Are children entitled to compensation if a flight is cancelled or delayed?

Entire families with suitcases full of excitement queue at the check-in desks at airports. The beginning of a long-awaited holiday does not always go as planned. Delays, cancellations and overbookings can spoil the dream trip. At such moments, doubts arise as to what rights protect travellers and whether minors are also protected in such circumstances.

The AirCashBack platform clarifies the rights of minors, including infants, which can be up to 600 euros in reimbursements. Passenger rights experts also remind clients that most airlines do not allow children under the age of five to travel alone and that for children between the ages of 5 and 11 a special 'unaccompanied minor' service is usually available, which means that the child travels without a legal guardian but under the care of airline staff. From the age of 12, many airlines already allow children to travel alone, sometimes even without written parental consent.

In either case, under regulation (EC) 261/2004 (the fundamental legal rule protecting air passengers in the European Union) it is made clear that the compensation provided applies to all travellers regardless of age - including infants and children. "As long as a ticket has been paid for, the child has the same right to compensation as an adult in situations such as flight delays of at least three hours, cancellation of the flight with less than 14 days' notice or denied boarding due to overbooking."

In these cases, the amount of compensation depends on the distance of the flight. Rates are set at 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km; 400 euros for flights within the EU over 1,500 km or international flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km; and 600 euros for flights over 3,500 km outside the EU. "These amounts also apply to children, as long as they have a valid airline ticket, even if it was free (obtained through a frequent flyer programme) or purchased with a big discount," AirCashBack explained.

And in the case of children under two years old travelling on their parents' lap, who airlines previously did not consider as full passengers and even did not issue them with tickets with seats and did not recognise their right to compensation, several court rulings, including one by the EU Court of Justice, have changed the approach to this issue. "If a fare has been paid for the baby and the operator has issued a ticket in the baby's name, even without an allocated seat, the child has the right to compensation. Parents are often unaware that passenger rights also apply to their children, even the youngest ones," said AirCashBack's passenger rights experts. The determining factor is whether a ticket has been paid for - regardless of the age or the amount of the fare.

Experts advise documenting any problems with the flight in detail and not delaying the filing of the complaint. "Boarding passes, emails, screenshots and other evidence should be kept. The better we document the incident, the better the chances of success," summarised AirCashBack.

Compensation claims on behalf of a child must be submitted and formalised by the legal guardians - usually the parents. To do so, they should submit the child and guardian's details; a copy of the ticket and booking confirmation; and documentation of the flight incident (e.g. an email from the airline). Claims can be submitted directly on the airline's website or through specialised compensation recovery companies.