Croatia Airlines Denied Boarding Compensation

Croatia Airlines overbooking compensation / denied boarding compensation.

How much is flight overbooking compensation? Rules? How to get it?

Your Croatia Airlines flight is overbooked, and you are denied boarding because of that. Thankfully, in Europe, passengers who are denied boarding are protected under the European law. If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, you are entitled to care from the airline, and in the event of involuntary denied boarding, to EU denied boarding compensation.

There are two ways you can claim this compensation.

1. Croatia Airlines Overbooking Compensation: EU Denied Boarding Regulations

Have you been denied boarding by Croatia Airlines? 

What are your rights? Are you entitled to denied boarding compensation from Croatia Airlines

When it comes to denied boarding due to overbooking, the rules are simple – you are entitled to receive care from the airline, and in the event of involuntary denied boarding, to compensation.

If you’re flying to or from Europe with Croatia Airlines, and you are denied boarding due to overbooking — you are entitled to flight overbooking compensation (EU denied boarding compensation) up to €600.

This only applies to overbookings.

If you are denied boarding because you don’t have a visa, or your passport is about to expire, you won’t get compensation from Croatia Airlines. Also, you can’t get compensation if you voluntarily give up your seat.

Read more: 

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; 
• Regulation UK261

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.

1.1 Voluntary Denied Boarding

What is voluntary denied boarding?

Yes, there are different types of denied boarding. 

First things first — what is overbooking? To ensure that there are no empty seats at take off, often airlines sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane. This is overbooking, and it is a common practice in the aviation industry. However, sometimes all people who bought tickets show up for the flight. Then some passengers have to be denied boarding. 

If this happens, airline has to look for volunteers who will give up their seats and travel later. You could be asked to give up your seat in exchange for a new flight and instant compensation (vouchers or cash). If you are offered compensation like this and you accept it, it’s called voluntary boarding denial.

In this case, you aren’t entitled to denied boarding compensation from Croatia Airlines.

You don’t have to agree to an offer like this.

1.2 Involuntary Denied Boarding

There are situations when passengers don’t have a choice.

There are not enough volunteers. The airline has no choice but to bump people involuntarily. If you were denied boarding involuntarily, know that it’s called involuntarily denied boarding, and you will be eligible for compensation.

What happens in case of involuntary denied boarding?

• The airline must provide you with a new flight;
• The airline must refund you fully if you do not want to take the new flight;
• In addition to that, you are entitled to receive care from the airline*;
• You are entitled to compensation up to €600 per passenger. 

* Croatia Airlines must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. If you have to wait overnight, Croatia Airlines must provide you with free accommodation and free transfer from and to the airport.

1.3 Right to Care

All passengers travelling with Croatia Airlines have a right to care.

If your flight is delayed, cancelled last minute or overbooked, and you are stuck at the airport waiting for your new flight, you have a right to care. 

If you have to wait at the airport for 3 or more hours, the airline has to take care of you. This also applies to all Croatia Airlines flights. Including flight disruptions caused by extraordinary circumstances.

What does it mean for you as a passenger?

Croatia Airlines must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. If your flight is on the next day, the airline has to book you into a hotel free of charge, and provide you with a free transfer. 

Agreeing to these free services doesn’t affect your chances of getting compensation.

Contact the airline if you haven’t been offered anything.

2. How to Claim Croatia Airlines Flight Compensation? How to Claim Flight Overbooking Compensation?

You can claim compensation yourself.

The other option is to work with professionals.

Claiming compensation from Croatia Airlines yourself. Use the contact form on Croatia Airlines website to request flight overbooking compensation. Or write an email to one of the email addresses mentioned on the website. Refer to the above mentioned EU Flight Compensation regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and mention your rights. Request the right compensation amount and don’t agree to Croatia Airlines vouchers. Keep in mind that it might take a while (at least 2-3 months) until you receive denied boarding compensation Croatia Airlines owes you.

You can also take the easiest path — legal representation.

Register your Croatia Airlines compensation claim with the help of a flight compensation company. In this case, you don’t have to do much. Just fill in and sign one form, and the rest will be done by the flight compensation company.

Our partners offer such services.

Read more: Croatia Airlines Missed Connection Compensation

2.1 How Long Does It Take?

No matter how you proceed, it isn’t a short process. 

If everything goes smoothly, you could get compensation within 2-3 months.

If the airline doesn’t cooperate, it will take longer than that. Especially if your case has to be taken to court or national enforcement body.

3. How Much Can You Claim?

In the EU compensation amounts are fixed.

In most situations they range from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can calculate Croatia Airlines compensation yourself:

When your destination is within the EU/UK:

When your destination is outside the EU/UK:

If you are claiming compensation yourself, this is the amount you should be requesting. Otherwise, you might end up with a smaller compensation. Ask for the right amount! Compensation amounts are regulated by the European Union, not Croatia Airlines.

There’s one exception. When the flight distance is 3500+ kilometres and you reach your destination 3 to 4 hours later than planned, you are entitled only to 50% of the compensation amount (that means €300, not €600).

3.1 Croatia Airlines Voucher Code, Discounts or Cash?

According to the law, compensations have to be paid in cash or by bank transfer.

What if Croatia Airlines offers you a voucher instead of compensation or refund? You don’t have to accept it. All airline compensations and refunds in the EU have to be paid in cash or by bank transfer.

So you can request a bank transfer instead.

Croatia Airlines Denied Boarding Compensation: FAQ

Problems With Visa or Passport

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Other Situations

What is your experience? Have you ever received Croatia Airlines overbooking compensation? Do you still have questions about Croatia Airlines compensation claim procedures and policies? Ask in the comments.