Many holidaymakers are set to face further travel disruption as more flight cancellations are expected.
This comes as Heathrow has demanded a cap on customers as they ask airlines to reduce their services from the airport, impacting some flights from Edinburgh Airport. With this in mind, Martin Lewis and the Money Saving Expert team have shared how you could get between £110 and £520 in compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed.
If a flight is cancelled 14 days before scheduled departure, passengers can legally request a full refund or an alternative flight under EU law that has been carried through since Brexit. These rules apply to departures from the UK or EU on any airline, as well as flights arriving in the UK or EU — although, in the latter scenario, it must be on a UK or EU airline. Customers are legally entitled to a full cash refund for a cancelled flight, and do not have to accept vouchers as an option.
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If the flight was cancelled within 14 days of it departing, on top of being able to request an alternative route, you could also be entitled to hundreds of pounds in compensation.
Between October 2021 and April 2022, British Airways grounded around 30,000 flights, and easyJet cancelled a further 10,000 services between October 2021 and July 2022 due to a range of reasons — including Covid-19 and staffing issues. A Martin Lewis fan shared how they managed to get thousands of pounds back after their British Airways flight was cancelled.
Deanne's comment was shared on MSE, and they said: "We got back £3,300 from BA for our delayed flight to the USA recently. We were delayed five hours and there were seven of us so it worked out €600 per person. Thank you so much for the direction to use the Resolver website. So quick and easy."
The tool mentioned can be found on moneysavingexpert.com here.
How much can you claim for a delayed flight?
How much money you are entitled to depends on the distance and the length of time you had to wait. The rules are explained below.
- Flight distance up to 1,500km (932 miles) – arriving more than three hours late – entitled to €250 (£215)
- Any flight in EU over 1,500km (932 miles) or any other flight between 1,500km-3,500km (2,175 miles) – arriving more than three hours late – entitled to €400 (£344)
- Flight distance more than 3,500km (2,175 miles) – arriving between three and four hours late – entitled to €300 (£258)
- Flight distance more than 3,500km (2,175 miles) – arriving more than four hours late – entitled to €600 (£516)
How much you can get for a cancelled flight
As well as the refund or alternative flight offered by the airline, you can claim additional compensation of between €125 (£110) and €600 (£520), depending on the arrival time of a rescheduled flight you're put on.
As MSE explains, you can only claim compensation if your flight is cancelled by the airline within 14 days of your journey and the rescheduled flight, whether you board it or not, must have arrived at its destination later than scheduled. The flight must have been cancelled due a fault by the airline.
What you can claim on travel insurance
Kevin Pratt, travel insurance expert at Forbes Advisor, told EdinburghLive: “If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund, regardless of whether you took out travel insurance. You should get your money back for the flight you were due to take, plus any onward or return flights that are part of the same booking. If you do still wish to travel, you should then be offered a replacement flight to your destination, even if that means flying with an alternative airline or in a more expensive seat class.
“However, if you are worried about not being able to go on holiday and decide to cancel a flight yourself, you won’t be entitled to any form of compensation, including a refund from the airline or compensation from your travel insurance provider. The responsibility lies with the airline if they cancel your flight, and you may also be entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed, so it pays to hold on to your reservation.
“If you’re looking to claim for a cancelled or delayed flight, it’s important to note that travel insurance will only cover costs of travel disruption under specific circumstances. They won’t reimburse you if you can obtain compensation elsewhere, so your airline should be your first port of call. The customer services department for the airline should be able to offer assistance.”
How to make a claim with British Airways
To make a claim, you can complain directly to your airline. For British Airways refunds and rebooking, go to Manage My Booking. For BA compensation claims, see make a claim.
Make a claim with TUI
For a refund request from TUI, fill in its online form here. To make a compensation claim, use TUI's online form.
easyJet
To make a claim with easyJet, follow the link to their complaint page, which explains whether you need to get in touch by writing or by using online complaints forms.
Ryanair
To make a claim with Ryanair, you can submit a claim online and also fill out a claim form which will be processed within 10 days.
Warning from Martin Lewis
Meanwhile, Martin warns customers to think before claiming, arguing that an influx of people claiming flights could increase flight prices.
On the MSE website, the money saving expert said: "The law behind this is clear cut, the ethics far less so. My usual focus for these type of issues is on reclaiming – asking for money back that was wrongly taken from you. This, however, is compensation, and like many I worry about a growing compensation culture.
"This EU ruling certainly swung the pendulum against airlines. As the cost of the flight is irrelevant to the payout there will be some who paid £20 for a cheap flight, were delayed a few hours that didn't really bother them, yet are entitled to a disproportionate £230 compensation for it.
"If everyone did it, this could cripple budget airlines' pricing models, possibly hasten the financial troubles of airlines already struggling in a tough economy and put prices up. Balancing this on the see-saw of right and wrong isn't easy."
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