If passengers are upgraded (e.g. economy class business class), the airline company cannot request any supplementary payment. If, on the contrary, passengers are downgraded (e.g. business class economy class), the airline company shall provide them reimbursement, that goes from 30 % to 75% of the price of the ticket, within seven days. Upgrading and downgrading: air passengers’ rights If passengers are upgraded (e.g. economy class business class) by the airline company, the latter cannot request any supplementary payment. If, on the contrary, passengers are downgraded (e.g. business class economy class) by the airline company, the latter
Read more →In the event of denied boarding (overbooking) the airline company shall first call for volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for benefits. If the number of volunteers is not sufficient the air carrier may then deny boarding to passengers against their will. In this last case, the air carrier shall “immediately” assist and compensate passengers (from € 250 to € 600). Denied boarding (overbooking): air passengers’ rights Regulation 261/2004, art.4, sets forth air passengers’ rights with reference to the event of
Read more →Those who are under eighteen years of age cannot buy cigarettes but they cannot be sanctioned for smoking at home or outdoors. These rules apply also to foreigners visiting the Italian peninsula for any reason. However, violations are rarely sanctioned by the authorities. During night hours and holidays it is possible to buy cigarettes at the vending machines of the tobacco shops. Foreigners should be aware that the buyer must possess an Italian identity document (identity card/tax code/health card) which
Read more →In case a guest at a European (and thus Italian) hotel suffers damage, destruction or loss (theft) of goods which he had brought (in)to the hotel, the hotel-keeper should be held responsible and therefore the guest has a right to compensation according to European and Italian provisions. In Italy, the liability of the hotel-keeper shall be limited to the value of the goods, up to the equivalent of one hundred (100) times the daily charge for the room. However, the liability of
Read more →The event in which passengers missed their connecting flight not due to a fault of their own is not expressly covered by Regulation 261/2004. However, if some specific elements are met, passengers who missed their connecting flight are entitled to assistance and compensation that can go from € 250 to € 600. Missing a connecting flight: air passengers’ rights The event in which passengers missed their connecting flight not due to a fault of their own (e.g. a delay of a previous flight) is not expressly covered by EC
Read more →In the event of flight cancellation passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation (from € 250 to € 600) from the airline company of interest. There is no right to compensation in case the flight is cancelled due to “extraordinary circumstances”. Technical problems of the aircraft, poor aircraft maintenance or unavailable flight crew are not covered by the concept of “extraordinary circumstances”. Flight cancellation: air passengers’ rights Regulation 261/2004, art. 5, establishes that passengers who were subject to flight cancellation* shall be offered PECUNIARY COMPENSATION and ASSISTANCE from the airline
Read more →According to the Court of Justice of the EU, in the event of flight delay passengers are entitled to assistance and compensation (from € 250 to € 600) if they reach their final destination three hours or more after the arrival time originally scheduled by the air carrier, unless the latter can prove that the long delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances”. Flight delay: air passengers’ rights Although article 6 of Regulation 261/2004 does not establish a right to COMPENSATION in case a flight is delayed, such a right
Read more →Under Regulation (EC) no. 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council dated February 11, 2004, in the event of denied boarding (overbooking), cancellation, and long delay of flights, passengers may be entitled, in addition to assistance, also to a refund and/or compensation that can go from € 250 to € 600. Denied boarding (overbooking), cancellation, and long delay of flights: air passengers’ rights Under Regulation no. 261/2004, in the event of denied boarding (overbooking), cancellation, and long delay of flights, passengers departing from an Italian airport (or any other airport situated in
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