Flight compensation Germanwings:
Cologne — Istanbul

Legal right to compensation: Germanwings flight between Cologne and Istanbul

Your claim for compensation for the Germanwings flight from Cologne to Istanbul deserves to be examined. A flight delay or cancellation is a frustrating experience for any traveler.

European legislation strictly frames passenger rights. For a distance of 2 030 km as is the case here, legal compensation is due if the company is at fault.

Why are you entitled to 400 €?

The European Regulation EC 261/2004 is very strict regarding air passenger rights. The amount of fixed compensation does not depend on the price of your ticket, but only on the flight distance.

Did you know? Even if Germanwings is a non-EU airline, if the flight takes off from Cologne Bonn Airport, the European regulation applies in full.

How to know if the flight Germanwings Cologne - Istanbul is eligible?

Don't confuse ticket refund and legal compensation! Even if Germanwings offers you a voucher for your Cologne - Istanbul flight, you can still claim the 400 euros cash provided by law.

In the case of a cancellation, if you are notified less than 14 days before your departure from Cologne, the regulation applies in the same way.

What are the conditions for Germanwings to compensate you?

• Delay at arrival: You arrived with more than 3 hours delay at Istanbul.
• Cancellation: The airline cancelled the flight less than 14 days before departure.
• Overbooking: You were denied boarding against your will at Cologne airport.
• Airline responsibility: The problem must be attributable to Germanwings (technical problem, sick crew, scheduling...).

The impact of a strike on your Germanwings compensation

A work stoppage of Germanwings crews is considered inherent in the normal activity of the carrier and no longer constitutes a valid excuse to refuse the 400 €.

Even if 400 € is not payable due to an external strike at Cologne, assistance (meals/hotel) remains mandatory for Germanwings.

What are your rights at Cologne airport in case of prolonged wait?

Don't buy your food without first asking Germanwings for coupons. If you do, keep your receipts carefully.

Your forced stay at Cologne shouldn't cost you a penny more than originally planned for your CGN-SAW trip.

Steps: how to get your 400 € from Germanwings?

For your Cologne - Istanbul trip, every minute counts. Note the reasons given by Germanwings staff at the Cologne Bonn Airport counter during the incident.

If you don't have the time or the desire to engage in long email exchanges, delegating your claim to lawyers is the most effective solution to see your 400 € arrive in your bank account.

How long does it take to get the 400 € compensation?

Airlines like Germanwings sometimes prioritize cases defended by law firms to avoid late interests.

Technology today allows real-time tracking of the progress of your request against Germanwings on your smartphone.

What to do faced with silence or refusal from the airline?

It is not uncommon for a claim for 400 € to be automatically rejected by the company's algorithms under a fallacious generic pretext.

In the last instance, it is the summons to court that often unlocks the payment. The company Germanwings will always prefer to compromise and pay the 400 € rather than incur additional legal costs for a lost cause in court.