Families heading abroad this summer have been warned not to simply accept losing their money if their flights or holidays are cancelled. Holidaymakers have a range of legal rights when things go wrong – but what they can claim depends on whether they booked a package holiday or if they arranged their flights and accommodation separately.
Package holiday cancellations
Citizens Advice has set out the key protections for travellers. If a package holiday company cancels your trip, you should normally be offered a full refund. The refund should generally be paid within 14 days of the cancellation.
You may also be entitled to compensation, although this does not normally apply where the cancellation is caused by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, such as certain natural disasters.
Flight cancellations and compensation
Passengers whose flights are cancelled can normally choose between a replacement flight or a full refund. If you are already part-way through your journey, you may also be entitled to a flight back to your original departure airport if you no longer want to continue with the trip. And if you are forced to wait for a replacement flight, the airline may have to provide food and drink, communications, accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel.
Citizens Advice says passengers should keep receipts for reasonable expenses if the airline fails to provide the necessary assistance.
A cancelled flight can also trigger a compensation payment. If your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you could be entitled to compensation if the airline was responsible for the cancellation and the replacement arrangements cause a sufficiently long delay. The amount depends on the distance of the flight and how much later you arrive.
- Under 1,500km – £220
- 1,500km – 3,500km – £350
- Over 3,500km – £520
However, compensation is not automatically payable. Airlines do not generally have to pay it where the cancellation was caused by circumstances outside their control, such as severe weather or security risks. Passengers whose flights arrive more than three hours late can also potentially claim compensation if the airline was responsible for the delay.
If your holiday goes wrong
Package holidaymakers have additional protection if their trip is not what they paid for. For example, compensation could potentially be available if you are moved to significantly inferior accommodation or an important part of the holiday is not provided. But you cannot normally demand your money back simply because you did not enjoy the holiday. Citizens Advice says a full refund is generally only appropriate if the holiday was completely ruined – something that is unlikely to happen in most cases.
Report problems early
One of the most important pieces of advice for holidaymakers is to report problems as soon as they happen. If your hotel is unsuitable, an advertised facility is unavailable or another major problem occurs, tell the holiday company or representative while you are still away. Take photographs and keep emails, messages and receipts. When you make a claim, explain exactly what went wrong and provide evidence of any additional costs. If a company rejects a claim or offers too little, there may be further routes for challenging the decision.
