EasyJet passengers urged to claim compensation after mass flight cancellations

Thousands of Brits have been left stranded across the country and even abroad due to ongoing travel chaos, which saw 80 easyJet flights cancelled over the weekend.

The easyJet cancellations, due to an IT failure, came after around 200 flights were disrupted across the UK last Thursday.

Several passengers impacted by the issue have complained about the lack of notice given, with some saying they were told about their flight cancellation just 10 minutes before they were due to board.

Everyone affected by the disruptions have been advised by consumer group Which? to make compensation claims.

Travel editor Rory Boland said: "The airline must also offer the option of a refund or to rebook passengers on any reasonable route as quickly as possible, using other carriers where necessary."

Can I get compensation for my cancelled flight?

You can claim compensation if your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure.

How much compensation you are due will depend on the type of flight, on whether you asked for a refund or had the airline arrange a return trip, and on how much later your new departure and arrival was in comparison to your original plans.

You can typically get up to £220 for flights of distances of less than 1,500km, £350 for journeys between 1,500km and 3,500km, and a maximum of £520 for flights over 3,500km, according to Citizens Advice.

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If your return journey is cancelled, contact your airline to find out when the next available flight is. You have two choices: you can either ask for a refund or ask to be rerouted on a new flight with the same airline or even a different carrier.

In case you are forced to buy a new ticket with another carrier, you can claim the cost of the replacement ticket. However, if your original flight was more expensive than the replacement, you might be better requesting the full refund instead.

If you're stuck overnight due to a cancelled flight, you are entitled to have the carrier arrange and cover the cost of accommodation as well as expenses like food, drinks and hotel transfers.

Your best bet when it comes to claiming compensation is contacting your airline for full rules on it.

What if my airline doesn't offer compensation?

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If you can't get your compensation immediately, don't worry – you can still make a claim for it later.

Make sure to keep your receipts for the extra expenses incurred due to the flight disruption. This can include accommodation, food, drink and hotel transfers.

However, be aware that airlines are not likely to reimburse you for spending on luxury hotels or alcohol, so it's best to keep your spending to a limit.

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Similarly, if you've booked your flights as part of a holiday package, things like accommodation, food and transfer costs should be covered by the tour operator rather than the airline.

Get in touch with the travel or tour agency as soon as you can. If you can't contact them keep receipts of all additional costs to claim a refund later.

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