You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Few times recently I've been in the boarding lounge/pen and it's looked like the flight was going to be cancelled.
So far I've been lucky, but I've realised I don't know what I should do in the event of a last minute cancellation.
Assume that once a flight is cancelled everyone converges on the 2-3 members of staff to get booked onto new flights and get hotel vouchers (if it was the last flight out). So it's likely to take hours and not everyone is going to get on the next flight, or get the most convenient hotel for an early morning flight.
So:
- Is the above how it happens? Or is it all done via the app (usually fly Easyjet or BA if it makes a difference)?
- Is it OK just to book the next available flight and a hotel room on your phone and claim it back somehow?
- Airport hotels are usually £££, especially last minute (Sofitel LHR T5 would have been ~£250), so what's "reasonable" in this situation.
Bonus question about compensation: My flight was almost cancelled due to the crew and craft being delayed on the flight into my departure airport. Could have been cancelled either due to crew exceeding their hours or my arrival airport being closed. Which both seem like they would be valid reasons for compensation. But the crew and craft delay was caused by thunderstorms in Geneva. So would that sit in "extraordinary circumstances" and not be subject to compensation?
If you are at the airport, it is down the airline to give you food/hotel vouchers. Don’t book stuff yourself as it’ll be very hard to claim it back.
Based on our experiences (twice with young children and multi day delays).
- The airport staff will be beleaguered, disorganised and unsupported. It will be a long wait.
- The airlines will spec cheap accomodation miles from anywhere
- Compensation claims and expenses will be slow and painful
- Even if you get a regulator judgement on compensation it doesn't mean they will pay it.
I wouldn't book in advance, if you do fly on the first then there's no way they'll refund that. Unless you book very expensive refundable right up to point of departure in which case you'd probably still struggle to get that from the airline.
Hotels - who knows. If the flight you're rebooked on is very early next morning then an airport hotel for £££ might be reasonable. If it's not until later, maybe shipping you to a nearby town / Premier Inn is acceptable. You might be able to do that and taxi it and have a claim, equally if they're booking 50 rooms and a coach they might argue you 'overspent'
The point about whether storms in late summer on continental Europe are unforeseen is an interesting one. Predictable - maybe not in timing but I reckon you can assume that it'll happen several times a year at least. So should they have standby crews sat around in case - they'll have pushed the numbers into a massive calculator and worked out that a few pissed off punters and a suitcase of compensation is cheaper if they end up paying out. That's the price for demanding our flights are as cheap as possible, I guess.
The Icelandic volcano - that's what i'd see as out of their hands.
But that's also what insurance is for, to mop up after the airlines have washed their hands of it.
The only time it happened to me I spent 2 nights more in Kathmandu in 5 star accommodation with room service paid by the airline. YMMV.
You need to separate duty of care from compensation. What constitutes exceptional circumstances has been tried in the courts. Weather is (no compensation) but a lack of staff at a home base is not (compensation due). There's a really useful thread on flyertalk.
Both Easyjet and BA have apps which will show your rebooking or options, if it's a complex itinerary worth trying to call but late at night you are best looking online. Speaking to people at the airport late at night is near impossible. We have booked our own accommodations, taxi, food just keep receipts and then claim duty of care expenses. To be fair they are crap at paying but they do have to pay you back eventually. For 'reasonable' take screenshots of what is available on a booking.com-like search and pick something convenient, as an example for BA around Heathrow it's £200 but be aware it may be months before you get your money back, so we would pick something a short taxi away at £100 over the Sofitel.
As soon as it is cancelled get on the app and rebook. Don't bother trying to talk to anyone, you're just wasting time when 200 people are trying to book the last 5 seats on the next available flight.
This happened to us in July from Gatwich to Zürich. No flights the following day unless we went Luton - Geneva which we booked. We took the hotel recommended in the Easyjet app and then a taxi to Luton. On arrival the hotel had no booking but luckily a room. Taxi to the airport next morning, train from Geneva to Zürich and various snacks and meals were all reimbused by the airline, fairly painlessly. The Hotel problem has been acknowledged and we're waiting on that money. We didn't bother to try and claim compensation as the official/original excuse was weather.
Have claimed compensation for flight delay on BA before via their website. Took about 1 minute to claim and had £220 paid back within a few weeks of claim IIRC.
