TWO major tech outage have caused hundreds of flight cancellations and delays across the UK this month – yet Brits will struggle to get any compensation, according to experts.
Earlier this month a major Air Traffic Control failure in the UK resulted in thousands of flights cancelled across the globe.
And another failure yesterday caused more than 200 flight cancellations and widespread delays.
With the two incidents less than two weeks apart, many travellers have been left out of pocket.
Travellers are now wondering if they can claim compensation back for their delayed or cancelled flight.
Unfortunately, it’s bad news – the NATS issue was classed as an “extraordinary circumstance” which means travellers are not entitled to cash compensation.
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The Civil Aviation Authority said that passengers are “unlikely to be entitled to compensation”.
The maximum compensation you can get is for long-haul flights which are delayed four hours or more, which would be £520.
This is only for when the problems are caused by the airline, directly, however.
Lisa Minot, Head of Travel previously said: “Airlines are only required to give you compensation if the delay or cancellation is the airline’s fault, as in a technical failure on a plane or issues with crew.
“In this situation, where ATC is the reason for the chaos, there is unfortunately no compensation due.”
But one thing you should note is that airlines have a duty of care.
This means that when you flight is delayed, they must provide you with food, drink and accommodation.
Sometimes the airline might provide you with a voucher, but if this isn’t provided you can keep your receipts to claim back any expenses.
Often airlines will automatically book you accommodation, but you may also be asked to book accommodation yourself through its website or a dedicated app.
Travellers are advised to always check with airport staff though before booking any hotel yourself.
And make sure to keep your receipts for your hotel as well, to claim back your costs.
Don’t book anything lavish though – airlines will usually only cover a hotel at a reasonable price.
Airlines will usually have a dedicated expenses claims page for you to fill out on its website.
The CAA also recommends asking for an itemised receipt to show what you purchased and how much was spent on each thing.
Lisa added: “Check your insurance policy to see if you have any redress if you have incurred additional costs like missing a concert or unable to pick up car hire. You may be able to claim for that.
“Generally for delays, if an airline looks after you or provides you with food and drink or hotels, you cannot claim for the same costs against your travel insurance.”