What rights do passengers have and what should they do?

According to the flight status published by Aeropuertos Argentina, new low-cost cancellations were recorded this Friday morning. Among them, the departures scheduled for 7:45 from Ezeiza to Iguazú and 8:05 to the city of Salta were suspended. Although the strongest cancellations were concentrated between last Thursday and Tuesday of this week, the interruptions have continued since then, with delays and suspensions that continue to affect passengers.

In this scenario, it is key to know What are the rights of passengers? The airline regulations in force in Argentina are governed by the Montreal Convention and Decree No. 809/2024, which establishes the obligations of airlines regarding delays, rescheduling and cancellations.

According to the decree, when the delay or rescheduling exceeds four hours and does not exceed eightthe airline must provide sufficient meals and refreshments according to the waiting time. If the delay occurs at night —between 0 and 6 in the morning—, the obligation to attend applies, even if the minimum four hours have not been met.

In cases where the delay or rescheduling exceeds eight hours, In addition to food assistance, the airline must guarantee accommodation and transfers between the airport and the hotel. The regulations also provide that the carrier must take charge of the necessary arrangements to relocate passengers who miss a connecting flight as a result of the delay.

These benefits They do not prevent the passenger from claiming additional expenses derived from the delay or cancellation.such as lost hotel nights, transfers or previously contracted services that could not be used.

In the case of flights to or from Europe, European Union regulations also apply (EC Regulation 261/2004 and its updates), which provides for financial compensation depending on the distance of the flight and the number of hours of delay.

Nevertheless, the law provides exceptions. Las Airlines are not required to provide these services. when the cancellation or delay is due to meteorological conditions, unforeseeable event or force majeure, or when the change has been informed to the passenger at least 15 days in advance. Even so, they must guarantee clear and truthful information about the situation.

In cases of cancellation, the carrier must offer alternatives, such as including the passenger on the immediately subsequent flight, reroute it via another route, endorse the contract to another airline or manage an alternative means of transportation, always subject to availability.

“It is essential that passengers keep all records of expenses, maintain communications with the airline and take into account whether or not they are in their place of residence,” explained Santiago Aramburu, from the firm TurHelp, specialized in legal advice in tourism.

In this regard, Flybondi clarified to Clarín: “The customer service team establishes how relocation priority of these passengers on the available flights closest to the original time or date. It must be considered that, because it is at the beginning of the season, This priority can become more complex due to the occupancy level of all existing flights.”

In the midst of the cancellations and rescheduling that affected more than 150 flights so far this year, Flybondi assured that it is making progress in the regularization of its air operation and announced on Thursday the incorporation of four new aircraft, that will begin to operate once they complete the authorization process.

According to the company, the reinforcement of the fleet seeks to stabilize the schedule and improve punctuality during the high summer season.

However, the Government focused on the airline’s conduct, particularly for the flight cancellation without prior notice. And in that framework, the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) filed infringement proceedings against low cost for non-compliance in the provision of the service and warned that passenger complaints could lead to additional sanctions, ranging from financial fines to the suspension or cancellation of the authorization to operate.