Depends on the airline. As mentioned above, some have an app to rebook, I've used the BA one before and it worked fine. I've also had a cancellation at Frankfurt with Lufthansa and they use the on-concorse hotel, so you just grab a voucher from a staff member and head off. It's a lot easier at an airlines hub than at one of their spokes. That said, I've had ba not have any hotel space at Heathrow before
Almost anything is reasonable imo, if the nearest hotel is £200, get that, if dinner is £50 a head, that's fine too. I sent BA the bill for 2 taxi rides and a takeaway , total was over 300 and they paid it without issue
The Icelandic volcano – that’s what i’d see as out of their hands.
Ironically, that was the one delayed/cancelled/screwed up flight i've had which was completely straightforward.
The airline paid a per diem cost per person to stay in our existing hotel, they also paid for transport to get from the airport we ended up at (Stockholm) to the airport we departed from (Kastrup, 36 hour hire car, plus point to point drop off) and a generic compensation for the massive delay (6 days IIRC). Only thing we ended up paying for was the difference in flights (about €50) fuel for the hire car and the extra parking for our car (that Kastrup airport waived anyway) and i paid for a train over the Öresundbron. Then both household and holiday insurance paid out as well.
Essentially we got a 2 week holiday for the price of one. And some extra cash in the bank.
And as it was an act of god, we didn't need to use our holiday allowance, so we got paid as well.
Best holiday evaaaahhhhhhhh.
Every other delay/cancelled flight has been an utter nightmare.
The one time it happened to me, they got me on a later flight. As I'm usually travelling alone, I tend to hang back anyway and let families go in front, because I can be more flexible.
The reason that the staff at the airport don't tend to know nothing is that they're usually from a third party agency, and don't know the procedure for your specific airline much better than you do, and have little to no autonomy. This is also why when you go to check in, often it seems like it's the first time ever that they've checked someone onto a flight, because it is.
Had a mare this summer. The short version is that I spent £1500 out of pocket, the airline is refusing compensation (when it is cut and dried), and credit card travel insurance has paid me back £1000 so far. Definitely worth getting annual travel insurance policy...
The only time it happened to me I spent 2 nights more in Kathmandu in 5 star accommodation with room service paid by the airline.
The only time it happened to me was in Minsk, 2006. The airport felt like something out of Soviet times (nowhere accepted cards and there was no ATM) and there was a three hour queue because they were WRITING OUT NEW TICKETS FOR EVERYONE BY HAND
I was rerouted through Milan. I have to say I was very surprised when I rocked up for my connecting flight, as they were closing the gate, waving a tatty hand-written ticket that was all in Russian. But they did...
Unfortunately my luggage didn't make it, and when I got home I found that a pigeon had got into my room and shat all over my bed. But I can't really blame the Minsk airport staff for that.
Checked in for a Norwegian flight from Oslo to Manchester, flight was still up on the boards as normal but noticed our boarding cards had tomorrows date. Asked the deck, oh yes, today's flight is cancelled, you're on tomorrow's, come back at noon and we'll give you food vouchers, catch this bus at 3pm to the airport hotel, all paid for, and you'll get 250euros compensation. And we did.
We were boarding when the Icelandic volcano caused it's havoc. Ended up all expenses at a toromelinos hotel for a week then a bus to Heathrow as flights reopened. Talking to BA booking as airspace opened so was on next flight to Edinburgh.
It was havoc though. Didn't cost a penny but got no compensation.
My flight wasn’t cancelled, just massively overbooked. Got paid a stack of cash, got to see a new city, and met my new husband as a result. Unless you have to be wherever you’re going for a wedding or a funeral, I reckon go with the flow and chill!
I've had one delayed for 4 hours, and one cancelled due to weather.
Delayed one, check in handed me a food voucher, and told me to watch the boards. If there were any further changes, I'd be called back to the desk.
Cancelled one was due to weather, turned up at airport, and there was a member of staff going along the line asking what flight you were on. She grouped us together, sent us to the desk to arrange the rebooking, she then wrote out hotel vouchers, and when she had enough people to fill a taxi, escorted us to the taxi stand and got a pre-paid taxi to take us to the hotel. We were told we'd need to book our own taxi for the morning, but it was only a 15 minute walk away, so never bothered.
