So if your flight is cancelled

A snowHead

What responsibility do the airlines have?

A snowHead

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2211&pageid=12716

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Probably not relevant but a number of years ago (can't remember how many but around 10 or a bit less). Our group were in the check in queue at Liverpool for our early evening (Thursday) flight to Geneva when lo and behold EJ announced the cancellation of the flight. They were more than happy to transfer us to the next available flight but it could have been 36 hours later. As it was only a long weekend trip we said no thank you. Although we had to go on line to do it we obtained a full refund. The problem was getting a flight to Geneva from another airport that evening. Nothing doing unless we were prepared to pay around £500 for the outward leg (using the alrready booked return leg with EJ). Decided at 9pm to cancel all flights and drive. EJ refunded both the outward and return flights and we still hit the slopes at Chamonix by 10am the next day.

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Depends on the airline, I guess.

Ryanair, for instance. A few years back we were booked in for a long weekend trip to Soelden, flights booked from Stansted to Friedrichshafen at 7am on the Friday. We got done by random snowfall, every single flight at Stansted before 11am was cancelled. Ryanair offered a refund, a flight the following day, or to put us on a flight to Salzburg that day at 1. We took the Salzburg flight, got a train that end, and hit our Saturday, Sunday and Monday on the slopes before flying home Monday night.

Sorry, just realised that's a fairly positive Ryanair story and that doesn't often go down too well on here.

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Dav, 220 thousand people a day climbing Ryanair's air stairs can't all be dissatisfied...

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Well there poo-poo loads of people in St Anton who are stuck on cancelled BA Zurich-Lhr (1 of our arty included) the rest of us are all on Swiss and hoping a) it flies b) they give us fair warning of cancellation and we can stay another night!

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On Saturday the Jet2 flight from Salzburg to Leeds was cancelled due to the weather (Leeds airport was shut). As far as I can tell, the stranded passengers received nothing, they were simply told to go off and book alternative flights. The next Jet2 flight back to Leeds is next Saturday. Many ended up on my flight from Salzburg to Stanstead yesterday morning after having had to book a hotel for the night. What happens in these instances? Will Jet2 reimburse them for overnight accommodation, alternative flights and travel back to their UK point of origin? What about loss of earnings if someone misses work as a result of a cancelled flight?

After all it is free

queen bodecia, whether or not you have the right to compensation depends on European legislation and regulations. Also the criteria that determine how much compensation you are entitled to come from these.

Important legislation and regulations for the EU are

•Regulation (EC) no.261;
•Regulation (EC) no. 889 2002 Montreal;
•Sturgeon-ruling;
•Wallentin-Hermann-ruling;

the FAA mandates rules for the Yanks.

If you want someone to do the leg work for you:

http://www.flight-delayed.co.uk/

but I am not recommending them (never used them).

None if non EU

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Cynic, http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm

Quite a few in the EU

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fatbob, can't get loss of earnings if you are going on holiday Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

Our flight back in January was cancelled - we were rebooked onto other flights the next day and put up in a hotel with dinner. We flew with SWISS - they were great. A friend was on BA and also received the same.

Insurance didnt want to know as the flight was cancelled not delayed so I think we were the problem of the airline rather than them!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Frosty the Snowman, one of them has moved back in for the week!!!!!! Ange

A snowHead

Nadenoodlee, this is why I asked. I remember a friend's flight back from a wedding abroad was cancelled last year and her insurance company weren't interested, they said it was the responsibility of the airline. Basically, she ended up about £500 out of pocket because the airline only reimbursed her for the cancelled flight and nothing further.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Is there a difference between a scheduled and charter flight when it comes to cancellation?

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Tarquin, great to meet you. Glad you got back OK eventually. It did occur to me that I could have easily taken you back to Barnsley if you had managed to get a seat on my flight. I did feel sorry for the Leeds flight refugees who were on my flight on Sunday. Luckily the trains were running OK for them to get back to Leeds, but from Stansted it involves several changes of train and heck knows how many hours more of travel. There were about 40 of them, shame it was too short notice to charter a coach!

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pam w, I think with charter flights the TO will make alternative arrangements. With scheduled flights it seems some airlines just leave you to your own devices and there's a good chance you'll end up out of pocket. It's far from fair.

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queen bodecia, I was thinking of charter flights where you just bought the flight, not accommodation. But maybe there aren't many of those, these days? Thomson?

People who DIY their holidays have to be prepared to cope with contingencies of all kinds - including cancelled flights but also car breakdowns (I lost a clutch on a roundabout in Aosta!) , injuries, journeys from hell at 30 mph behind snowploughs, snowchains wrapping round an axle at 2 am in a blizzard, etc etc. I don't think "fairness" comes into it really, it's just life, and you have to buy good insurance and then get on with it. Or book a package and sit back patiently and let them get on with it. Two very different options which appeal to different kinds of people, I think.

