Armenpress.am’s coverage of Passenger.am
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS: A new service is being launched in Armenia to restore and protect the rights of airline passengers.
According to Armenpress, the service is provided by the online platform «Passenger.am», which passengers can use to take steps to claim compensation from airlines that have violated their rights.
This innovation already exists in several developed countries. Under EU legislation, any delayed or canceled flight is subject to compensation, provided certain conditions are met.
«Passenger.am» operates on routes regulated by EU law. Specifically, this applies to flights to EU member states or flights operated by airlines registered in any EU country. Passengers must have at least one European airport (EU member state territory) listed on their ticket in order to claim compensation. The regulation allows for compensation ranging from 200 to 600 euros, depending on the distance between the point of origin and the final destination, and in some cases, the duration of the delay is also taken into account, says the project’s author and founder, Vaner Harutyunyan.
The «Passenger.am» team created this system based on personal experience. The entire process is carried out by the website’s team without charging any upfront fees from airline passengers. First, the passenger provides all the information related to their flight. They must simply keep all documents related to the flight, especially the boarding pass, payment receipt, as well as hotel and other documents that include the passenger’s booking confirmation number. The complaint should include details such as the actual time of the aircraft's arrival (not the departure/landing time), as well as photos of the airport screens showing the flight’s delay.
The founders of this Armenian startup urge passengers not to accept or sign any documents in such situations, as it could be a trap set by the airline. They simply need to use the system to protect their rights to the maximum extent possible.
Project author and co-founder Vaner Harutyunyan emphasizes that in order to claim compensation, the delay must be at least 3 hours or the flight must be delayed/canceled.
“If the passenger hasn’t filed a claim with the airline from the day of the flight’s delay or cancellation, it is not an issue,” emphasizes co-founder Gurgen Ghazaryan, “as the passenger has the right to file a claim and demand compensation from the negligent airline within 2 years.”
There is no payment required to use the «Passenger.am» system. The passenger simply needs to authorize the legal team to act on their behalf, and everything is done online.
