Flights and airports FAQs
Staff strikes
I'm due to travel this weekend but I've heard my airline's cabin crew are likely to be on strike. If my flight is delayed or cancelled, what will happen to my travel plans?
If your flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline has an obligation to offer you meals and/or refreshments, depending on the length of the delay. It may also have to provide you with hotel accommodation and transport to the hotel.
Once a flight is cancelled, passengers who choose not to take an alternative flight should get a refund for the part of the journey not made. If you claim a refund and then discover that your original flight is going to operate after all, you will only be able to get back on the original flight subject to availability, and by paying the current fare.
Strikes are usually considered an 'extraordinary circumstance' for the airlines, so while the meals, refreshments, etc, must still be provided, it's unlikely that any additional compensation under the EC Denied Boarding Regulation will be paid.
It's worth checking your travel insurance policy to see if it excludes cover for issues such as industrial action, as you may need to claim on things outside of your transport requirements such as independently booked accommodation.
Refreshment refund
My flight was delayed for seven hours, but the airline refused to provide me with any refreshments. In the end I paid out £30 myself for these - can I claim the cost back?
You could argue that the airline was in breach of the Denied Boarding Regulation by failing to provide you with meals and refreshments free of charge. As a result, ask the airline for a refund. You should produce receipts to prove what you paid, and you will have to show that the amount you are claiming for is reasonable.
Refund for hotel booking
I booked flights with a no-frills airline leaving in three weeks' time and booked direct with a hotel I've stayed in before. My flight has just been cancelled and all the flights for that week are full. Should the airline reimburse me for the money I've lost on the hotel?
Unfortunately not. The airline only has to provide a refund of your ticket cost. As your flight was cancelled more than 14 days in advance you are not entitled to any fixed compensation.
Trouble contacting your airline
My flight is cancelled but I cannot get in touch with the airline - what should I do?
Normally, before going to the airport, you should try and contact the airline or travel agent to get the very latest information. The Denied Boarding Regulation states that the carrier cancelling the flight must provide each affected party with a written notice setting out the rules for compensation and assistance in line with the regulation. If you're in Europe and your flight is cancelled (or delayed for more than five hours) there are strict rules in place which mean that even if you cannot contact the airline, you should be able to pursue a claim against it.
Check the airline's website to see if there are any specific instructions given on how to pursue a claim. If there are no specific instructions, you should write to the airline, using one of our template flight rights letters, together with original receipts of any meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation and telephone calls that you incurred as a result of the cancellation. Make sure you keep copies, just in case you need them later. Also remember to notify your travel insurance company, just in case you may have to make a claim.
If eventually you do manage to contact the airline and you choose a new flight 'at a later date' (for example, because you decided to stay at home and abandon your holiday altogether), there are no time limits in the regulation for when you must take your flight. And you should not have to pay any extra.
Loss of earnings
I'm self-employed and a flight cancellation made me lose five days' work - can I claim this back?
In exceptional circumstances such as this, passengers are not entitled to financial compensation under European rules. You would not therefore be able claim against the airline (flight only) or indeed the tour operator for your lost five days of work. It may be worth checking whether your travel insurance policy covers you for a loss of earnings caused by flight cancellations instead.
Alternative travel expenses
I agreed for a refund of my flight back from France and made my own way home - can I claim my ferry and taxi expenses?
If you choose a refund, you have the right to a refund of the full amount of the ticket price paid (including taxes and any other charges). You would not be entitled to any further assistance from the airline. You will have to see whether your travel insurance would cover this. You may be able to claim back reasonable 'out of pocket' expenses such your taxi expenses and any alternative transport arrangements if you used a credit card to purchase your original flight.
Overnight accommodation for delays
My flight was delayed overnight and my airline won't arrange for me to go and stay in a hotel. What can I do?
You can make your own arrangements and claim a refund from your airline. But keep your receipts and make sure your claim is reasonable. You are unlikely to be refunded if you stay in a five-star hotel and enjoy a lavish meal. If you can, talk to an airline representative or check their website beforehand to confirm you can do this, and take note of the rep's name and the conversation you have.
Compensation claim refused
My claim for compensation for a delayed flight was refused, what should I do?
Tell your airline that you want them to reconsider your claim. We don't recommend you take your claim to court at this stage (or pay a claims handler to try and settle the claim on your behalf). This will cost you money, you're very unlikely to receive compensation before the European Court rules, and if the court rules in favour of the airlines, you won't be entitled to compensation anyhow. You have six years from when your flight was delayed to make a claim, so there is no need to rush to court.
Volcano disruption
What am I entitled to by law if my flight is cancelled due to a volcano eruption?
You have clearly defined rights enshrined in European legislation. Under the Denied Boarding Regulation (Regulation 261), if you are travelling with an airline based in the EU, or with a non-EU airline flying out of an EU airport, then the airline has an obligation to provide you with assistance. You are not, however, entitled to compensation in instances due to an ash cloud, as this would come under 'extraordinary circumstances', which exonerates the airline from having to pay out compensation.
If your flight was with a non-EU based airline, flying from a non-EU airport, the airline doesn't have the same duty to look after you. Check the airline's Conditions of Carriage to see what you are entitled to. Following the volcano eruption in April 2010, some non-EU airlines provided accommodation, while others said they would consider claims on a case by case basis.