Colombia - Passenger Rights | Rules and notices | Travel information

This notice contains important information about your rights under the Reglamentos Aeronáuticos de Colombia, Actividades Aéreas Civiles (“RAC 3”).

The rights referred to in this notice apply in the following circumstances:

You have been involuntarily denied boarding or your flight has been (a) delayed by more than one (1) hour; (b) brought forward by more than one (1) hour; or (c) canceled;
You hold a confirmed reservation on the flight, purchased at a fare available to the general public;
Your flight is scheduled to be operated by Emirates;
Your flight is scheduled to depart/arrive at an airport in Colombia; and
You have not received benefits or compensation under any other applicable law or regulation for the same event.

1. Denied boarding

If you are involuntarily denied boarding due to overbooking or another reason attributable to Emirates, provided you have presented yourself for check in before the check in deadline specified in our Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage, we will provide you with:

Transportation to your final destination (on the next available Emirates flight on the same date and route or, if this is not possible, on the next available flight of another airline); and
Compensation equivalent to 30% of the value of the affected flight segment or an Emirates Denied Boarding Options Voucher (if you agree to this alternative form of compensation). Please note that you will not receive this compensation if you voluntarily agree not to travel on your scheduled flight.

2. Flight cancellation

A. Cancellation due to reasons beyond Emirates’ control
If your flight is cancelled due to reasons beyond our control (including weather-related reasons that affect safety) you will be entitled to the following rights:

If the cancellation occurs at the start of your journey, our only liability to you shall be to refund the price of your ticket.
If your journey has already commenced, you may choose between:
a) a refund of the price of the untraveled segment of your journey; or
b) alternative transportation to your destination.

If you are not provided with a refund under Section 2.A., you will benefit from the rights described in Section 2.B. below, but you will not be entitled to (i) accommodation if the cancellation occurred at the start of your journey due to reasons beyond Emirates’ control or (ii) monetary compensation.

B. Cancellation in other circumstances
If your flight is cancelled due to (a) reasons beyond our control (including weather-related reasons that affect safety) and you have not been provided with a refund in accordance with Section 2.A. or (b) reasons within our control, you will be entitled to the following rights:

If there is a delay before the cancellation of your flight, you will be entitled to the assistance detailed in Section 3.B (but not to monetary compensation).
You then have the option to choose between a refund of the price paid for the segment corresponding to the cancelled flight (please refer to Section 2.A. in case of cancellation due to reasons beyond Emirates’ control) or alternative transportation to your destination.
If you choose a refund and the flight cancellation was within our control, you will also be entitled to compensation equal to 30% of the value of the affected flight segment, unless you agree to an alternative form of compensation.
If you choose alternative transportation to your destination, we will:
a) cover your accommodation expenses (unless you are at your place of residence);
b) provide you with transfers between the airport and your accommodation; and
c) if the flight was cancelled due to reasons within our control and your new flight departs more than six (6) hours after your original scheduled time of departure, provide you with compensation equal to 30% of the value of the affected flight segment, unless you agree to an alternative form of compensation.

3. Flight delay

A. Delay due to reasons beyond Emirates’ control

If your flight is delayed due to reasons beyond our control (including weather-related reasons that affect safety) you will be entitled to the following rights:

If the delay occurs at the start of your journey, and you no longer want to continue with your journey with us, our only liability to you shall be to refund the price of your ticket.
If your journey has already commenced, and you no longer want to continue your journey with us, you may ask for a refund of the price of the untraveled segment of your journey.

If you are not provided with a refund under Section 3.A., you will benefit from the rights described in Section 3.B. below, but you will not be entitled to (i) accommodation if the delay occurred at the start of your journey due to reasons beyond Emirates’ control or (ii) monetary compensation.

B. Delay in other circumstances
If your flight is delayed due to (a) reasons beyond our control (including weather-related reasons that affect safety) and you have not been provided with a refund in accordance with Section 3.A. or (b) reasons within our control, you will be entitled to the following rights that depend on the number of hours your flight is delayed on departure:

Delay of more than one (1) hour but less than three (3) hours – you will be entitled to a snack and a telephone call lasting no longer than three (3) minutes (or to use a faster communication method if available). However, if the cause of the delay has been resolved and your flight is expected to depart within the next fifteen (15) minutes, we may refrain from providing this assistance, if doing so would cause further delay.
Delay of more than three (3) hours but less than five (5) hours - in addition to the above, we will provide you with a meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending on the time of day).
Delay exceeding five (5) hours - in addition to the above, if the delay goes past 22:00 (local time) and you are not at your place of residence, we will provide accommodation and transfers to and from the airport and the accommodation. This does not apply if you agree to wait longer at the airport when it is likely that your flight will depart within a reasonable period. If your flight is delayed by more than five (5) hours due to reasons within our control, you will also be entitled to compensation equal to 30% of the value of the affected flight segment, unless you agree to an alternative form of compensation.

4. Flight brought forward

If the original scheduled time of departure of your flight has been brought forward by more than one (1) hour and you have not been informed of this, or if you are unable to travel at the new time despite being informed, we will provide transportation to your final destination on the next available Emirates flight, on the same route. If this is not possible, we will book you on the next available flight operated by another airline. If the alternative flight option(s) we offer are not suitable, you may request a refund for the flight segment(s).

Questions and complaints

If you have any questions related to your rights under Colombia’s RAC 3, or to file a request for compensation, please contact the Emirates Customer Affairs department directly using the online Feedback or Complaints Form.

*Compensation will be made within 30 days of receipt of a written request to the Emirates Customer Affairs Department.

**This notice is required by RAC 3 and is merely a summary of Section 3.10.2.13.2 “Passenger Compensation”. In the event of any contradiction between this notice and the Law, the provisions of the Law shall prevail. The complete text of RAC 3 may be accessed on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia (Aeronáutica Civil).