Airlines including Tui and EasyJet have canceled dozens of flights during the mid-term holidays as the travel industry struggles to hire and train new staff quickly enough as demand returns from the pandemic.
Businesses say they are facing a number of challenges, including staffing shortages, air traffic control restrictions, runway work and airport handling delays.
So what are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
If you are flying from a UK airport on any airline, arriving at a UK airport on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an EU airport on a UK airline, you have a number of rights under UK law.
Your entitlement will depend on what caused the termination and how long you were notified.
If the disruption was not the airline’s fault and was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, you are not entitled to compensation.
This includes issues such as extreme weather or air traffic control strikes.
If your flight is canceled less than two weeks in advance, you may be able to claim compensation based on the times of the alternative flight offered to you.
The amount you are entitled to also depends on how far you have travelled. For example:
- For flights less than 1,500 km, e.g. B. Glasgow to Amsterdam, you can claim up to £220 per person
- For flights over 3,500 km, e.g. B. London to New York you can claim up to £520 per person
If your flight is covered by UK law, your airline must give you the choice of either getting a refund or choosing an alternative flight.
You can get your money back for any part of the ticket that you didn’t use. So if you have booked a return flight and the outbound flight is cancelled, you can get a full refund of the return ticket.
If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. If another airline flies to your destination significantly earlier, or other suitable modes of transport are available, you are entitled to be booked on that alternative mode of transport instead.
If your flight is cancelled, the airlines must also provide you with other assistance until you can reach your destination.
This contains:
- A reasonable amount of food and drink (often in the form of vouchers)
- A way for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of the call)
- Free accommodation if you need to stay overnight to fly out the next day
- Transport to and from the accommodation
If your airline cannot organize help, you have the right to organize it yourself and claim the costs back later. In this case, the Civil Aviation Authority advises keeping receipts and not spending more than necessary.
You are entitled to the same assistance if your flight is delayed more than two hours.
You may also be able to claim compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late. Again, the amount depends on how far you fly.
If you’re more than five hours late and don’t want to travel, you can get a full refund.
If you have booked a package holiday with an Abta member airline and your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to an alternative suitable flight or a full refund.
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