How to avoid unpleasant surprises after booking a flight

Flight time change

A delay or cancellation communicated on the day of departure is one thing, regulated by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 with compensation from 250 to 600 euros for delays over three hours; a modification of the flight time communicated days or weeks in advance is another, which instead follows the transport conditions of the individual airline. When the shift exceeds a few hours, almost all European airlines still allow you to rebook at no additional cost or to request a full refund. Knowing in detail the steps to follow in these cases prevents you from having to reorganize already booked transfers or parking without knowing who to turn to.

Variations to the conditions of the ticket already purchased

An update to the baggage policy after purchase is rare but possible, and must be checked in the communications received by email. More frequent, however, is the fare difference charged in case of voluntary date modification: in addition to any fixed penalty, you also pay the difference compared to the current price of the new flight, which can be significantly higher if the new date is close to departure or during a peak demand period.

Communications not to miss

Airlines send notices of flight time changes, requests for reconfirmation or check-in instructions to the email address used during booking, often with a limited time window to respond or choose an alternative. Also checking the spam folder in the days before departure prevents missing communications that require action by a specific deadline.

Save the email address used for booking among trusted senders and check it, including spam, in the week before departure: that's where the notices of flight time change arrive with the deadline to choose rebooking or refund.