Transavia to Africa: delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight — your rights

Transavia flight delayed, cancelled, overbooked or disrupted by a strike? Depending on the direction of travel and the departure point, you may be entitled to fixed compensation of up to €600 per passenger (EU Regulation 261/2004), or to reimbursement of your actual expenses (Montreal Convention). Free eligibility check by Robin des Airs, no upfront fee.

Transavia is an airline registered in the European Union (France/Netherlands). EU Regulation 261/2004 covers it in both directions: whether the flight departs from Europe or from Paris-Orly / Amsterdam, as soon as the arrival delay reaches 3 hours or more.

Transavia: am I entitled to compensation?

Unlike non-European carriers, Transavia is covered in both directions of the journey: the departure point (France, North Africa, West Africa) makes no difference to your rights.

First-hand feedback: on Transavia flights to Dakar, notably departing from Bordeaux (Transavia operates both A320s and B737s depending on the route), the service is decent and family-friendly. One point of caution for flights operated as a same-day return rotation: crew flight time limitations (FTL) can sometimes trigger a knock-on effect on schedules later in the day. Finally, Transavia does not only operate from Paris: several routes to Africa also depart from regional French cities (Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon).

Transavia in brief

• Country of registration: France/Netherlands
• Main hub: Paris-Orly / Amsterdam
• Status under EU Regulation 261/2004: European carrier, covered in both directions

Transavia refunds: ticket price vs compensation

Two different things are often confused. A ticket refund, with the option of re-routing, is owed by Transavia as soon as it cancels a flight, whichever direction it flies. Where there is simply a delay of 5 hours or more, only the refund is available, and only if you give up the journey (art. 6(1)(iii) and art. 8(1)(a) of the regulation): what comes back is the price you paid. The fixed compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 (up to €600) is a separate right, which is added to the refund and does not depend on the ticket price, only on the distance and direction of the flight. The two are cumulative wherever EU261 applies.

Transavia delayed flight

Yes, you may be entitled to up to €600 if your Transavia flight arrives at least 3 hours late, subject to the other conditions. The delay is measured on arrival (when the doors open), not at departure. In principle, a delay of at least 3 hours recorded on arrival can trigger the fixed amount, without you having to prove any financial loss, unless the airline demonstrates extraordinary circumstances: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, €600 beyond.

Transavia's excuses: valid or not

Valid excuses: extreme weather, airspace closure, air traffic control strikes, bird strike or debris on the runway. Even then, the airline must prove it took all reasonable measures to limit the delay.

Invalid excuses (compensation remains due): a technical fault on the aircraft, even an unforeseen one (Wallentin-Hermann and van der Lans, CJEU), the aircraft running late on its previous rotation, understaffing or internal organisational problems.

Transavia cancelled flight

Yes, in principle, if Transavia cancels your flight and informs you less than 14 days before departure, you are entitled to the compensation per passenger, plus either a ticket refund OR re-routing, at your choice. These two rights are cumulative (art. 7 and art. 8 of the regulation). A travel voucher only replaces a cash refund if you accept it: you can refuse it and insist on a bank transfer.

Note: being told less than 14 days in advance does not always trigger compensation on its own. If Transavia also offers re-routing at times very close to the original flight, it may escape payment in certain specific cases. The detail of the three scenarios (in French).

Missed connection with Transavia

Did Transavia cause you to miss your connection? If your ticket is a single booking covering the whole journey, the delay is measured at your final destination, whichever leg caused it (Folkerts, CJEU 2013).

As Transavia is a European carrier, a single ticket covering a Transavia flight opens the right to the fixed amount as soon as the final delay exceeds 3 hours, whichever leg is at fault.

Be careful: if you bought two separate tickets rather than a single booking, the protection is far weaker, as each flight is assessed independently.

Transavia overbooking / denied boarding

Involuntary denied boarding (overbooking) opens the same rights as a cancellation. Article 4 of EU Regulation 261/2004 requires the airline to first call for volunteers before denying boarding to anyone. If you are denied boarding against your will, you are entitled to the fixed compensation (up to €600), plus care and assistance (meals, accommodation where necessary) and a refund or re-routing at your choice.

Unlike a cancellation, overbooking admits almost no excuse: it is a commercial decision by the airline, never an extraordinary circumstance.

Strikes and Transavia flights

It depends precisely on who is striking and on the circumstances — there is no universal rule. A strike by Transavia's own staff (pilots, cabin crew, ground staff employed by the airline) is generally not accepted as an extraordinary circumstance: this is what the CJEU held in Krüsemann, on the grounds that an employer must anticipate this type of labour-relations risk. But the exact characterisation depends on the specific type of industrial action and on the facts of the case; compensation remains due if the airline cannot demonstrate an extraordinary circumstance specific to that case.

A strike by third parties outside Transavia (air traffic controllers, airport staff not employed by the airline, a national general strike) may, depending on the case, be recognised as an extraordinary circumstance, provided Transavia proves it took all reasonable measures to limit the impact.

How to contact Transavia about a claim

Transavia handles direct claims slowly, often without a reply for several months. Before writing yourself, keep your boarding pass, your e-ticket and any delay or cancellation notification: these are the documents that make the difference if the airline refuses or stays silent.

How long do you have to claim?

5 years before the French courts (art. 2224 of the French Civil Code) for the EU261 compensation, whichever of the situations above applies. A Transavia flight disrupted two or three years ago can still be claimed today.

Sources and references

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — article 7 (compensation), article 8 (refund/re-routing), article 9 (right to care)
• CJEU, Krüsemann (C-195/17) — internal strikes, characterisation depending on the precise facts
• Flight cancelled less than 14 days before departure: the three scenarios (in French)

How to claim with Robin des Airs

A specialist in the Africa-Europe corridors, Robin des Airs checks whether your Transavia flight qualifies (direction, distance, cause of the delay), builds the file, sends the claim and challenges refusals. Nothing to pay if nothing is recovered. You receive 75% of the sums recovered at the amicable stage, and 60% if the airline forces us to go to court.

→ File my Transavia claim in 2 min