January can often be a cheap time to book flights and travel after the busy Christmas period, but some unlucky customers going on a last-minute holiday today could be left disappointed.
Storm Éowyn has hit the UK and Ireland, causing widespread travel disruption with flights being delayed and cancelled. Red weather warnings are in place in parts of Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, which are expected to be the worst-hit areas.
Belfast International Airport and Edinburgh Airport have both described their operations as “limited”, and are urging passengers to get in touch with their airline for information. There are also reports of reduced operations at Glasgow Airport.
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Meanwhile, around 230 flights have been cancelled from Dublin Airport, according to posts on its social media accounts this morning.
As thousands of passengers face the prospect of being delayed or stranded, many will be wondering whether they qualify for compensation – but they are likely to be disappointed given the disruption was caused by extreme weather.
According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an airline is not responsible for providing compensation when a delay or cancellation has been caused by “extraordinary circumstances”. This includes weather conditions that are incompatible with the safe operation of the flight. This is also the case under EU regulations.
Despite this, airlines do still have a duty of care to passengers and are required to provide a reasonable amount of food and drink, a means for you to communicate, accommodation if you are re-routed the next day, and transport to and from that accommodation. Food and drink will often come in the form of vouchers.
“The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it,” according to the CAA website.
The CAA also told MoneyWeek that it expects airlines to “proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are disrupted”.
While passengers might be disappointed by the lack of compensation available for Éowyn-related disruption, there are other circumstances in which you could be entitled to some money. This generally includes long delays or cancellations that are within the airline’s own control.
We delve into the rules across a range of different scenarios.
How to claim compensation for travel delays and cancellations
If it’s an exceptional circumstance and your flight is delayed while you’re at the airport, your airline may be required to cover certain costs. As introduced previously, this includes 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.
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 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. Again the level of compensation 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 air traffic control errors or issues beyond the airline’s control?
While airlines don’t have to pay out financial compensation for, say, airport power cuts or air traffic control errors, because it is not deemed as their fault – they do have to do other things, says consumer rights expert Martyn James.
“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,” says James. “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.
I booked a package holiday and my flight has been cancelled. What are my rights?
If you have booked a package deal and your flight is cancelled, you can risk having your whole holiday cancelled or rearranged.
A spokesperson for Claims.co.uk says that in this situation, you have the rights to either claim a full refund, a reroute of the trip destination and potentially compensation from the airline.
If it's flight delay or cancellation due to an extraordinary circumstance, you won't qualify for compensation.
However, the airline must provide you with additional services, depending on the length of your delay and waiting time (see information above).
Claims.co.uk adds: "If you are at the airport when the flight is cancelled, it is advised that you contact your travel company straight away to talk through your options.
“If your flight cannot be rearranged, meaning your whole holiday must be cancelled, then the travel company must offer an alternative holiday if possible, or a refund of the full package price, not just the flight part.”
Check if the travel operator is waiving any change fees for rescheduling. Some operators might impose fees for changing travel dates, which could impact your decision.
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