If your flight is cancelled, even in the event of ongoing strikes, then you have a legal right to a full refund or a replacement flight to get you to your destination. This means if you are part-way through your journey, such as waiting at a connecting airport, then you have the right to request a flight back to your original airport of departure.
This is according to Citizens Advice, which goes on to say your chosen airline could help with costs or compensation under certain circumstances if your cancelled flight delays your trip.
Compensation is dependent on whether you were delayed by more than two hours and you were given less than two weeks’ notice.
The amount of compensation you will receive ranges between £110 and £520, with your final figure determined by three factors. These include when the flight was delayed, the distance of your flight, and the departure or arrival times of your replacement flight.
Meanwhile, airlines footing the bill for extra costs, such as accommodation or refreshments, depends if your delay exceeded two hours. In this situation, most airlines will provide you with vouchers for food, drink and arrange transportation to their chosen hotel.
If this does not happen, you can organise this yourself, but the UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends passengers keep these costs to a “reasonable” limit.
Your airline will likely provide you with guidance on what is “reasonable”, with many companies unlikely to reimburse your expenditure on luxury accommodation or alcohol. The UK Civil Aviation Authority also always recommends that you keep receipts of your expenditure to claim this back.
Of course, those who booked their holiday through a travel company will not need to contact their airline. This can all be handled through your travel company directly, who should also manage other expenses such as cancelled accommodation or sightseeing tours.
