Today's mass IT outage has seen thousands of flights delayed or cancelled, leaving many wondering if they will be compensated.
It's reported that Cyber security firm, Crowdstrike, said the problem was caused by an update to its Falcon antivirus software, which aims to protect Microsoft Windows devices from cyber attacks. Crowdstrike said there was a defect in the update.
The outage has caused severe delays at airports worldwide.
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Flight delays and cancellations are a miserable start to any holiday, whether it's a city break or beach trip - and it can be difficult working out what compensation you're entitled to, and the best way to claim it.
We outline your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled, and how to claim compensation, free food and drinks and free accommodation.
When and how to claim compensation for flight delays and cancellations
Airlines don’t have to fork out monetary compensation when it is a situation beyond their control such as extreme weather or air traffic control issues – but they do if they are to blame in the case of, for example, operational or staff issues.
It is unlikely travellers could get compensation for the delay caused by the outage, but you may get compensation via your travel insurance.
However, if it is an exceptional circumstance and your flight is put back while you’re in the airport, your airline may still have to provide you with the cash to cover food and drink, calls to loved ones to inform them of your journey changes, and even accommodation if you need to stay somewhere overnight ahead of your rearranged flight.
Under European air passengers’ rights rules, passengers are entitled to be flown to their destination as soon as possible. If they’re abroad, they are due hotels and meals until they can be flown home.
Qualifying for this sort of compensation depends on the length of your flight, and the length of the delay:
- For flights of less than 1,500km, the delay needs to be a minimum of two hours
- For flights of between 1,500km and 3,500km, the delay must be a minimum of three hours
- For flights of 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 of less than 1,500km, and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £220 compensation
- For flights of between 1,500km and 3,500km, and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £350 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, or else to the Civil Aviation Authority.
What compensation can you get for 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 Civil Aviation Authority 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.
Which airports do you need to arrive at earliest to avoid delays?
Research by claims.co.uk reveals that London Heathrow is the airport that passengers should arrive at the earliest to avoid delays. Being the primary airport in London, it holds nearly 80 million passengers every year, which adds to the traffic jams and long queue times at the site.
We look at other airports you’d have to make an early headstart to in order to make your flight.
| Airport | Yearly traffic (vehicles per mile) | Yearly terminal passengers | Security queue times | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow | 3,174,354 | 79,149,042 | 20 minutes | 78.26 |
| Birmingham | 2,635,425 | 11,479,335 | 24 minutes | 54.86 |
| Bristol | 2,260,423 | 9,911,879 | 30 minutes | 54.72 |
| Leeds Bradford | 2,279,643 | 3,989,405 | 35 minutes | 51.43 |
| Manchester | 1,919,394 | 28,077,659 | 24 minutes | 50.45 |
| London Stansted | 1,867,434 | 27,951,116 | 18 minutes | 40.71 |
| London Gatwick | 1,656,850 | 40,894,242 | 16 minutes | 37.42 |
| London Luton | 1,738,817 | 16,399,866 | 19 minutes | 34.26 |
| Edinburgh | 1,913,770 | 14,395,463 | 16 minutes | 31.88 |
| Glasgow International | 1,633,294 | 7,355,987 | 13 minutes | 14.61 |
| London City | 2,073,664 | 3,429,684 | 12 minutes | 12.21 |
| Newcastle | 1,437,605 | 4,818,885 | 15 minutes | 8.66 |
Source: claims.co.uk
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