After all it is free

queen bodecia, Likewise, Shame we didn't get to ski, and thanks for the offer, another one of many Smile

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And thing is, it's so easy to book your own flights etc now.
Maybe there should be a tick box that says "I confirm that I have the nouse to sort it and get myself home if it all goes pear shaped" Wink

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andyrew, I don't get what that has to do with the flight being cancelled - is it any less cancelled if it's scheduled ?

Tarquin, charter flights have one set of rules because there is an intermediary (you don't actually book with the airline), scheduled flights are run by the airlines directly.

You know it makes sense.

RattytheSnowRat, Ah ok. Doesn't answer my question though - they don't clear more snow off the runway depending if its a charter or scheduled. If there's no big metal bird to get on, that's it.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

andyrew, Got you. Soz, read it the wrong way round Smile

A snowHead

I don't have any issues with having the 'nouse' to resolve things myself if it all goes pear-shaped. I just think it's a bit unfair that people are often left out of pocket as a result. Has anyone ever had a successful travel insurance claim for something like this?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Tarquin, keeping fingers crossed for you. When it happened to my friend last year her insurance company weren't interested at all and all she received from the airline was the original cost of her flight refunded. There's a travel insurance company I'll always steer clear of (Aviva).

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Ronald, it clearly states in Jet2's terms and conditions that you can get a full refund for a cancelled flight but doesn't mention anything else.

"If flights are cancelled by Jet2.com and we are not able to offer a suitable alternative Jet2.com flight, we will refund you in accordance with EC Regulation 261/2004. All refunds will be processed back to the payment card used to make the original booking."

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Unless you are given at least 15 days notice, the airline must offer you:

- A refund of your ticket and an alternative flight to your point of origin,

- An alternative flight to your final destination in comparable transport conditions and with the least delay.

If you opt for an alternative flight, the airline will be liable for all of your accommodation and food expenses until you reach your final destination. You are also entitled to two phone calls.

However, if you choose a refund, the airline is released from its liability to pay your costs.

Airlines will try to force you to opt for the solution that is less costly to them. You should consult our section “what are your rights” to decide which solution is more favourable to you.

After all it is free

the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances for example due to bad weather,

For cancellation due to extraordinary circumstances you may not have the right to compensation, the carrier must still offer you either:

a ticket refund (in full or just the part you have not used)
alternative transport to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or
rebooking at a later date of your choice (subject to seat availability).

Yep they did all that. Final destination was closed and next flight was a week away so doesn't help much.

Four of us once missed a Go flight from Stansted to Venice because of a total screwup at Stansted (where we had been sitting watching the departure board saying "wait in lounge" until after the flight had departed). There was no other flight to Venice but one the same day to Milano. So I phoned and got a hotel in Milan, near the station, planning to go by Venice by train the following day. At Milan Malpensa there was absolutely no transport to get into town - no buses, no taxis, though it wasn't terribly late. Met an American Italian and an elderly Italian lady also trying to get into town and ended up sharing two "informal" taxis where locals needing a few extra bob drive out to the airport in the hope of picking up some travellers!

Transited the red light district - lots of girls in macs with nothing underneath. Bit of local colour/culture.

In the morning there no trains (my few words of Italian were just enough to work out that there was a strike.....) until late afternoon. So had a surprise trip round Milan. Managed to fight our way onto the train to Venice when the trains finally started up, having stocked up with some picnic provisions for the journey. We had bought a bottle of red and some small bottles of water - sawed the latter in half with my Swiss Army Knife and upended them as very serviceable glasses. Arrived about 10 pm and sat on the open stern of a water bus going down the Grand Canal in full moonlight (chilly full moonlight, it was March) to our hotel on the Lido.

That's the sort of stuff that happens when you DIY. At the time it was a bit of a hassle as the friends we went with were quite elderly, but it forced me to use the Italian I'd spent the previous four weeks learning from a BBC tape and do some thinking!

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I was due to go to the US to sit some exams. I had a premonition that something might happen so for the first time ever I bunged on a suit for the flight and only took hand luggage. Again for the first and only time in my experience, the flight had been horrendously over booked by Virgin. They did one sweep of the queue and took out about twenty people, then upped the ante and did it again. It finally came down to me a few others and I held my ground telling them that people were travelling to pick me up, they could not be contacted en route and would not be able to retrace their trip again just becasue Virgin had cocked up. At the very last minute the head of the book-in desk decided to get me on the plane - first class! I literally stopped them closing the door to allow me to board. Best flight I ever had. To take it I had to forego a new ticket for the next day, hotel and food for 24 hours and a handful of cash that would have paid for a couple of European flights. C'est la guerre.

Help!!

So if your flight is cancelled

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