Air Malta Denied Boarding Compensation

Air Malta overbooking compensation / denied boarding compensation.

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

To ensure that there are no empty seats, airlines often overbook flights. But what if everyone shows up for their flight? Someone has to be denied boarding. Boarding denial is a common practice in the aviation industry. And Air Malta is not an exception. Thankfully, passengers in the EU are protected against flight overbooking. In the event of overbooking, passengers have a right to care. In some cases, the airline is obliged to pay EU denied boarding compensation.

There are two ways you can claim this compensation.

1. Air Malta Overbooking Compensation: EU Denied Boarding Regulations

Have you been denied boarding by Air Malta? 

What are your rights in this situation? Are you entitled to compensation?

When it comes to denied boarding due to overbooking, the rules are simple – you have a right to care. And in some cases, the airline is obliged to pay youdenied boarding compensation.

If you’re flying to or from Europe with Air Malta, and you are involuntarily 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 of some other issues (e.g., passport about to expire, no visa), or if you voluntarily give up your seat, you won’t get compensation from Air Malta. 

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. 

Your flight is overbooked. Unfortunately everyone with tickets shows up for their flight. Now there are not enough seats. What is going to happen? The airline has to look for volunteers who will give up their seats and travel later. 

You might be asked to give up your seat in exchange for a new flight (free) and instant cash or voucher compensation. If your flight is on the next day, you will be provided with a free hotel stay. 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 Air Malta.

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. People have to be denied boarding involuntarily.

If this happens to you, know that it’s called involuntarily denied boarding, and you are entitled 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. 

* Air Malta 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, Air Malta must provide you with free accommodation and free transfer from and to the airport.

1.3 Right to Care

All passengers travelling with Air Malta have a right to care.

If you are stranded at the airport due to flight disruption or denied boarding, you have a right to care. It applies to all situations when you have to wait for 3 or more hours for your flight.

Including flight disruptions caused by extraordinary circumstances.

What does it mean for you as a passenger?

Air Malta 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 provide you with a free hotel stay and free transfer. 

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

2. How to Claim Air Malta Flight Compensation? How to Claim Flight Overbooking Compensation?

You can claim compensation yourself.

The other option is to work with professionals.

Claiming compensation from Air Malta yourself. Contact Air Malta using the contact form on their website. Request compensation for denied boarding. When submitting Air Malta flight compensation claim, refer to the above-mentioned Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. Request the appropriate compensation amount and refuse any Air Malta vouchers. It might take a while until the airline gets back to you. You might need to send additional information to Air Malta. It might take a few months until you receive the denied boarding compensation Air Malta owes you.

You can also take the easiest path — legal representation.

Register your Air Malta compensation claim with the help of a flight compensation company. In this case, you don’t have to do much. Fill in and sign compensation claim form. The flight compensation company will do the rest. 

Our partners offer such services.

Read more: Air Malta Missed Connection Compensation

2.1 How Long Does It Take?

Every case is different.

Most people get compensation in a few months. 

There are situations when it’s an easy case, and compensation is transferred to a passenger’s bank account after 2-3 months. And there are situations when it takes more time. Often airlines wrongly deny claims, and refuse to cooperate. That’s why often it takes more than 2-3 months. As you can see, it just takes time and you have to be persistent.

If this sounds like too much work and hassle, work with a flight compensation company.

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 Air Malta compensation yourself:

When your destination is within the EU/UK:

When your destination is outside the EU/UK:

If you are claiming compensation on your own, this is the amount you should be demanding. Otherwise you might end up with a smaller compensation. Airlines do that sometimes. But you don’t have to agree to anything less.

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 Air Malta Voucher Code, Discounts or Cash?

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

Quite often airlines offer vouchers instead of refund and compensation. And people accept them because they don’t know that according to the EU law they are entitled to bank transfer. If Air Malta offers you a voucher, request a bank transfer instead. 

Air Malta Denied Boarding Compensation: FAQ

Problems With Visa or Passport

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Other Situations

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