Thousands of holidaymakers continue to face stress and disappointment amid travel chaos right across the UK.
Although flight cancellations are not a new problem, chronic staff shortages in UK airports following the pandemic are not making the problem any easier. Consumer rights expert Martyn James has said however, that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, then you may be entitled to compensation, the Mirror reports.
Writing for the Mirror, Mr James said he has been "flooded" with enquiries as many flights have already been cancelled, with worries more may be on the way. But all is not lost.
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It comes after the recent chaos reported in airports right across the UK from cancelled flights, to huge queues and lost luggage. Manchester Airport has particularly come under fire in recent months as dozens of families report witnessing the carnage.
One mum spoke about how her holiday to Costa Adeje soon turned into a nightmare as they were met with "carnage". Things soon went from bad to worse for Kelly Clarke and her son Toby, when she says, armed police were forced to board the aircraft and escort all passengers off the plane.
One child was even forced to urinate in a bag following a two hour queue at security as their flight was eventually cancelled. The chaos comes after chronic staff shortages but holidaymakers have been offered some top tips to avoid the travel chaos, which could last a while longer.
However, Liverpool John Lennon Airport appears to remain unscathed as passengers are being asked to arrive no more than two and a half hours before their flight departure. LJA took to social media to say: "While we are aware of ongoing media coverage elsewhere, we want to reassure our passengers that we continue to see 15-20 mins queues through security throughout the day and are, therefore, asking passengers to arrive no more than 2.5 hours prior to their flight departure time."
Mr James wrote that if your flight has been delayed, then what you are entitled to depends on how long the delay and the distance you are flying. For example, the flight must be delayed by more than three hours - which is counted from the time the flight is meant to arrive, not when it takes off.
The flight must also take off from the UK or European Union or be from an airline based in these areas and the issue must be ‘within the control of the airline’, so storms and bad weather or air-traffic control disputes will not count. However airlines strikes are generally considered to be "foreseeable" as are staffing issues and cancelations.
How much can you claim?
- If the flight is up to 1,500 km and is more than three hours late, then you can claim £220.
- If the flight is between 1,500 and 3,500 km and is more than three hours late, then you can claim £350.
- If the flight is more than 3,500 km and leaving the EU, or is an EU airline flying into the UK and is between three and four hours late, then you could get back £260.
- If the flight is more than 3,500 km and is more than four hours late, then you could expect up to £520.
- Compensation for cancellation follows similar patterns but also depends on when the flight was cancelled.
Mr James, writing for the Mirror, added that if you are stuck waiting for a delayed flight, you can ask airline staff for things like food and drink vouchers, accommodation and costs for communications as he adds it is important to keep all bills and receipts.
Compensation for baggage
You are entitled to compensation for delayed, lost or damaged baggage, but you may actually get more through making a claim on your insurance policy. This is also dependant on what you are claiming for as there is usually a cap on the maximum they will pay out.
Mr James recommends you keep essential and valuable items on your person but you could get compensation for essential clothing items, the cost of replacing luggage and the cost of collecting any luggage.
Mr James continued that if the airline has not resolved the complaint, this can be escalated further as more information can be found here.
