What To Do if Your Flight Has Been Cancelled

The Consumer Council has advised all passengers travelling to of from Northern Ireland over the coming days to check with your airline providers about delays and see their Plane Facts guide for informations on your passenger rights.

Your rights if things go wrong:

• If your flight is delayed or cancelled you care entitled to assistance and in some cases compensation.
• Your rights are protected by European Law (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and are the same regardless of the airline you are travelling with.
• Your rights are protected for any flight from or within the European Union and on a flight from a non-EU country into the EU, provided the airline licensed in the EU.

Delayed Flights

Assistance

The following assistance must be provided by the airline regardless of the cause of the delay:

1. Your airline is required to provide you with meals and refreshments appropriate to the length of the delay and two free telephone calls or emails.
2. If you are delayed overnight your airline is required to provide you with hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel.
3. If you are delayed by more than five hours and decide not to travel, you are entitled to a refund. Refunds should be paid by the airline within seven days.

If your flight is delayed but the airline does not provide you with the above assistance:

1. Keep the receipts for any meals and refreshments you buy
2. You should send copies (not the originals) of these receipts to the airline along with a request for a full refund
3. If you made essential calls on your mobile during the delay, you should also send a copy of your bill with the calls highlighted.

Compensation

If your flight is delayed you may be entitled to compensation. The amount will depend on the length of your flight and the length of the delay.

Cancelled Flights

Assistance

If your flight is cancelled you are entitled to:

1. A refund within seven days or alternative transport to your final destination
2. If the airline cannot fly you to your intended airport, it is allowed to fly you to another airport within the same region. The airline must then transfer you to either your intended airport or a close by location agreed with you

Compensation

If your flight is cancelled you may be entitled to compensation. The amount will depend on the length of your flight and the impact the cancellation has in delaying your arrival to your final destination.

Passengers will not be entitled to compensation if the flight is cancelled because of extraordinary circumstances. However, they are still entitled to a full refund or alternative travel arrangements plus assistance.

Extraordinary Circumstances

Extraordinary circumstances are events outside an airline’s control which prevent a flight from departing as scheduled. They include:

• Severe weather
• Security risks
• Strike action
• Political instability
• Air traffic management decisions which prevent a flight from departing
• Technical problems with an aircraft caused by something out of the ordinary