Your Norwegian compensation claim is denied.
It can be particularly disheartening when you’ve lodged the claim independently and are uncertain about your eligibility in the first place. What should your next step be? Is pursuing it further worth your time? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’ You can consider handing your claim over to a flight compensation firm to proceed on your behalf. However, that’s not the only path open to you.
You can continue to fight for your rights independently.
Norwegian Compensation Claim Denied: Your Next Steps
Your Norwegian compensation claim is denied. Now what?
You have other options for seeking compensation from Norwegian. However, before escalating the matter, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the law and understand your rights fully. Do you even have a right to Norwegian compensation for delay or cancellation?
1. Collaborating with Flight Compensation Agencies
The simplest solution is to collaborate with a flight compensation agency.
All you need to do is fill out an online form, supply them with copies of your boarding pass and passport, and sign the claim. You won’t have to worry about much else. The agency handles the rest. You won’t need to communicate with Norwegian anymore. Should they need answers to specific questions that only you can answer, they will get in touch with you. The only downside is that most flight compensation firms charge around 25-45% of the compensation amount.
Our partners offer such services.
When choosing this option, here is all you will have to do:
And that’s it — the rest is handled by professionals.
* Your boarding pass and passport or ID copy.
What is the cost?
Generally, the cost equates to approximately 25 to 35 percent of the compensation. The balance is transferred to you. The best thing is that mostly, if you don’t succeed in securing compensation, you won’t be charged anything.
Read more:
- How to Claim Norwegian Compensation?
- Your Norwegian Refund Is Taking Forever. What Can You Do About It?
2. Reaching Out to the NEB of The Country Your Flight Originated From
Collaborating with a flight compensation company isn’t the only recourse. The next course of action, after your own unsuccessful attempt at contacting the airline or if you receive no response, is reaching out to the NEB (National Enforcement Bodies).
This doesn’t entail any costs but it’s not as straightforward as working with a flight compensation agency and may be time-consuming. Typically, your compensation request will take at least 2 months to be processed. The main disadvantage is that even if the NEB responds positively to your request, it doesn’t ensure that you will receive compensation. Norwegian may still refuse the request.
You can locate the National Enforcement Bodies here.
The National Enforcement Bodies assist passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight delay or cancellation, as well as enforces the regulation Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and makes sure passengers are treated according to these rules.
3. Escalating the Case to Court
The next recourse is to escalate the matter to court.
It’s highly recommended to first secure a positive ruling from the NEB before proceeding to court. Such a ruling will greatly strengthen your case against the airline (Norwegian, in this instance). While this is the most complicated option, it’s also quite effective. Prior to presenting your complaint in court, ensure that your claim is legitimate. Revisit your rights and formulate your argument well. Only then can you assure yourself that escalating the matter to court is worthwhile.
If you have a ruling from the NEB affirming your eligibility for compensation, include it with your court documents.
Keep in mind, escalating your complaint to court involves costs.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Airlines often circumvent specifying the precise reason for rejecting your claim.
They typically give you a vague reason and leave it at that.
They are especially fond of attributing “everything” to extraordinary circumstances.
The rationale behind this is straightforward – paying compensation doesn’t generate profits for a company. Hence, airlines try to evade paying any compensations. They know that most passengers aren’t well-informed about their rights and they capitalize on this knowledge. When you hear the term ‘extraordinary circumstances,’ approach it with a degree of skepticism.
According to the EU regulation 261/2004, airlines aren’t obligated to pay flight compensation if the disruption is due to extraordinary circumstances. These include severe weather, political and civil unrest, and concealed manufacturing defects. Yes, only concealed manufacturing defects are considered extraordinary circumstances. Most technical issues, just like staff strikes, are deemed the airline’s liability.
Additionally, bad weather isn’t always categorized as an extraordinary circumstance. In some instances, the weather is absolutely predictable. For example, snow during winter months (unless it’s an unusual occurrence). In such cases, the airline is expected to take necessary measures to operate the flight on time.
Determine the true reason behind the delay or cancellation. It’s important.
Instances Where Norwegian Owes You Flight Compensation
You have the right to claim flight compensation from Norwegian under several situations including flight delays, cancellations, and instances of overbooking leading to denied boarding.
1. Flight Delays
In accordance with the EU regulation 261/2004, Norwegian is obligated to compensate you if your flight arrives at your destination with a delay exceeding three hours.
The compensation sum is calculated based on the extent of the delay and the distance of the flight. For instance, if a flight you took from London to Paris, a journey less than 1,500km, is delayed by four hours, you are due €250 as compensation.
Read more: Norwegian Flight Delay Compensation
2. Flight Cancellations
Should your flight be cancelled without a minimum notice of 14 days, you are entitled to compensation.
The compensation sum fluctuates based on the distance of the flight and the delay experienced at the final destination. For example, if a flight you planned from Rome to New York, a long-haul journey exceeding 3,500km, gets cancelled without adequate notice and you end up reaching your final destination more than four hours late due to a replacement flight (you can opt for refund), you are due €600 as compensation.
Read more: Norwegian Flight Cancellation Compensation
3. Denied Boarding Due to Overbooking
Airlines often overbook flights in anticipation of some passengers not showing up. If you are denied boarding because of overbooking and you didn’t willingly forfeit your seat, you are entitled to compensation.
The compensation sum depends on the flight distance. Suppose you’re flying from Berlin to Madrid, a medium distance between 1,500km and 3,500km, and you are denied boarding because of overbooking. If you reach your final destination more than three hours late, you are entitled to €400 in compensation.
Read more: Norwegian Denied Boarding Compensation
What is your experience with Norwegian compensation claims? Do you have a first-hand experience of rejected Norwegian compensation claim? Did you take the case to NEB or court?