HELP & FAQs
GENERAL
Israel’s aviation law applies to all flights to and from Israel including stopovers (if it is a contiguous flight).
The Law defines a stopover as a ‘stay at an interim destination, for 24 hours at most, for a connecting flight to the Final Destination’
Yes, you are entitled to compensation and reimbursement of expenses.
A “Canceled Flight” is:
1) a flight which has not occurred;
2) a flight which has taken off after a delay of at least eight hours from the time stipulated in the flight ticket
The operating airline is responsible for paying compensation for the delayed or cancelled flights Even if you bought your tickets from another airline.
You can claim compensation up to 4 years after the date of the delayed or cancelled flight.
You are certainly entitled to reimbursement of the cost of the unused portion of the ticket. Furthermore, it is JustNotFare’s position that you are entitled to compensation and the differential in cost of a replacement flight you bought for yourself; if that ticket was more expensive than the original cancelled ticket and reimbursement of other expenses in incurred as a result of the cancellation of the flight.
Yes, airlines are required to inform passengers of their rights under Israeli law in the event of a delay, cancellation or denied boarding.
Contact us at JustNotFare and we will make every effort to recover every Dollar/Shekel/ GBP that is owed to you by the airline.
Yes, compensation rules apply to both domestic and international flights.
If you need to cancel your flight, your entitlement to a refund or rebooking will depend on the airline’s cancellation policy and the type of ticket purchased.
Yes, where you bought your ticket has no bearing on the law. By way of example, if you are entitled to a refund the airline is required to pay you directly as opposed to the third-party website.
The law requires the airline to pay the cost of the ticket in full including ‘any fees, levies, taxes and other obligatory payments’.
As long as the ticket was not free, even if you paid a very reduced fare for children/infants, the child/infant is entitled to compensation just like the adult passengers.
Yes, you are entitled to compensation in that instance. The law says that you are not entitled to compensation if you received a Flight Ticket without payment or a Flight Ticket has been acquired at a special tariff which is not given directly or indirectly to the public, unless the ticket has been issued to him by virtue of his membership in a program for the giving of bonuses of a Flight Operator or Organizer
JUSTNOTFARE
Israel and the EU have laws protecting air travelers and therefore we pursue claims under those laws.
The laws that exist in the US to protect air travelers are almost non-existent. We predict that in the near future, the US will pass laws protecting air travelers, like those that exist in the EU and Israel, and at that point we will pursue claim for US domestic flights as well.
In fact, we do pay referral fees. If you refer someone to us, please ensure they mention your name. Upon success, you will receive a referral fee.
We will need your flight details/e-ticket, boarding pass, receipts for expenses incurred due to the delay or cancellation and a copy of passports.
The airline’s demand to see official ID documentation of the claimants accompanied by a signed power of attorney form as proof that we were authorized by you to pursue this claim on your behalf.
There are never any upfront fees charged by JustNotFare.
There are no fees owed to just not fair if we are unsuccessful in collecting funds on your behalf (rarely, if ever are we unsuccessful).
Recovery of funds while in the claim stage (prior to filing a lawsuit).
- 20% of the amount recovered for reimbursement of any of your out-of-pocket expenses
- 33.3% of the amount of the value recovered (other than out-of-pocket expenses)
Recovery of funds after commencing litigation
- 33.3% of the amount recovered for reimbursement of any of your out-of-pocket expenses
- 50% of the amount of the value recovered (other than out-of-pocket expenses)
No, you do not.
We send the claim letter to the airline and if they don’t pay in a timely manner, we commence litigation to give them the nudge to do the ‘right thing’ by you.
DELAYED FLIGHTS
Under Israeli law, if your flight is delayed for more than 2 hours, the airline must provide you with food and drink (at the airline’s expense as opposed to them telling you to spend the money and then submit the expenses for reimbursement).
If the delay exceeds 5 hours but less than 8 hours, you are entitled to food, drink, hotel with transportation to/from the hotel and a refund or a replacement ticket (at the airline’s expense as opposed to them telling you to spend the money and then submit the expenses for reimbursement).
