from the representatives if, for example, you have been affected by:
- delay
- that your luggage is damaged upon arrival
- You need to stay overnight in a hotel due to a severe delay.
Airlines are required to provide information about passenger rights to passengers who are overbooked, have their flights cancelled or have had a delay of at least two hours. The information must include facts about passenger rights in the EU and how to contact the authority that oversees the rules.
If you are not satisfied with the assistance you receive from the airline, you can contact the Swedish Consumer Agency for advice. If you require compensation, you can contact the Swedish Complaints Board.
Contact the Consumer Agency
The Swedish Consumer Agency is primarily responsible for passenger rights, and in some cases it is the Swedish Complaints Board that you should contact.
You can find information about passenger rights on the Swedish Consumer Agency's website. There you will also find information on what to do if the airline you were supposed to travel with has gone bankrupt.
Information about passenger rights is also available in a mobile app developed by the European Commission, which you can download to your smartphone.
The Swedish Consumer Agency believes that it is important that passengers are aware of their rights. If the airline provides correct information to affected passengers on site, passengers can claim their rights directly without having to go to an authority afterwards.
Rules
- EC Regulation No 261/2004
- Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 of 9 October on air carrier liability in the event of accidents and its amending Regulation: Regulation (EC) No 889/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 May 2002 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 on air carrier liability in the event of accidents
- The Montreal Convention is also included in Swedish legislation, as an appendix to the Act (SFS 2010:510) on air transport.
- the Aviation Act (2010:500).
