A new study has revealed which airlines are the best – and worst – for flight delays.
About 1.3million passengers were stuck in airports thanks to delays in the past 12 months, according to Which? ‘s study of Civil Aviation Authority flight data.
The site analysed flights in and out of the UK from June 2017 until June 2018 and found more than 13,000 were delayed by three or more hours – that’s 3,500 passengers facing delays a day.
The top offending airlines weren’t the same as the worst performers according to the stats.
Most severely delayed flights can be attributed to Easyjet (2,618), Ryanair (1,868) and British Airways (1,668) – but it’s worth noting they have more flights.
The worst by percentage for long-haul delays was Norwegian, with Icelandair worst for short-haul.
Worst airlines for long-haul delays
Percentage of flights between June 2017 and June 2018, in and out of UK, delayed by more than three hours
Norwegian – 2.4%
Thomas Cook – 1.8%
TUI – 1.6%
Air India – 1.5%
Air Canada – 1.3%
BA – 0.9%
United Airlines – 0.9%
American Airlines – 0.7%
Delta Airways – 0.6%
Cathay Pacific Airways – 0.6%
Worst airlines for short-haul delays
Percentage of flights between June 2017 and June 2018, in and out of UK, delayed by more than three hours
Icelandair – 1.7%
Aurigny – 1.6%
TUI – 1.4%
Worst airlines for medium-haul delays
Percentage of flights between June 2017 and June 2018, in and out of UK, delayed by more than three hours
Thomas Cook – 1.2%
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Rail compensation rules
When do you get compensation?
If your flight is delayed by two hours or more your rights under the Denied Boarding Regulation start to kick in.
If you’re delayed by two hours the airline has to offer you two free emails or calls, food or drink vouchers, provide accommodation and transfers if required.
If a flight is delayed by three hours, passengers are entitled to compensation ranging from £220 to £360 for short-haul flights and up to £535 for long-haul flights.
Airlines are only exempt from paying out if they can show there were "extraordinary circumstances", such as extreme weather conditions or airport strikes.
What about automatic compensation?
Which? has called for automatic compensation to be introduced, as it calls the current system "complicated" and "time consuming".
Which?’s Alex Neill said: "Severe delays can be a complete nightmare and totally wreck a long awaited trip abroad, especially if it means you’re stuck in an airport terminal for hours on end.
"Passengers are often entitled to compensation when airlines get it wrong and it is vital that automatic compensation is introduced across the industry so that people no longer have to jump through hoops to get what they are owed."
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