There’s no worse feeling. The pressure cooker of holiday excitement (and a little flight anxiety) has been bubbling for months. You’ve braved the scrum for check-in and endured a frisking at security. Pre-plane pints have been necked and post-flight itineraries discussed and dissected enthusiastically.
Then, a crackle over the tannoy, and the feeling of collective dread lets you know what’s coming; you’re going to have to wait a little while – optimistically – longer for the holiday festivities to begin. Though it can put a huge dampener on proceedings, there are things you can do to wrestle back control of your trip. These are those; our 5 IDEAL things to do if your flight gets delayed or cancelled.
Ask Your Airline To Book You Onto Another Flight
First things first; you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot, and before all the other passengers have the same idea. You know how it is when travelling; it’s every man and woman for themselves, so get selfish.
As soon as that announcement sends a collective groan up over the gate’s waiting area, get in touch (physically or over the phone) with your airline and ask them to arrange another flight for you. As it’s their responsibility for the delay or cancellation, you shouldn’t be charged a booking fee and they’ll likely be as accommodating as can be. Damage limitation, and all that.
Claim For Compensation
Are you flying from or to an EU airport, and your flight has been delayed for more than three hours? Then you’re legally entitled to receive the same compensation as if your flight had been cancelled. The same applies if you’re flying with airlines based in the EU like Ryanair or British Airways, applicable for flight delays for anything over 3 hours according to EU 261/2004 rule.
When a flight is cancelled or delayed, EU Regulation 261 mandates that airlines pay customers when they arrive at their destination more than three hours later than expected, though be aware that only when the airline was at fault for the delay or cancellation are passengers allowed to file a claim for compensation, which is often done via specialist flight compensation companies, who can facilitate a quicker, smoother claim in exchange for a percentage of the final payout.
If you’re thinking that Brexit may have lost us Brits this right, you’ll be pleased to hear that the UK Government wrote EU Regulation 261 into UK law at the end of the Brexit transition period. It’s now called Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.
And as the team at www.click2refund.com tell us, do remember that flights can be claimable for up to six years; bingo!
Know Your Rights
Even if you don’t have the right to claim for monetary compensation, according to Article 9 of EC261/2004, airlines have a duty of care to their passengers as the delay was caused by an extraordinary circumstance. Yep, even if you can’t wrangle money out of them, you may have the right to receive the following care and assistance from your airline:
- Food and drink in reasonable relation to waiting time
- Free hotel accommodation when a stay of one night or more is necessary
- Free transport between the airport and the hotel
- Two free telephone calls, emails, telex or fax messages (not that anyone uses the latter two anymore)
According to AirAdvisor, on the rights of a passenger to compensation for delayed flights, “The main responsibility of any airline is to make sure that you arrive at your destination on time. If a long delay catches you at the airport, you could be entitled to compensation of up to €600 (£510).”
Credit Card Safety Night
Should you have booked your flight using a credit card – and if not, we implore you to do so next time – then you’ll likely be afforded protection by your card company over such instances as flight delays and cancellations. Most offer refunds and reimbursements for more serious cases, so check the small print, terms and conditions for your account. In the future, before opening a new credit card account, ensure these perks are included for travel plan peace of mind.
Read: 6 holiday money mistakes and how to avoid making them
Don’t Let Your Holiday Be Ruined
The red mist can quickly descend when circumstances out of our control cause our precious downtime to be threatened. Don’t be that guy rude to a member of staff who doesn’t deserve to shoulder the blame; karma will take you down a peg or two, make no mistake.
Instead, breathe, stay calm and embrace the chance to explore the airport, enjoy some food and drink, perhaps even some retail therapy. And then, once your flight is rearranged, you’ll be able to approach your holiday with the same optimistic, enthusiastic spirit which you brought to the airport in the first place.
*The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only*