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The airline went bankrupt: what you can do

If an airline goes bankrupt, refunds and compensation it owes become claims in its insolvency, and there is no guarantee you will be paid. Depending on how you paid and what you bought, your card issuer or the organiser of your package may still help.

Checked 9 Oct

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A claim in the insolvency

Money the airline owes you, such as a refund or compensation, can be filed as a claim with the insolvency administrator within the deadline set in the proceedings. In Romania, insolvency proceedings and their deadlines are published in the Bulletin of Insolvency Procedures (BPI) of the National Trade Register Office. Passengers are often paid late, in part or not at all.

Your card issuer

If you paid by card for a flight that won't take place, ask your bank about a chargeback. This depends on your bank and the card scheme's rules and time limits, not on the air passenger rules, so ask soon.

A package holiday

If the flight was part of a package holiday, the organiser stays responsible for the whole trip, the flight included (Directive (EU) 2015/2302, article 13). If the organiser itself goes bankrupt, its insolvency protection covers refunds and, where needed, your trip home (article 17).

Claiming on your own, for free

You can claim for free without us: write to the airline first. If it refuses or doesn't answer, you can complain to the national enforcement body (in Romania, ANPC) or ask the European Consumer Centre in your country for help (in Romania, ECC Romania), also for free. It makes sense to come to us when the airline has refused or ignored your claim, or when you would rather not deal with it yourself.

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Questions

Does the airline owe me food or a hotel?

Under EU and UK rules, yes, while you wait for a delayed or cancelled flight: meals and drinks in proportion to the wait, and a hotel with transport if you are stuck overnight. That is separate from compensation.

How far back can I claim?

It depends on the country whose courts would hear the claim. On many EU routes it is several years. The check tells you for your flight.

What does FlyHandled cost?

Checking your flight is free. If we handle the claim, the fee is 25% of what the airline pays, VAT included, plus 15% only if it goes to court, and nothing if it pays nothing.

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