Iceland volcano eruption, Travel Advice, Know Your Rights
A cloud of volcanic ash has forced the closure of all UK air space and the cancellation of hundreds of flights, leaving passengers to choose between a refund or waiting for airports to reopen.
All airlines have been hit by the massive disruption, with most advising customers not to head to terminals at all because of the volume of disrupted passengers.
Most airlines, including British airways, Bmi and easyJet, are offering customers a choice of a refund or a free transfer onto another flight when air services resume.
Customers hoping to rebook an EasyJet flight should try and do so on its website, since the "customer experience" 0871 number is charged at 10p per minute from landlines.
According to the Tranding Standards Institute, passengers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled due to the volcanic dust blown over to the UK from Iceland have the some rights under the Regulation 261/2004 Air Passenger Rights.
They are entitled to a refund or re-routing if the flight is cancelled or delayed by more than five hours; if re-routing is offered from an alternative location, the airline must cover the cost of transfers.
Passengers on flights delayed by more than two hours are also entitled to meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation if necessary, transport between airport and accommodation, two free telephone calls, faxes or emails.
In cases of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ like this, which are beyond the airlines’ control, consumers are not entitled to further compensation, the TSI said.
The TSI said consumers should also check their own travel insurance as they may be entitled to more under their individual policies, or they could get further information from the government website Consumer Direct or by phoning 0845 4040506.
Although the regulations apply in all cases, not all travel insurance policies will pay out additional sums in the event of a volcanic ash cloud.
The rules for flights from outside the EU vary, but in most cases you will be offered a later flight and given hotel accommodation if necessary.
For full details of your air travel rights see the Air Transport Users Council website.
Bob Atkinson, of Travelsupermarket.com, said: "With most flights today being cancelled into and out of the UK, there will be widespread disruption to travellers’ plans as airlines and airports work out how they get schedules back to normal.
"With regard to claiming for delay or cancellation through a travel insurance policy, at the time of writing the ABI have yet to clarify the situation, therefore the advice is to contact your insurer and clarify what options are available to you. The advice from insurers is especially important for those who are currently abroad and unable to get home due to the air travel conditions around the UK.
"If insurance polices do cover this scenario then it is likely that the typical rules for making a claim for delayed departure apply. Travellers would be able to claim after they are delayed for 12 hours or more and to ensure their claim has the best chance of being processed successfully should obtain written confirmation from the airline of why the flight was cancelled. Travellers with insurance policies should read the wording carefully to see what they are and aren't covered for and also look at the procedures for making a claim as they differ from insurer to insurer."
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