If you’re faced with flight delays or cancellations, you have a right to care.
In most instances, this implies complimentary meals and accommodation at no charge.
Should your TAROM flight be delayed, cancelled last minute, or changed, you’re eligible for certain complimentary services from TAROM. When your delay lasts 3 hours or more, you are to receive free meals and beverages. In case of an overnight delay, TAROM is obligated to arrange a free hotel stay for you.
Right to Care From TAROM
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 ensures protection for air passengers.
This means that passengers travelling on European airlines have a right to care from the airline. This means that you are entitled to free meals and accommodation, depending on a length of your delay.
Short Delays (3+ Hours)
You can get: meals and beverages.
If your delay lasts three or more hours and it falls during daylight hours, TAROM is committed to offering you free meals and drinks. Furthermore, you’ll be entitled to two complimentary phone calls, emails, or fax communications.
These benefits are usually provided in the form of vouchers.
Long Delays (Overnight)
You can get: meals, beverages, hotel accommodation and airport transfers.
In the event of an overnight flight delay, TAROM is responsible for arranging free accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, meals, and drinks. If you’ve not been notified about these conditions, it’s advisable to reach out to TAROM promptly.
How to Get Free Food and Free Hotel Accommodation?
TAROM has a commitment to its passengers, ensuring that during long waits at the airport, resources such as free food, free hotel accommodation, and airport transfer are readily available. These provisions are automatically offered, eliminating the need for you to make a request.
If these services are not offered, it is essential to reach out to the TAROM customer service counter and inquire. It is a requirement by European law for the airline to provide these amenities free of charge during 3+ hour-long delays and last-minute cancellations.
On rare occasions, if the airline fails to arrange these services for you, you may find yourself organising them. Be sure to keep all receipts and proof of expenses for food, beverages, transfers, and hotel stays. Once you have these, you can present a reimbursement claim to TAROM, indicating your costs during the delay. Be sure to provide all the necessary details and receipts to facilitate a seamless reimbursement process.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Let’s start with the definition.
What Are Extraordinary Circumstances?
Extraordinary circumstances describe situations that are beyond the airline’s control, leading to changes, delays, or cancellations of flights. These conditions could be severe weather disruptions, labour strikes unrelated to the airline, security threats, political unrest, or hidden technical issues compromising flight safety.
During these instances, while they may cause inconvenience, the airline is not required to provide compensation as stipulated under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. However, the right to care as outlined above, remains unaffected.
If your flight is disrupted due to extraordinary circumstances, you are still entitled to care from the airline.
Are Technical Problems Considered Extraordinary Circumstances?
In most instances, technical issues are not classified as extraordinary circumstances under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. The regulation clearly indicates that technical problems arising from regular airline operations are not extraordinary, as they fall within the airline’s jurisdiction.
Such issues can include regular maintenance or minor fixes. These problems are within the standard duties of an airline, and thus, cannot serve as a basis for exemption from offering compensation or care to passengers.
However, if the technical issue is a hidden manufacturing defect posing a flight safety risk, it may be categorised as extraordinary. This is because these situations are rare, pose immediate threats to the safe operation of the aircraft, and fall outside the regular technical operations of the airline.
Right to Care in Extraordinary Circumstances
Passengers retain the right to care even during extraordinary circumstances.
Although TAROM may not be required to offer compensation for delays or cancellations resulting from situations beyond their control, they are obligated to guarantee your comfort during extended waiting times. This includes providing meals, refreshments, and accommodation in the event of delays.
The same rule applies regarding alternate transportation provisions in case a flight is cancelled – this is a right you possess.
Right to Care: FAQ
In this section, we will answer some frequently asked questions about passengers’ right to care during flight delays and cancellations with TAROM.
What Is the Right to Care?
The right to care refers to the duties airlines must fulfil towards their passengers in the event of flight delays, overbooking, and flight cancellations. European law mandates airlines to ensure passengers’ comfort during these situations, which includes offering free meals, refreshments, and accommodation in significant delay cases.
Do I Have a Right to Care If My Flight Is Delayed? How Do I Get These Free Services?
If your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more, TAROM should automatically provide you with services such as free meals and drinks, and necessary accommodation in case of overnight delays.
If these services aren’t provided, you may contact the TAROM customer service counter at the airport to inquire. Alternatively, you can personally bear the cost of the services and then file a claim for a refund later. The quicker you do this, the better.
Am I Entitled to the Right to Care If My Flight Is Canceled?
Yes, if your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to the right to care.
This means TAROM is obligated to provide you with meals, drinks, and accommodation (if necessary), as well as an alternative mode of transport to your destination. If the cancellation is due to the airline’s fault, you also have a right to flight cancellation compensation.
Read more: Last-Minute Flight Cancellation: Your Rights
Am I Entitled to Care if My Flight Was Disrupted Due to Extraordinary Circumstances?
No, even in extraordinary circumstances, which are situations beyond the airline’s control, the right to care still stands.
This implies that even if your flight is delayed or cancelled due to severe weather, security threats, or some strikes (unrelated to the airline), you are still entitled to free meals, drinks, and accommodation (if needed).
How Do I Request Reimbursement If I Had to Arrange for My Accommodation and Meals?
If you had to arrange for your meals, accommodation, or airport transfers due to TAROM’s failure to do so, keep all invoices and proof of purchase. You can submit these, along with a detailed account of your expenses during the delay, to TAROM for reimbursement.
Remember, this policy only applies to essential costs, not anything else. Don’t expect to spend large sums on extravagant meals and get reimbursement from the airline.
Does the Right to Care Apply to All TAROM Flights?
The right to care applies to all TAROM flights to and from Europe.
As TAROM is an EU airline, the right to care under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to all of its flights both departing from and arriving in Europe. However, it’s crucial to note that with non-European airlines, this regulation only applies to flights that are departing from Europe. Flights on non-European airlines that are arriving in Europe from other parts of the world are not covered under this EU law.
Does This Apply Only to Europeans?
No, the right to care applies to all passengers on TAROM flights irrespective of their nationality.
The laws that grant passengers the right to care are Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and Regulation UK261, both established by the European Union and the UK government. These regulations state that any airline operating in Europe must provide care and compensation for affected passengers when applicable. This means that the right to care applies to all passengers on TAROM flights, regardless of their nationality.
The only exception is in the case of non-European airlines, where this regulation applies only to flights departing from Europe and not those arriving in Europe from other parts of the world.
By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.