By Jessica Hamilton
UK airspace has been hit by a network-wide outage in air traffic control systems on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The system outage is expected to cause disruption for the rest of the day as flights will be delayed and canceled in Britain as chaos spreads across Europe.
As the chaos continues, many will wonder if they can claim compensation. But what are your rights? Read on to find out.
Can I claim compensation?
If your flight is delayed your airline should provide you with support and according to Citizens Advice you may be able to claim compensation if your flight:
- Departing from Great Britain (regardless of the airline)
- Departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland (regardless of the airline)
- Arrived in the UK and on a UK or EU airline
- Arrived in the EU and with a UK airline
If you’re on a non-UK flight connecting to a UK flight, you can usually receive compensation if you’ve booked both flights as one booking, if the delay is the airline’s fault, and if you’re more than 12 hours late.
If your flight is delayed, your airline must provide food and drink, access to phone calls and emails, and accommodation if you’re delayed overnight, as well as travel between the airport and the hotel.
However, it is unlikely that you will be compensated if the delay is due to something beyond the airline’s control.
According to EU Regulation EC 261/2004, disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, strikes by airport workers or air traffic control, or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
How much could I be entitled to?
In cases where the airline is at fault for a delay, passengers can receive the following compensation.
- 3 hours or more, less than 1,500km: £220
- 3 hours or more, between 1,500 and 3,500 miles: £350
- 4 hours or more, over 3500km: £520
- Less than 4 hours, over 3,500 km £260
If your flight is delayed by 5 hours or more, you can claim £520 compensation if the delay is the airline’s fault and you depart.
If you don’t take the flight and the airline is at fault, they should give you a full refund for the flight and any other flights on the same airline that you don’t use.
If you are halfway through your trip, they must finance a flight back to the airport from which you originally departed.
If your flight is cancelled, you may be entitled to a full refund or a replacement flight.
How can I claim?
To claim compensation, you must go directly through the airline in question.
Most airlines have a customer service department that deals with urgent matters, such as flight delays.
In cases where the delay is not the airline’s fault, the Civil Aviation Authority says ‘no compensation to be expected’.
However, you may be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy, as some insurance policies provide limited coverage for delays, according to the Money Saving Expert website.
But be sure to gather evidence of expenses incurred, such as hotels or alternate transportation.
If you need further assistance, you can contact the Civil Aviation Authority and Citizens Advice for assistance.
