Thousands of Brits are experiencing flight cancellations as a result of staff shortages, technical issues, and an influx of passengers. If you’re one of those affected, here’s your rundown on what you need to do and what you are entitled to.
What you should do
- Contact your airline. They should offer you the choice of an alternative flight or a refund.
- Airlines must offer you sufficient food, drink and accommodation if your new flight is scheduled for the following day. This must also be offered if your flight is delayed by more than 2 hours.
- If you receive fewer than 2 weeks notice of your flight cancellation you may be entitled to compensation based on the timings of your alternative flight. The amount you can claim is dependent on how far you were travelling, and you cannot claim compensation if you are offered a new flight that departs within 2 hours of your original one.
- If you cannot reach your airline or they are unable to help (e.g. if they receive a high volume of calls or they cannot find you an alternative flight), you can organise a new flight or alternative transportation and claim back the cost later. Keep all emails and receipts, as well as proof that you tried to contact them.
- Due to the reasons for your flight cancellation, you may not be entitled to compensation (for instance, cancellations or delays as a result of extreme weather, or airport/ air traffic control employee strikes), but you will always be entitled to an alternative flight via rescheduling or a refund.
There are a number of online tools which can simplify the process of claiming compensation, such as the Bott + Co flight delay compensation calculator, which is recommended by Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis.
For further information on this topic check with your specific airline. We also recommend the Flight Delay Compensation guide from Money Saving Expert.