It very much depends on the airline, your class / terms of ticket, who / how you booked (direct or through an agent or part of a package) & sadly, most important of all, your frequent flyer status.
Apps can help, but often if you’re on the cheapest ticket, or booked as part of a package / through an agent, the app won’t realise you’ve been bunked and will refuse to rebook you. It’s join the queue time, though I’d still get on the phone while you queue as the dispatcher will no doubt be from Menzies/swissport and have very little sway /access to the airline’s actual booking platform. Occasionally I’ve had an actual bod from an airline at the desk, and you know what, they just wind me up with the compete corporate ballcocks they spout. One winter’s night I got delayed at LGW heading home to Newcastle. Flybe cancelled the flight - their excuse was that NCL was shut. They were totally unapologetic when I pointed out to them the current flightradar24 tracks of planes lining up on finals and landing at NCL.
Up until covid I had great status with KLM. I would regularly run into issues with missed connections on through tickets, particularly when flying home from Tromso via Oslo and Amsterdam. Weather was usually the issue. KLM were always brilliant and would quietly rebook me even before announcements came over the tannoy when they realised connections would be missed. I’ve also had text messages upon landing in Amsterdam to say “ we know you wont make this connection, we’ve rebooked you tomorrow, here’s your hotel details and a meal voucher”.
Conversely, I know people with gold/platinum status with BA/IAG and they’ve been abandoned at times of cancellation. But that’s par for the course with our woeful national flag carrier.
BA are good about paying hotels, taxis, meals (3 per day). The hotel allowance is £200 unless you can prove there’s nothing else available for less which I’ve never tried to do. They have pushed back on alcohol and pointing out that had I been allowed to check in I’d have drink more in their lounge without paying didn’t get them to change their mind. They usually pay within 2 to 3 weeks of the expense claim along with the compensation if you’re entitled to it.
Up until covid I had great status with KLM. I would regularly run into issues with missed connections on through tickets, particularly when flying home from Tromso via Oslo and Amsterdam. Weather was usually the issue. KLM were always brilliant and would quietly rebook me even before announcements came over the tannoy when they realised connections would be missed. I’ve also had text messages upon landing in Amsterdam to say “ we know you wont make this connection, we’ve rebooked you tomorrow, here’s your hotel details and a meal voucher”.
I am still waiting for KLM to pay me compensation from flights over a year ago which even they admit to the Arbitrator they use that I am entitled to. If I'd know that it takes the arbitrator so long to reply to every message I'd just have gone to the small claims court when KLM at first refused my claim!
However I recently had missed connection in Amsterdam (along with 1/2 the people on my flight) and was dreading the scrum at the desk to sort it out, but was very impressed that there were a dozen terminals which allowed me to rebook, print hotel and travel voucher, then get on a bus to the hotel where when I checked in they presented me with toiletries etc.
Got paid a stack of cash, got to see a new city, and met my new husband as a result.
That sounds like a nightmare from my perspective. Mostly because I already have a spouse...
Who'd paid for the flight is key, all my cancellations etc have been while on business for large companies, my first call was always to their Help Desk as they usually knew as much as those on the flight desk that was been mobbed.
They then re-route, hotel etc etc, and once when there was a major outage at Dusseldorf on a Friday they hired me a car, booked the Eurostar and I drove home (and then back to Frankfurt on the Monday to drop the car off...).
For 'pleasure', I'd also chill until the mob died down.
What the laws & rules are, not got a scooby.
It's so dependent on the airline though. BA and Aer Lingus (IAG) are well known for completely taking the piss, even when it's cut and dried that they owe you compensation, or owe you for the next available flight to your destination, they will try and claim it's not their fault. Ryanair just don't bother paying at all, it seems
My (work) flight back from Munich got cancelled last Monday; I normally fly on a small flag carrier, but this time was on Easyjet. Apparently there was a shortage of air traffic controllers at Gatwick, which Easyjet claims counts as Exceptional Circumstances.
The app and web site had completely fallen over, with no flights back out until Thursday. I called Easyjet from the train to the airport and was told to book flights and a hotel - 200 Euro tops for the hotel, 800 Euros or less for flights. I got a connecting flight to Frankfurt to catch a flight to Gatwick the following morning on Lufthansa. Sadly no fun times in town that evening as I had to be up at 5.30, and I really wanted to be back with the family.
