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What to do if your flight is cancelled or delayed

Lottie Casas August 26, 2023

What to do if your flight is cancelled or delayed, how to figure out if you’re entitled to compensation… and how much you’ll receive

  • Which? explains when airline passengers can claim assistance or compensation
  • Travellers of delayed flights could be entitled to as much as £520
  • READ MORE: The best times to book for a 2024 European summer holiday

If you’re unfortunate enough to experience a flight delay or cancellation, you could be entitled to compensation.

Here we reveal the circumstances that trigger a cash pay out. 

FLIGHT DELAYS

New data from the Civil Aviation Authority shows one in three trips were delayed by at least 15 minutes last year.

Delayed passengers could be entitled to free meals and compensation of up to £520 – and this section helps you understand how.

Travellers who are delayed for at least two hours may be entitled to assistance, Which? says

ASSISTANCE

Airline passengers delayed by two hours or more could be entitled to assistance such as two free phone calls or emails, free meals and refreshments, free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers, according to Which?, outlining the following:

Short-haul – Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) with a delay time of at least two hours are entitled to assistance.

Medium-haul – Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least three hours are entitled to assistance.

Long-haul – Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least four hours are entitled to assistance.

Delayed passengers who meet the above criteria can contact their airline or approach staff at the airport for further information.

SEVERE DELAYS

Passengers whose flight has been delayed by more than five hours are ‘entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund’, Which? says.

Passengers can also request flight delay compensation, according to the watchdog, ‘if the delay is not due to extraordinary circumstances’. These include bad weather, strikes unrelated to the airline, such as with baggage handlers, acts of terrorism or sabotage, drone disruption and long security queues.

Claims are valid for up to six years after the flight if it flew in or out of the UK, it adds.

COMPENSATION 

Passengers of delayed flights are protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation if their flight departs from the UK or Europe or is operated by a UK or European airline, Which? says.

‘If you’re travelling with a non-EU based airline flying from a non-EU destination, the airline doesn’t have the same duty to look after you,’ it adds.

‘But you can check the airline’s ‘conditions of carriage’ to see what compensation you are entitled to.’

HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION

Passengers whose flight has been delayed by more than five hours are ‘entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund’, Which? says

‘If your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late, each affected passenger is entitled to claim flight delay compensation,’ Which? says.

The total value of compensation depends on the length and distance of the delayed flight as well as the reason for the delay, it adds.

Passengers can make a claim under the EU Denied Boarding Regulation if they meet the criteria, listed in a table by Which?, below.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU ENTITLED TO?

Short-haul – Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) who are delayed for more than three hours are entitled to £220, according to Which?

Medium-haul within the EU – Passengers flying more than 932 miles (1,500km) within the EU who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to £350 compensation, the watchdog says.

Medium-haul outside the EU – Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to £350 compensation, Which? explains.

Long-haul – Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) are entitled to £260 in compensation if they are delayed between three and four hours, or £520 if they are delayed longer than this, according to the site.

CONNECTING FLIGHTS

‘Passengers flying with a non-EU airline are entitled to compensation if a flight departing from the UK is delayed by at least three hours at the final destination,’ says Which?

The ‘final destination’ of a connecting flight refers to the last airport listed on the passenger’s ticket, it adds.

OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES

As well as compensation, some passengers are entitled to claim ‘extra out-of-pocket expenses under the Montreal Convention’, Which? says.

Examples are if you miss a night of pre-booked accommodation, miss a concert you have bought tickets to, or a day of car rental you have paid for, it adds.

FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

Which? says passengers can claim compensation for cancelled and delayed flights unless affected by ‘extraordinary circumstances’ 

COMPENSATION

Passengers travelling with a UK or EU-based airline, or flying from a UK or EU airport, should receive help from the company if their flight is cancelled, Which? says.

‘This is because your flight is protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation,’ it adds.

Depending on the circumstances, passengers could be entitled to ‘a refund or alternative flight, food, phone calls and accommodation, and flight cancellation compensation’, the watchdog further explains.

HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION

Which? says passengers can claim compensation for cancelled flights unless it is affected by ‘extraordinary circumstances’, as explained earlier in this article.

But even if extraordinary circumstances apply, you are ‘still entitled to meals, refreshments, accommodation and hotel transfers depending on the length of your flight and delay’, the consumer watchdog adds.

HOW MUCH COMPENSATION ARE YOU ENTITLED TO?

Short-haul – Passengers travelling less than 932 miles (1,500km) whose new flight takes off more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than two hours after it are entitled to £110 in compensation, according to Which?.

If the passengers’ flight arrives more than two hours after the original flight, they are entitled to £220 in compensation, it adds.

Medium-haul – Passengers travelling 932 miles (1,500km) to 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than three hours after it are entitled to £175 in compensation, Which? says.

If the passengers’ flight arrives more than three hours after their original flight, they are entitled to £350 in compensation, it adds.

Long-haul – Passengers travelling more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than four hours after it are entitled to £260 in compensation, Which? says.

If the passengers’ flight arrives more than four hours after their original flight, they are entitled to £520 in compensation, it adds.

The figures above are for flights cancelled less than seven days before departure. 

CONNECTING FLIGHTS

Passengers travelling with a UK or EU-based airline, or flying from a UK or EU airport, should receive help from the company if their flight is cancelled, Which? says

‘If a connecting flight during your journey is affected by a delay and you departed from the UK or an EU country, you can still claim compensation,’ Which? says.

‘For example, if you were flying from Manchester to Sydney, connecting in Singapore, but your Singapore to Sydney flight was delayed, you’d still be entitled.’

HOW TO APPEAL A DECISION

Unresolved complaints about an airline can be escalated to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme and a list of approved providers are listed on the Civil Aviation Authority website, Which? says.

Airline passengers can also gain extra peace of mind at the airport by taking out travel insurance, says Quotezone.

CEO Greg Wilson said: ‘Depending on the type of policy, some travel insurance providers will offer cover for a delayed flight of over 24 hours, or if an alternative travel option hasn’t been offered.

‘Insurance policies for missed or delayed flight departure will pay for costs incurred from delayed flights or if travellers miss the trips because of a situation out of their control – such as getting into a serious accident and being taken to hospital.’

He adds: ‘In the case of an airline going bust before passengers are able to get home, taking out the right travel insurance before jetting off will help give travellers protection.’

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