If the delay is 8 hours or more, the law considers your flight cancelled even if it takes off 8:01 after the original flight time (see cancellations to learn about your entitlements).
If your flight is delayed overnight, it is deemed cancelled (8+ hour delays). The airline is required to provide you with accommodation and transportation between the airport and the hotel (at the airline’s expense as opposed to them telling you to spend the money and then submit the expenses for reimbursement).
Yes, if the delay causes you to miss a connecting flight and arrive at your destination 3 or more hours later than planned, you may be entitled to compensation if both legs of the trip are by the same operating airline.
Yes, airlines are required to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities during delays, including accessible accommodation and transportation if necessary.
CANCELLED FLIGHTS
If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund or an alternative flight to your destination. Additionally, you may be entitled to compensation depending on distance of your flight:
If the airline informs you of the cancellation at least 14 days before the scheduled departure, they are not required to pay compensation.
The airline is excused from paying cancellation when they cancel a flight if:
the flight has been cancelled due to special circumstances which were not under its control, and even if it would have done whatever was under its control – it could not have prevented the cancelation due to those circumstances;
It is JustNotFare’s position that the airline owes compensation if they cancel a flight due to bad weather. Bad weather is not considered a ‘special circumstances’ and even it was the airline had to everything in its power to avoid the cancellation considering that ‘special circumstances’. Since inclement weather is forecasted days in advance, if the airline got caught in that inclement weather and had to cancel the flight, it is because they ’sat on their hands’ rather than taking all efforts to get the flight off considering the forecasted weather. Consequently, it is JustNotFare’s position that bad weather does not satisfy the exception and therefore the airline must pay compensation when they cancel a flight due to bad weather.
It is JustNotFare’s position that the airline owes compensation if they cancel a flight due to mechanical difficulties/failure. The theory is that mechanical difficulties/failure does not satisfy the first part of the exception ‘the flight has been canceled due to special circumstances which were not under its control,’
With proper preventative maintenance/repairs ‘problems with planes’ can be avoided 100% of the time, after all, the airlines seem to have mastered doing just enough preventative maintenance/repairs so that their planes do not fall out of the sky due to mechanical failure/malfunction (that is bad for business…); 100% of the time. The fact that they suffered a mechanical failure is proof positive that they did not do adequate preventative maintenance/repairs…so not only was the cause of the cancellation not beyond their control; THEY CAUSED IT! Consequently, they must pay compensation.
Depends.
It is JustNotFare’s position that the airline owes compensation if (if the situation does not fall under the following scenarios, then compensation is not owed):
- It is the airline’s own workers who are striking (as opposed to airport employees) and it is not a wildcat strike but rather there was advanced notice of the impending strike; or
- It is the airport employees who are striking but only if there was advanced notice of the impending strike
DENIED BOARDING
If your flight is overbooked and you are denied boarding, you are entitled to compensation, a refund, or an alternative flight, as well as refreshments, meals, and accommodation if necessary.
If you volunteer to give up your seat, you may negotiate compensation directly with the airline. MAKE SURE, YOU GET THE TERMS OF YOUR AGREEMENT WITH THE AILRINE IN WRITING!
LOST/DELAYED LUGGAGE
Report the issue to the airline immediately and fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport. Compensation for baggage issues is governed by the Montreal Convention.
The airline is required to reimburse you. Of all reasonable interim purchases up to the upper limit listed in the Montreal Convention (approx. $1,700 per passenger).
The airlines are less likely to (voluntarily) reimburse the cost of the interim purchases if you are returning home. They assume that you have more clothing at home and therefore your interim purchases were not necessary. JustNotFare has fought on behalf of many clients in this exact scenario and once we get involved, the airline generally reimburses interim purchases.
If you have questions that are not answered or you would like further clarification of one of our answers, please feel free to email us at JustNotFare@gmail.com and we will make all efforts to respond in a most timely manner.