'I was downgraded on my British Airways flight after a long delay. Am I entitled to more compensation than I got?'

Your questions, answered by the Which? Travel experts 

Which? member Peter Bennett says…

'My wife and I were due to fly from Edinburgh to Montreal via Heathrow, in British Airways premium economy. But both outbound legs were delayed by storms. 

'After we boarded the flight from Heathrow to Montreal, the captain announced further delays due to an ill passenger. Following a four-hour wait on board – with no food offered, and only one glass of water – the flight was cancelled as the crew had exceeded its permitted hours. 

'We booked ourselves into a hotel, and returned the following morning for our new flight, via Amsterdam, at 6.20am. 

'On the Amsterdam to Montreal leg there was no premium economy and business class was full. The flight was terrible – and extremely noisy. We were seated next to the toilets, the entertainment system didn’t work and the food was awful. BA offered us reimbursement for expenses and 5,000 Avios points as compensation (worth around £40). 

'I believe we’re entitled to a refund of the charge for our premium economy seats and further compensation — do you agree?'

This article first appeared in Which? Travel magazine. We don't accept freebies from travel companies, airlines or hotels, so you can be sure that our investigations, recommendations and reviews are completely unbiased.

Trevor Baker says...

'It’s disappointing to hear you weren’t taken care of and your seats were downgraded after such inconvenience. We agree that BA fell short. 

'After Which? intervened, BA confirmed it would refund the difference in ticket prices, plus a £500 BA voucher as compensation for the inconvenience.'

Know your rights when your flight is delayed

If your flight is delayed and you're departing from a UK or EU airport, or if it was operated by a UK or EU airline, you have legal rights. 

If you're delayed at least two hours (or three to four depending on the distance of your flight), the airline has a duty to look after you and cover your reasonable expenses, whatever the reason for the delay. 

But you're also entitled to compensation if you are delayed at least three hours and the delay is the fault of the airline. The exact amount depends on how long you're delayed and how far you're flying. Under UK regulations, this comes to between £220 and £520 per passenger and you have up to six years to complain (or five in Scotland).

Find out more in our full guide on how to claim compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight.