The many faces behind EUclaim: Martijn

EUclaim is more than a website and we would like to share this with you! The upcoming months we will ask our employees to answer 7 questions, so you will get to know us a little bit better.

Today we have asked Martijn our 7 questions. He is part of our legal department.

1. What is your role within the EUclaim team?

I am part of the legal department. Within our team my tasks are to prepare and write summons. We need a summons to be able to start a legal procedure against an airline and obtain the financial compensation for passengers. I also help the claim desk with the initial claim investigation and I write claim letters.

2. Which part of your job do you like the most?

As a legal counsel I really like  to solve legal problems;  think about how the law can be applied and find different options to follow. It is a great feeling when we can push each other to be better and eventually see the positive results.

3. Do you still dare to fly yourself?

Sure, I am at total ease in an airplane. Before I came to work for EUclaim, I had no idea how many things come together where flying is concerned. Due to the claim letters we send we usually get a reply stating the reason of a particular flight delay. This is often a technical defect. This can be very diverse, from a collision with aircraft stairs to a flat tire. The issue is solved before the airplane will be allowed to depart. This is obviously causing some delays to occur. Every airline deals with this situation differently, but they have a common rule; no airplane departs with a technical defect.

4. What is your favorite airline and why?

That is hard to say. The airlines that I flew with were all good. Besides, you cannot expect the same service from a low-cost airline compared to a service-airline. I personally think the balance between  good service and a good price is important and this is what I keep in mind while booking a flight.

5. Have you ever experienced a flight delay?

Yes, on a flight from Amsterdam to London Heathrow to Washington D.C. The flight departed from Amsterdam with a 40 minute delay, causing us to possibly miss our connection. When we informed the crew about this, they picked it up very adequately. They told the airport there were transfer passengers on board. We were waited for at the gate and immediately brought to the other side of the airport. The connecting airplane was still waiting for us and as soon as we boarded the flight departed.

6. Which aspect within the company is often invisible?

I think it’s mostly unclear to people how much time it takes from the beginning of a claim until we are able to solve the case. A claim goes through various stages, with legal time limits. In the first part of the claim the flight has to be investigated, the travel documents need to be checked and the first claim letter has to be sent. Then the waiting begins, as we need to give the airline time to respond. After this, things can go in different directions, but it is too much to explain this all in detail here.

7. What makes EUclaim unique?

We are experts when it comes to passenger rights that are a stated in the EC Regulation 261/2004, regarding flight delays. There are not much more companies that are this specialized in the field. Also, the fun and passion that we have makes my job amazing. We work towards a common goal, where every one of us is irreplaceable.