I've no idea whether I'll be refunded for the flight and accommodation costs - it will suck mightily if they say no, especially as I did exactly as their helpdesk recommended.
My 2 experiences...
FlyBe - cancelled my flight due to wind. I had to rebook via a link in a text IIRC. Had to sort my own hotel and taxi, they paid up with no wriggling but seeing as I think I had a choice of 1 hotel...
Package Holiday Operator (Thomas Cook I think), cancelled flight back from Barbados, stuck us in a All Inclusive for a couple of days. Can't say fairer than that...
I was at alicante a few years ago, in the queue past security for a cheapy flight, Ryanair or ez, staff were asking the lady in front something and she was agreeing. Being nosey I asked her what was going on, they gave her 100 quid to fly later that afternoon, so a c 8 hour delay for 100 quid. I assume you can leave airport and return later, so 100 quid for a day at the beach isn't bad.
Thinking about it, they probably wanted solo travellers with no check in baggage.
BA seem to have their delay compensation sorted out.
My last experience of this: Arrived to LHR and flight to Newcastle was cancelled, along with every other domestic flight. Gave up on recovering luggage and headed to a hotel near Kings Cross and an early train the next morning.
Found a flight comensation forum and asked about submitted a claim. Did it through BA's website. They paid full compensation for not getting to intended airport after a long haul flight, 650 Euros, and the hotel, meals and train fare. They did try to only pay the lesser domestic flight compensation first, but one email pointing out their error sorted that.
If you must fly, best to try and stick with airport ticketing staff, as they can often rebook you other airlines. Calling them, or on the website, you will only get the flights from the original carrier as options.
It will be a fight to the queue to be reassigned a route / hotel. Pay attention and and move quickly. Easier if you're on your own if with kids one go and queue the other come along slowly and finds the other In The queue. In some countries queuing is optional not recognised. You may need to be very pushy.
The airline stuff will be recieving a lot of stick a stay calm, if they say no to a request ask what can you do, or suggest something. They are the only ones that can help, make their life easy.
It's easier to be reassigned if you are an individual rather than a group. Again if you have a family with you if you are prepared to split up you may have more luck. 2+2 is easier than 4.
Don't book hotels unless told and ask about budgets etc.
Keep all receipts. Keep all boarding passes. Keep everything.
Expect to have baggage delays.
Compensation is available under some EU law I seem to remember, I have done it a few times.
oh the other thing, if you don't get the result you want on a rebooking app, keep retrying. I had a 10 hour flight in business downgraded to economy on the next day's flight, but repeatedly hitting refresh got me a seat back at the correct end of the plane when someone else presumably changed where they'd been assigned
It looks like NATS is down 30% of qualified ATC staff for Gatwick due to Covid. Fun times: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66917138
I've had a few of these.
As mentioned above, the compensation element is different from the rebooking element. But make sure that, once you get to where you need to be, you put in for the compensation that you are entitled to.
I've rebooked on the app and also using the airline helpline (which for the orange guys is very well concealed).
BA - cancelled my flight to Amsterdam as I was about to board. Managed to rebook myself on a different carrier from a different terminal on the same day....BA offered me following day but as I was heading to a conference this was not an option. The main issue was escaping the airport once you are through security. You need an employee of said ariline to escort you through passport control and baggage handling - ensuring that you leave arrivals. Vut good luck trying to find someone from that airline to do that.
Easyjet cancelled my flight home from Austria. They booked us following day on corresponding flight, put us up in a local hotel for the night and also allowed reasonable expenses (such as a meal and taxis). They automatically booked both the flight and hotel, and there was no requirement for us to make the bookings and then reclaim. Only the additional expenses.
There is also the compensation due if your flight is cancelled or delayed which varies depending on the length of the flight and the delay to that flight. It is quite easy to find on every airline's respective website. There are circumstances that mitigate this - but again BA refunded me several hundred quid when my flight to Chicago was 7 hours late taking off for no fault other than their own.
Ryanair just don’t bother paying at all, it seems
I was delayed by 5.5 hours on a Ryanair flight back to the UK last Sunday. Initially they claimed due to UK ATC staff shortages, but later also said there was an issue with the aircraft. I anticipated a fight for compensation, but filled out their online form on the Tuesday with booking and bank details, was told they would be compensating on the Thursday, and it was in our account on Friday. Made our holiday 800€ cheaper.