"Air carrier" or "Carrier" means the Bulgaria air AD aviation company

"Authorised agent" or "Agent" means a passenger sales agent who has been appointed by the Air carrier to represent the same in the sale of air passenger transportation.

"Agreed stopping places" means explicitly designated stopping places along the route as shown in the ticket or announced in the schedules, excluding the places of departure and arrival (destination).

"Another air carrier" or "Another carrier" means an aviation company other than Bulgaria Air AD, whose aviation company code is inscribed on a passenger ticket or on a conjunction ticket.

"Aviation company code" the code of three or two alphabetical, or one alphabetical plus one numerical character, assigned to a particular aviation company. The codes for the Bulgaria Air aviation company are LZB and FB.

"Passenger" means any person, except crew members, holding a Ticket and carried or who is to be carried by aircraft.

"Baggage" means the personal belongings of the Passenger accompanying him/her on the flight. It consists of both Checked Baggage and Cabin (Unchecked) baggage, unless otherwise specified.

"Checked baggage" means the baggage, for which the Carrier has assumed responsibility and for which the Carrier has issued a baggage check.

"Cabin (Unchecked) baggage" means any other baggage.

"Baggage tag" means a document issued by the Carrier for the purpose of identifying Checked Baggage. It consists of an identification portion that is affixed to the Baggage and another portion for picking up the Baggage after arrival.

"Check-in deadline" means the time limit, as specified by the Air carrier or by Another air carrier, by which Passengers must have completed their check-in formalities and received their boarding passes.

"Connecting flight" means a flight combining two or more consecutive legs, issued together on a single ticket which in combination evidences the existence of a single Contract of carriage.

"Terms of contract" means the provisions of the Contract of carriage contained in the ticket or in the itinerary/receipt or are given to the passenger together with them and which refer to these General conditions of carriage.

"Convention" means either the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929, or the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, signed in Montreal on 28 May 1999, as applicable to the particular case according to circumstances.

"Day" means the calendar day.

"Ticket" means a valid document issued in paper form by the Air carrier or its Authorized agent which entitles to air transportation.

"Electronic ticket" means a valid document issued in electronic form by the Air carrier or its Authorized agent which entitles to air transportation.

"Flight coupon" means the portion of the Ticket inscribed as "flight coupon" or "valid for carriage" that shows the exact destinations between which the Passenger may travel with that coupon.

"Electronic coupon" means an electronic flight coupon for an electronic ticket held in the database of the Air carrier.

"Flight segment" means the part of the carriage between two destinations carried out by the Air carrier or by another air carrier

"Force majeure" means extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the Carrier, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures would have been taken.

"Itinerary/Receipt" means a document issued by the Air carrier containing the name of the Passenger, flight information and other information.

"Passenger coupon" means the portion of the Ticket that is permanently in possession of the Passenger (this refers to paper tickets only).

"SDR" means special drawing right as defined by the International Monetary Fund.

"Stopover" means a scheduled stop on the itinerary at a point between the airport of departure and the airport of destination.

"Price" means the sum of money that must be paid for the carriage of the Passenger including the Baggage allowed by the Carrier, according to these General Conditions. 

Air carrier liability for passengers and their baggage

Liability rules applied by Community air carriers as required by Community legislation and the Montreal Convention.

Compensation in the case of death or bodily injury. There are no financial limits to the liability for passenger bodily injury or death. For a single damage of up to 100,000 SDRs (approximate equivalent in local currency) the Air carrier may not contest claims for compensation. Above that amount the Air carrier may defend itself against a claim by proving that it was not negligent or otherwise at fault.

Advance payments. If a passenger is killed or injured, the Air carrier must make an advance payment, to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to compensation. In the event of death, this advance payment shall not be less than 16,000 SDRs (approximate amount in local currency).

Passenger delays. In case of passenger delays, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid them or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for passenger delay is limited to 4,150 SDRs (approximate equivalent in local currency).

Baggage delays. In case of baggage delays, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid them or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for baggage delay is limited to 1,000 SDRs (approximate equivalent in local currency).

Destruction, loss or damage to baggage. The operating air carrier is liable for destruction, loss or damage to baggage up to 1,000 SDRs (approximate equivalent in local currency). In the case of checked baggage, it is liable even if not at fault, unless the baggage was defective. In the case of unchecked baggage, the carrier is liable only if at fault. In case of unchecked baggage the carrier will be liable only if at fault.

Higher limits for baggage. A passenger can benefit from a higher liability limit by making a special declaration at the latest at check-in and by paying a supplementary fee.

Complaints concerning baggage. If the baggage was damaged, delayed, lost or destroyed, the passenger concerned must submit a written complaint to the air carrier as soon as possible.

In the case of damage to checked baggage, the passenger must submit a written complaint within 7 days and in case the baggage was delayed - within 21 days, in either case counting from the date on which the baggage was placed at his disposal.

Liability of contracting and actual carriers. If the air carrier actually performing the flight is not the same as the contracting air carrier, the passenger has the right to address a complaint or to make a claim for damages against either. If the name or code of an air carrier is indicated on the ticket the air carrier in question will be the contracting air carrier.

Time limit for bringing action. Any action in court to claim damages must be brought within two years from the date of arrival of the aircraft or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have landed.

The basis for the rules described above is the Montreal Convention of 28 May 1999, which is implemented in the Community by Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 (as amended by Regulation (EC) No 889/2002) and national legislation of the Member States.