Flight delays are a common occurrence, but hearing about flights departing early is quite rare. However, recent events have taken a surprising turn as China’s Heilongjiang Airline caused quite a stir. On September 26th, Flight LT4391 from Harbin to Hulun Buir Hailar, operated by Heilongjiang Airline, took off a shocking 15 hours ahead of schedule, leaving passengers astonished and unprepared. The airline issued an apology for the inconvenience caused but offered no compensation.
According to reports from mainland media, Ms. Zhou had originally planned to take the LT4391 flight on September 26th, departing from Harbin to Hulun Buir Hailar. The flight’s scheduled departure time was changed from 9:55 pm to 6:10 am, a sudden advancement of 15 hours and 45 minutes. The ticket platform displayed a message: “The airline has notified that the departure time has been moved ahead by 15 hours and 45 minutes, from 9:55 pm to 6:10 am.”
This unexpected change had a significant impact on Ms. Zhou’s travel plans as she did not reside in Harbin. With the flight rescheduled to the morning, she had to rush to Harbin a day earlier for accommodation. Faced with this inconvenience, she had no choice but to switch to another flight.
Heilongjiang Airline admitted to the incident, attributing it to the airline’s scheduling reasons. They also mentioned that flight times for other dates were adjusted as well. Passengers were notified that the airline would assist in changing to another self-operated flight without any additional charges. Alternatively, passengers could request a full refund through the ticket platform. While expressing regrets for any inconvenience caused by the flight changes, the airline clarified that no compensation would be provided. Passengers were advised to reach out to the airline for complaints, with dedicated personnel available to address concerns.
Some netizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, stating that any flight changes other than due to weather conditions were unacceptable. They criticized airlines for unreasonable practices, such as charging high cancellation fees and failing to compensate passengers for inconveniences caused by sudden changes. The bold claim of no compensation from Heilongjiang Airline, despite the drastic 15-hour advancement, drew further criticism from passengers.
In contrast, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Europe has ruled that if an airline advances a flight by more than one hour, it should be considered as a flight cancellation, entitling passengers to compensation. According to “Business Traveller,” EU regulations stipulate that if a flight is canceled within 14 days before departure, arrives more than 3 hours late, or passengers are denied boarding due to overbooking, they can request compensation. Airlines are required to pay compensation ranging from 250€ to 600€ based on the flight distance. If rerouting services are provided to ensure passengers reach their final destination in a timely manner, the compensation amount can be reduced by 50%.
Therefore, in Europe, if a flight advances by more than one hour, the compensation amount will be the same as for cancellations or delays, without the option to reduce it by 50%. This stark contrast highlights the different approaches taken by airlines in various regions regarding compensating passengers for unexpected flight changes.