How to claim compensation for travel delays
As travellers experience disruption when flying to and from the UAE and the Middle East, we look at what compensation you can get if your flight is cancelled or delayed.
Travellers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf states have been affected by flight cancellations after war broke out between Iran and the US and Israel, leaving many stranded in the region.
Following Iranian missile strikes on the UAE, commercial flights to and from cities like Dubai have been cancelled, leaving many Brits stuck in the country.
Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest, is currently closed, though some flights have resumed from Abu Dhabi airport, also in the UAE.
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What should you do if your flight is cancelled due to war?
If you are stuck in the UAE or other countries, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued the following guidance that travellers should follow.
It says the first thing you should do is contact your airline to check what their guidance is, and what support is available to you.
The CAA says when flights are delayed and cancelled, they expect airlines to minimise the overall impact on you by “keeping you informed and looking after you”.
Travellers have certain legal consumer rights when flying with any airline that departs from a UK airport or that is a UK or EU air carrier.
If your flight is covered by these passenger rights, the CAA says your airline is required by law to get you home and look after you while you wait by providing meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation proportionate to the length of time you are delayed.
However, during periods of major disruption, such as this one, it may be challenging for the airline to find you an alternative route back to the UK. In this case, the CAA expects your airline to do all it can to offer you an alternative flight and keep you updated.
The CAA adds that if your airline is unable to proactively offer you care, or offer suitable replacement flights, it expects it to promptly reimburse you for the reasonable costs you incur making your own arrangements.
To make sure you are able to claim these reimbursements, the CAA advises that you keep receipts and avoid incurring excessive costs.
Can you get compensation if your flight is cancelled due to war?
In regards to the current situation in the Middle East and Gulf, the CAA says that “passengers are unlikely to be entitled to fixed sum compensation under UK passenger rights legislation for any delayed or cancelled experiences”.
This is because the current situation is likely to be viewed by the CAA as “extraordinary circumstances”, a classification that means passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation.
While compensation may be unlikely, “extraordinary circumstances” still mean you are entitled to replacement flights, where possible, and care.
The CAA also notes that their interpretation of “extraordinary circumstances” is illustrative and for guidance only, and that in the future a passenger or group of passengers can still try to claim compensation if they disagree, including by going through the courts.
How to claim compensation for travel delays and cancellations under normal circumstances
If your flight has been delayed, disrupted, or cancelled for reasons unrelated to the conflict in the Middle East and Gulf, you may be able to claim compensation in some circumstances.
As outlined above, when your travel is disrupted, airlines have the responsibility to take care of you and get you on another flight to your destination as soon as possible.
They are required to cover certain costs, including expenses for food, drink, and even phone calls to inform loved ones of your journey changes.
If an overnight stay becomes necessary, they may also need to provide accommodation ahead of your rescheduled flight.
Remember, your first move should be to contact your airline and ask what their guidance is.
Under European air passengers’ rights rules, airlines must ensure passengers reach their destination as soon as possible. If you’re stranded abroad, you’re entitled to hotel stays and meals until you can be flown home.
- For flights less than 1,500km, the delay needs to be a minimum of two hours.
- For flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, the delay must be a minimum of three hours.
- For flights longer than 3,500km, the delay must be at least four hours.
The airline should provide you with vouchers for this directly, though you can also keep receipts for the money spent and try claim it back from the airline later on.
Be aware that the airline will only pay up for reasonable expenses, so you won’t get the money back if you opt for luxury options.
If the flight is more than three hours late, and it’s the airline’s fault (so it's not an exceptional circumstance), then you should be entitled to compensation. The level of compensation you may receive will vary based on the length of the delay and the distance of your flight:
- For flights less than 1,500km and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £220 in compensation.
- For flights between 1,500km and 3,500km and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £350 in compensation.
- For flights of more than 3,500km and delays of under four hours, you can claim £260. This jumps to £520 for delays over the four-hour mark.
If the flight is delayed by more than five hours, you do not have to take it and can instead claim a full refund.
Should the flight be cancelled, the airline is required to provide either a full refund or cover the cost of a replacement flight. If the replacement flight delays you by more than two hours, and you receive less than two weeks’ notice, then you are entitled to compensation, though the sums can vary significantly.
Flight length | Notice | Length of disruption | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
Under 1,500km | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive under two hours late at destination | £110 |
Under 1,500km | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive more than two hours late at destination | £220 |
Under 1,500km | Under seven days’ notice | Arrive more than two hours late at destination | £220 |
Flight of between 1,500km and 3,500km | 7-14 days’ notice | Departs at least an hour earlier than booked flight | £175 |
Flight of between 1,500km and 3,500km | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive up to three hours late at destination | £175 |
Flight of between 1,500km and 3,500km | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive more than three hours late at destination | £350 |
Flight of between 1,500km and 3,500km | Under seven days’ notice | Arrive more than three hours late at destination | £350 |
Flight of 3,500km+ | 7-14 days’ notice | Departs at least an hour earlier than booked flight | £260 |
Flight of 3,500km+ | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive up to four hours late at destination | £260 |
Flight of 3,500km+ | 7-14 days’ notice | Arrive more than four hours late at destination | £520 |
Flight of 3,500km+ | Under seven days’ notice | Arrive up to four hours late at destination | £260 |
Flight of 3,500km+ | Under seven days’ notice | Arrive more than four hours late at destination | £520 |
In each case, the compensation figure is per person.
If the airline is not helpful with your claim, or you feel you have not been treated fairly, then you may be able to take your complaint to an alternative dispute resolution scheme – if the airline is a member of one. Otherwise, you can take it to the CAA.
What compensation can you get for issues beyond the airline’s control?
Airlines do not have to pay out financial compensation for “exceptional reasons”.
War is covered under “exceptional reasons”, but so are airport power cuts or air traffic control errors.
Consumer rights expert Martyn James says while you may not be eligible for monetary compensation under exceptional circumstances, airlines do have certain responsibilities to take care of you.
He said: “Even though you don’t get monetary compensation for delays or cancellation like you would do if the airline was at fault, they must still try to get you to your destination. This can involve putting you on one of their own flights or failing that, on that of a competitor.”
Think carefully about requesting a full refund if you still want to go away. “Flights are more expensive if you buy on the day or within 48 hours, so you may find your refund doesn’t come through immediately or the cash doesn’t go very far.” It may make more sense to request that the airline gets you on the next available plane.
The CAA said that if flights are available on the day of travel passengers must be booked on them, even if this is on a rival airline.
“If you can’t get hold of the airline, then check the options online, take screenshots and if you can’t contact the airline, make notes of what you did to try, then buy direct,” says James. “If you use a credit card you may also have other protections further down the line with your card provider if the airline refuses to pay out.”
You might also be entitled to food and drink vouchers, the cost of calls to communicate with others about the situation, accommodation and transport to and from the airport.
