Flight cancelled: What are my rights?

Q: I booked a flight to Palermo as a part of a package holiday to Citta del Mare Terrassini, but a couple of months before the date of departure the airline informed me that the flight had been cancelled.

The airline offered me a flight to Catania and a scheduled bus trip to Palermo centre. The problem is that I have already booked and paid a transfer from Palermo airport directly to Citta del Mare.

My request is that the airline either takes me to Palermo airport, where I was originally meant to arrive, or pays the cost of transport from Palermo centre to the airport, which approximately amounts to €70.

Could you let me know what my rights are, and if what I'm asking is in the norm?

A: Denied boarding compensation regulations clearly state that in case of a flight cancellation, the air carrier has the responsibility to re-route passengers to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.

In case the operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, "the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger".

Hence, the airline is obliged by law to either transport you to Palermo airport at no charge or to another close destination agreed with you.

With regards to the cost of the transport, this should definitely be borne by the air carrier.