Q: I have purchased four one-way tickets to travel to England in August. These tickets were bought to attend an event that has now been postponed to next year. In view of this I contacted the airline to try and change the dates of the flight tickets or to cancel the booked flights and get a refund or a credit note.

I was informed that to change the dates of the flights I had to pay an additional €45 fee for each flight changed. The same airline recently announced an offer that allows passengers who have booked their flights after June 10 to change the date and destination of their flights at no extra cost. But since my flights were booked before this date I was informed I am not eligible for this offer. I feel this is unfair. What are my rights?

A: The Air Passenger Rights Regulations provide air passengers with the legal right to choose between a free replacement flight or a money refund when a flight is either cancelled by the airline or cannot be operated due to an extraordinary circumstance.

In your case, since the flights booked are not cancelled, the airline is not legally obliged to offer you a postponement of your flight or a credit note free of charge.

The airline’s offer with regard to flights booked after a specific date is a voluntary promotional offer that goes beyond the airline’s legal obligations. This means the airline is within its rights to apply whatever terms and conditions it deems appropriate.