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| What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed? | What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed? |
| (2 months later) | |
| Heathrow Airport was closed for most of the day on Friday 21 March due to a fire at a nearby power station, causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. | |
| What are your rights if your journey has been disrupted and can you get your money back? | What are your rights if your journey has been disrupted and can you get your money back? |
| What do airlines have to offer passengers? | What do airlines have to offer passengers? |
| When flights are delayed or cancelled, airlines have a duty to look after you. | When flights are delayed or cancelled, airlines have a duty to look after you. |
| That includes providing meals and accommodation, if necessary, and getting you to your destination. The airline should organise putting you on an alternative flight, at no extra cost. | That includes providing meals and accommodation, if necessary, and getting you to your destination. The airline should organise putting you on an alternative flight, at no extra cost. |
| Additional losses - such as unused accommodation - might require a claim to a credit card provider, if that was the payment option used. | Additional losses - such as unused accommodation - might require a claim to a credit card provider, if that was the payment option used. |
| After that, a claim may need to go to your travel insurance provider. But there is no standard definition of what is covered. | After that, a claim may need to go to your travel insurance provider. But there is no standard definition of what is covered. |
| While 94% of policies cover travel abandonment as standard, only 30% include wider travel disruption as standard, according to analysts Defaqto. | While 94% of policies cover travel abandonment as standard, only 30% include wider travel disruption as standard, according to analysts Defaqto. |
| If my flight is cancelled, can I get a refund or another flight? | If my flight is cancelled, can I get a refund or another flight? |
| If your flight is covered by UK law, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or being booked on to an alternative flight. | If your flight is covered by UK law, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or being booked on to an alternative flight. |
| That's regardless of how far in advance the cancellation was made. | That's regardless of how far in advance the cancellation was made. |
| You can get your money back for any part of the ticket you have not used. | You can get your money back for any part of the ticket you have not used. |
| So, if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded. | So, if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded. |
| If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. | If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. |
| If another airline is flying to your destination significantly sooner, or there are other suitable modes of transport, then you have a right to be booked on to that alternative transport instead. | |
| If your flight was coming into the UK on a non-UK airline, then you should check the terms and conditions of your booking. | |
| How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule? | How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule? |
| Can I claim extra compensation for disruption? | |
| Disruption caused by things like a fire, bad weather, strikes by airport or air traffic control staff, or other "extraordinary circumstances" does not entitle you to extra compensation. | |
| However, in other circumstances - when it is considered to be the airline's fault - you have a number of rights under UK law, external. | |
| These apply as long as 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 airport in the EU on a UK airline. | |
| What you are entitled to depends on what caused the cancellation and how much notice you are given. | |
| If your flight is cancelled with less than two weeks' notice, you may be able to claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight you are offered. | |
| The amount you are entitled to also depends on how far you were travelling: | |
| for flights under 1,500km, such as Glasgow to Amsterdam, you can claim up to £220 per person | |
| for flights of 1,500km to 3,500km, such as East Midlands to Marrakesh, you can claim up to £350 per person | |
| for flights over 3,500km, such as London to New York, you can claim up to £520 per person | |
| Will the airline pay for food and accommodation? | Will the airline pay for food and accommodation? |
| If you are stuck abroad or at the airport because of a flight cancellation, airlines must also provide you with other assistance. | If you are stuck abroad or at the airport because of a flight cancellation, airlines must also provide you with other assistance. |
| This includes: | This includes: |
| a reasonable amount of food and drink (often in the form of vouchers) | 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 calls) | a way for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of calls) |
| free accommodation, if you have to stay overnight to fly the next day | free accommodation, if you have to stay overnight to fly the next day |
| transport to and from the accommodation | transport to and from the accommodation |
| If your airline is unable to arrange assistance, you have the right to organise this yourself and claim back the cost later. | If your airline is unable to arrange assistance, you have the right to organise this yourself and claim back the cost later. |
| The Civil Aviation Authority advises people to keep receipts and not spend more than necessary. | The Civil Aviation Authority advises people to keep receipts and not spend more than necessary. |
| Civil Aviation Authority: Delays and cancellations, external | Civil Aviation Authority: Delays and cancellations, external |
| You are entitled to the same assistance as for a cancellation if your flight is delayed by more than two hours for a short-haul flight, three hours for a medium-haul, or four hours for a long-haul. | You are entitled to the same assistance as for a cancellation if your flight is delayed by more than two hours for a short-haul flight, three hours for a medium-haul, or four hours for a long-haul. |
| If you are delayed by more than five hours and no longer want to travel, you can get a full refund. | If you are delayed by more than five hours and no longer want to travel, you can get a full refund. |
| What are my rights if I have booked a package holiday? | What are my rights if I have booked a package holiday? |
| If you booked a package holiday with a company that is an ABTA member and your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a suitable alternative flight or a full refund. | If you booked a package holiday with a company that is an ABTA member and your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a suitable alternative flight or a full refund. |
| ABTA: What are your rights?, external | ABTA: What are your rights?, external |
| What if flight delays mean I am late for work? | What if flight delays mean I am late for work? |
| Airlines will not refund you for loss of earnings. | Airlines will not refund you for loss of earnings. |
| Travel insurance policies will not usually cover loss of earnings either. | Travel insurance policies will not usually cover loss of earnings either. |
| If you think you're going to be late back at work because of flight delays, you have a responsibility to let your employer know, legal experts say. | If you think you're going to be late back at work because of flight delays, you have a responsibility to let your employer know, legal experts say. |
| You should agree with your employer how to deal with the absence - for example, by using annual leave or taking unpaid leave. | You should agree with your employer how to deal with the absence - for example, by using annual leave or taking unpaid leave. |
| Employers have no legal obligation to pay employees who are absent in this situation, experts say, unless it is stated in their contract. | Employers have no legal obligation to pay employees who are absent in this situation, experts say, unless it is stated in their contract. |