With thousands of people across the UK currently facing major flight disruptions due to heavy snow, travel experts Vatican Ticket Tours explain exactly what you’re entitled to as a passenger if your flight is cancelled or delayed, and whether you can claim compensation from the airline.
What am I entitled to if my flight is delayed or cancelled due to bad weather, or another reason?
Under UK Law, you have the right to care and assistance from your airline if your flight is delayed or cancelled.Â
It’s important to know exactly what you are entitled to as a consumer, so that you can reduce as much stress as possible while dealing with flight delays or cancellations.
In the event of a flight delay or cancellation, you should be entitled to a reasonable amount of food and drink (your airline will often provide you with vouchers for this), access to free phone calls and emails, free accommodation (usually a hotel near the airport) if your flight is delayed overnight, and travel between the accommodation and the airport. Please see below for the amount of time your flight has to be delayed before you can claim care and assistance:
| Flight distance   | Waiting time |
| Short-haul flight of under 1,500km (e.g. London to Rome) | More than two hours |
| Medium-haul flight of 1,500km – 3,500 km (e.g. Birmingham to Tunis) | More than three hours |
| Long-haul flight of over 3,500km (e.g. Glasgow to Kuala Lumpur) | More than four hours |
Sometimes it’s the case that an airline is too busy or overstretched to directly organise care and assistance during delays or cancellations. Vatican Ticket Tours reminds passengers to keep every receipt if they end up paying for things themselves, as the airline should reimburse you for any reasonable costs later. Remember, airlines are unlikely to reimburse you for luxury hotels or alcohol – individual airlines may provide guidance on what counts as ‘reasonable costs’.
For the above to apply, your flight has to be covered by UK Law. Your flight is usually covered by UK Law if it is:
- due to depart from an airport in the UK on any airline
- Is due to arrive at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline
- Is due to arrive at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.
What do I do if my flight is cancelled due to bad weather, and I still want to travel?Â
If your flight has been cancelled due to bad weather or for any other reason, and you still want to travel, the airline must get you to your destination under UK Law.
This will likely mean re-booking you on another flight when one becomes available, and you may need to wait while the airline rearranges and reschedules flights depending on the situation.
While you’re waiting for the new flight, the airline is obligated to provide you with a reasonable amount of food and drink, access to communication (phone calls and email, for example), accommodation, and travel to and from the accommodation to the airport.
Can I claim a refund if my flight is delayed or cancelled, and I no longer wish to travel?
If your flight is delayedÂ
If your flight is delayed for five hours or more and you no longer wish to travel, you can claim a full refund for the cost of the flight.
You should also be able to claim a full refund for any other flights from the same airline that you will no longer use in your booking. This includes any connecting flights, or return flights. If you’re midway through a journey, you are entitled to a return flight to your original destination.
Try to claim a refund at the airport itself, but if not, make sure you keep clear records so that you can claim back the money later.
If your flight is cancelledÂ
If your flight is cancelled and you no longer wish to take a replacement flight to your destination, you can claim a full refund for the cost of the flight. If you’re mid-way through a journey and you no longer want to take a replacement flight, you are entitled to a return flight to your original destination.
Try to claim a refund at the airport itself. If you can’t, make sure you keep clear records so that you can claim back the money later.
Can I claim compensation if my flight is delayed or cancelled?
You can usually claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled and it is the fault of the airline. However, if you experience a cancellation or delay due to an extraordinary circumstance outside of the airline’s control – for example, adverse weather, a security risk or non-airline related strikes, for example baggage handler strikes – you aren’t generally entitled to compensation.Â
Compensation if your flight is delayedÂ
Under UK Law, if your flight delays your arrival by more than three hours and the delay is the responsibility of the airline, you are entitled to compensation.
How much compensation you get will depend on the length of the flight, and how many hours you are delayed. For example, if your flight distance was less than 1,500km (for example, a London to Rome flight) and your flight delayed your arrival by three hours or more, you’d be entitled to £220. This amount increases with the distance of the flight and the number of hours your arrival is delayed, up to a maximum of £520 in compensation.
Compensation if your flight is cancelledÂ
If your flight is cancelled and your replacement flight gets you to your destination more than two hours late, or your flight is cancelled with less than fourteen days notice, you are usually entitled to compensation. Remember that this is only the case if the cancellation is the fault of the airline.
The amount of compensation you are entitled to for a cancelled flight depends on when the cancellation occurred (for example, if it was less than seven days before the scheduled flight, you’re usually entitled to more compensation than if it was cancelled between seven and fourteen days before the flight was due to depart), the distance of the flight, and the departure and arrival times of the rescheduled flights. You can claim up to £520 in compensation, depending on these circumstances, but do check with your airline about what you are specifically entitled to.
Magdalena Petrusic, Travel Expert at Vatican Tours says: “Flight cancellations and delays, for bad weather or any other reason, can be incredibly frustrating to passengers, but knowing your rights as a consumer makes all the difference. It’s so important for passengers to understand that they have a legal right to care and assistance to make the experience of delays and cancellations easier, whether that’s food and drink or access to free accommodation. Our top tip is to keep clear records and receipts should you need to claim anything back from your airline, and remember that you are entitled to a full refund or even compensation in certain circumstances.“
Featured Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash.