Travellers embarking on overseas on Monday faced chaos as flights were cancelled and cross-Channel rail services were delayed by three hours (Jonathan Brady/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)British travellers have been hit by Covid travel disruptions as airlines cancelled hundreds of flights and more travel delays hit the UK.
Staff shortages and Covid checks have caused one of Europe’s biggest airlines easyJet to pro-actively cancel departures and British Airways has cancelled almost 100 flights.
Speaking to the Standard, an easyJet spokesman said: “As a result of the current high rates of Covid infections across Europe, like all businesses, easyJet is experiencing higher than usual levels of employee sickness.”
Ferries have also been hit, partly by the suspension of P&O services, causing long delays expected to continue.
Customers are eligible for claims on their delayed or cancelled journeys, unless the cause was out of the control of airlines or ship services – such as dangerous weather or terrorist alerts.
Here’s what to do if your journey has been affected:
What compensation can I get if my flight was delayed?
Passengers can claim £220 for short haul flights after a delay of three hours.
For longer flights, the claim hits £350 for distances between 1,500km and 3,500km or £520 for flights father than 3,500km after for hours.
For flights exceeding five-hour delays, the customer is eligible for a full refund within the week.
If they choose to catch the flight, they can only claim this amount if the delay is the airline’s fault.
Being stuck in queues will not make you eligible for a refund but as long as the airline or airport is at fault for the delay, customers can request a refund.
Airlines must provide food, drink and access to telephone and email services over the length of a delay.
This applies to any flight leaving the UK or with a UK airline – as long as these costs are reasonable.
However, this does not include expensive meals, luxury hotels or alcohol.
Accommodation must also be covered if the delay is overnight, as well as travel from the airport to the hotel.
What compensation can I get if my flight was cancelled?
All airlines are required to provide a full refund for flights cancelled on short notice or an alternative flight.
Usually this means less than seven days’ notice of the cancellation.
Compensation depends on the distance of your journey with flights under 1,500km allowing up to £220.
Distances of 1,500km to 3,500km return up to £350 and any flight longer than 3,500km could pay up to £520.
Customers are entitled to only half of these amounts if the airlines can provide you with a replacement flight that arrives within a few hours of your original arrival time.
The cut off time varies according to distance:
· For flights under 1,500km, a two-hour delay;
· For flights 1,500-3,500km, a three-hour delay;
· For flights more than 3,500km distance, a four-hour delay.
How do I claim a refund?
Customers should contact the airline operating the flight – even if the booking was made through another airline.
Keep details of booking reference numbers, flight times and receipts of any incurred costs over the time of delays.
Alternatively, you can make a claim through your travel, home or bank account insurance but this may come at an extra fee or increase later costs.
Can I make a claim on ferry delays?
You can get a refund on ferry delays or cancellations, although rules vary.
Customers are eligible for a refund of quarter of the ticket price at the cut off:
· For four-hour journeys, an hour delay;
· For four to eight hours, a two-hour delay;
· For eight to 24 hours, a three-hour delay.
For double the waiting time, half the ticket price should be refunded.
