Your rights explained if your flight gets cancelled because of bad weather

Worried passengers will be checking the status of their flights as thick fog blankets the UK.

Hundreds of flights in and out of Gatwick Airport have faced delays due to the fog, with Heathrow also affected and Ryanair issuing a warning for all UK flights.

So far 27 flights have been cancelled at Gatwick this morning, impacting up to 5,000 passengers, the Independent reports.

But what are your rights if your flight is cancelled by bad weather?

Here’s what you need to know.

What are my rights?

Passengers have legal rights under UK law on many flights in and out of the UK – but not all of them.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says that to be covered by UK law, your flight must be either:

• Departing from an airport in the UK on any airline
• Arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline
• Arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.

Under UK law, airlines must help you if your flight is cancelled, providing the following:

• Food and drink
• A means for you to communicate
• Accommodation, if you are re-routed the next day
• Transport to and from that accommodation

The airline must provide you with these items until it can fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it.

Can I also get compensation?

If you received less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation, you may be able to claim compensation.

However, this depends on what caused the cancellation – if it wasn’t the airline’s fault, don’t expect to receive any compensation.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Can I claim expenses such as hotels?

If your flight is cancelled, many airlines will provide vouchers for you to buy food and drink. If you require accommodation, they may book a hotel and arrange transportation for you.

Sometimes airlines are unable to arrange care and assistance for all passengers. This can happen when staff are stretched during major disruptions.

If this happens, the CAA says you should organise reasonable care and assistance yourself, then claim the cost back later.

A spokesperson advised: ‘If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable.

‘Airlines are unlikely to refund you for things like luxury hotels or alcohol. Some will provide guidance on reasonable costs.

‘We would expect the airline concerned to respond to a claim for reimbursement in a reasonable time and a the very least provide you with an indication of how long you should expect to wait for a response.

‘If you are unhappy with the length of time it is taking or disagree with the airline’s decision regarding your claim, please see our section on how to make a complaint.’

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