Having a flight cancelled is dreadful, especially if you are already at the airport. The holiday you have been looking forward to for weeks or months is snatched away. You may also have accommodation or activities booked and paid for that you can’t use. The chances are you will be put on a later flight, but sometimes that is too late, such as a weekend away or going to a family wedding. It is very disappointing and hard not to be frustrated and annoyed.
So what can you do?
Cancelled at the airport
If you are at the airport, don’t read the rest of this blog. Just go to the airline agents’ desk as quickly as you can, and then read the rest while you are in the queue. Hurry!
I hope you got near the front of the queue. The airlines have limited spare seats and can’t magically find more seats when they are gone.
While in the queue, look at the airline app and refresh it. It might allow you to change your flight before you get to the front of the queue.
While you wait, you can use that time to consider all your options. –
Would you accept a new flight for a few days’ time, and if so, what is the latest date you would accept?
Would you be happy if the family had to go on separate flights?
Will you have to repack your bags if you are not flying together?
Do you want a refund?
Will you get any refunds on activities or hotels you have already booked, do you have time to cancel or reschedule them?
Do you need to cancel a taxi if you have arranged to be picked up at your destination?
If you have hired a car, you must inform them as soon as you know the situation. They will cancel the contract if you don’t pick up the car at the time arranged.
Don’t cancel anything until you are sure of your future plans.
If you can’t see any other flights, don’t panic. Sometimes, a mechanical fault causes a flight to be cancelled at the last minute, and your airline might be organising a replacement flight.
Cancelled before your holiday
You still need to act quickly. Look at your flight app. Can you change the flight to another one? If your flight shows as cancelled, you might be able to automatically change it for free to a later flight.
Do not cancel your flight yourself, even if you know it will be cancelled, because you will not receive compensation.
If you haven’t had any luck with the app, you must contact the airline directly. Unfortunately, numerous people will also be trying to contact your airline, especially if multiple planes are cancelled. Be prepared for a long wait. One suggestion is to contact your airline in another country. I have never tried this suggestion, but it might be worthwhile. Choose a country that speaks a language you understand.
Should I book with another airline?
If your flight is essential, you can book with another airline and hope to claim the difference back. You will probably be reimbursed for your original flight, but be aware that booking with another airline at the last minute will be very expensive and unlikely to be reimbursed for the difference. You might be paid if you have a good reason, like a job interview, but more likely, you will only get the money repaid for your cancelled flight.
Should I go to the airport?
If your flight is cancelled at the last minute, should you still turn up at the airport to ensure you get the next available flight or stay home? It all depends on the circumstances.
If you have confirmation that your flight is cancelled, you don’t need to go to the airport but don’t believe the media if they say all flights have been cancelled from Heathrow. If your flight hasn’t officially been cancelled and you don’t show up, you will be classified as a no-show and lose any compensation or a chance to rebook.
If you are on holiday, you might decide to turn up at the airport anyway, as you have finished your holiday. This is a difficult situation. The airline might provide free accommodation at a hotel, but if something significant happens, like a tornado, you are better off booking extra nights at your hotel and seeing if you can claim them back from your insurance.
Sometimes, when multiple airlines have to cancel flights, your only option is to spend the night in the airport in uncomfortable chairs with all the other people in the same circumstances.
Know Your legal rights for cancelled flights.
If your flight is cancelled 14 days before your travel date, you can request a full refund or an alternative flight for any flights departing the UK or EU.
The same applies if you are arriving in the UK or EU on a UK or EU airline.
If you are travelling outside the UK or EU or arriving on a non-UK or EU plane, you must check with the airline or country from which the plane departed. Most airlines offer full refunds or alternative flights.
If your flight is cancelled within 14 days of your travel date, you may also get compensation.
However, before you get too excited, compensation is only paid if it is the airline’s fault. More about that later.
What if my flight is late?
If your flight departs from or is an airline from a UK or EU airport arriving at a UK or EU airport, you are entitled to compensation if the flight is over 3 hours delayed and the airline’s fault.
It is how late you arrive at your destination that counts. Sometimes, airlines code-share a flight; it is the operator of the code-share that counts. You can find out which airline is the operator by looking next to the flight number when you book.
The compensation depends on how many hours the plane was late and how far you travelled.
You will only get compensation if it is the airline’s fault. It can be difficult for a passenger to find out why a plane was delayed; often, you are told conflicting stories. If there is bad weather, it is not the airline’s fault, but if it is a staffing or mechanical issue, it is. Airlines don’t have to pay for extraordinary circumstances; they try to avoid paying when they can and claim extraordinary circumstances.
It is a bit complicated with strikes. It has to be the airline staff on strike, not the airport, and only if the airline could have taken measures to prevent the strike but failed to do so.
The airline should look after you.
This means ensuring you have food and somewhere to sleep if you have to wait overnight because of a long delay. They usually give you a food voucher to use at the airport. They might arrange a hotel for you; otherwise, you might have to find one yourself and keep the receipt so you can make a claim later. If they do reimburse you for your hotel or food, it will be at the lower end of the market prices.
They may also arrange a transfer to the hotel and back to the airport.
This has only happened to us once, and we were lucky to be sent by coach to a very nice hotel and directed straight away to an impressive buffet. The only downside was that everyone was woken up at 3 a.m. to catch the flight home.
What if I miss my flight due to long security queues?
You are meant to allow time for security. Sometimes, it is ridiculously long, but I am afraid you still can’t claim compensation from your airline as it is the airport’s responsibility.
What if I missed my flight because my car broke down?
If you miss your flight because your car broke down or there was a crash on the motorway, causing an hours-long traffic jam, it isn’t the airline’s fault, so they won’t compensate you.
However, depending on your insurance terms, you might be able to make a claim. Make sure you collect evidence to support your claim.
What if I miss my connection?
If you booked your flight as a single journey with the same airline or a partner, they will arrange for you to be put on the next available flight if your first flight was delayed. They should look after you, providing food vouchers or accommodation if necessary.
However, if your flights were two separate journeys you will have to pay out of your own pocket for the next flight.
How to make things easier
Generally, flights at the beginning of the day are less likely to be delayed, so book then if possible. The only time this doesn’t work is when you are at an airport with fog in the mornings; some airports are prone to fog, especially in winter.
Delays are common, so don’t plan to arrive the day before something you can’t miss, like a wedding or catching a cruise. Give yourself at least a day spare. Also, don’t book anything nonrefundable or expensive for the first day of your holiday.
Don’t book two separate flights with a connection. You could talk to a travel agent to see if they could be booked as one flight or allow plenty of time for the first flight to be delayed and have a very long layover.
Summary
Things go wrong, and it often doesn’t seem fair. Holidays can be important for lots of different reasons. The only thing you can do is sort out new flights and make claims for any compensation due.
Don’t get frustrated with the airline staff. When flights are cancelled or delayed, they have a bad day at work. Although it is very difficult to remain calm when you are simmering with frustration.
I hope that if your flight is cancelled or delayed, it doesn’t upset your plans too much.
On our last holiday, we had a cancelled flight on the way back and a delayed flight on the way out. We had to run through the airport to catch the second flight; at the time, I wondered if I would have a heart attack as I am not used to running, especially with a backpack. I survived and look forward to the next holiday; most flights go smoothly. Of the almost two hundred flights I have done, only about six were significantly delayed, and only one was cancelled, and we still had brilliant holidays.
I wish you good luck with your flights. Remember that when things go wrong, they often make more interesting stories.
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