What to do if your flight is cancelled in the ongoing air traffic control chaos affecting Scottish airports
Passengers have right to alternative flight or refund
Passengers whose flights are cancelled by the major air traffic control disruption have a right to be re-routed or a refund, consumer experts said on Wednesday.
The fault disrupted more than 220,000 passengers across the UK, according to aviation data firm OAG, with some 1,700 flights were cancelled, including more than 100 in Scotland.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “The extent of the outage means many more flights are likely to be cancelled or delayed today due to the knock-on impact.
“If your flight is cancelled, you're entitled to choose between being re-routed on a different flight or getting a refund.
“Rerouting will usually be your best option, as once a refund is accepted your airline has no ongoing responsibility towards you or any costs you may incur for accommodation, meals or transport during your delay.
“You'll also avoid paying over the odds for a new ticket if prices shoot up.
Read more: Full list of flights cancelled today at Edinburgh and Glasgow as air traffic control chaos continues
“Crucially, if you opt to be rerouted, your airline must get you to your destination at the earliest opportunity, even when that means booking you with a rival carrier.
“It’s important to stand your ground on this point, as all too often we see examples of airlines flouting the rules and forcing passengers to wait longer for a spot on their own planes."
Luke Petherbridge, spokesperson for Abta, the former Association of British Travel Agents, which has about 200 members in Scotland, said: “If your flight has been delayed or cancelled, customers will have rights, which will vary depending on whether they booked their flight separately or as part of a package.
“Abta members will be supporting those booked with them, to help make alternative arrangements, and we have advice to help people understand their rights.
“While the immediate priority is supporting customers, as this isn’t the first Nats outage to cause widespread disruption, the industry and the public will want answers as to what has gone wrong, what lessons are being learned, and how the system will be made more resilient to avoid this happening again.”
Simon McCulloch, chief commercial officer at insurer Staysure, said: “Your airline should be your first port of call.
“Under UK261 regulations, in the event of a cancellation, you're entitled to a full refund or an alternative flight, and delays of more than three hours may also qualify for compensation.
“This kind of disruption is typically covered under standard travel insurance policies, for things like reasonable additional accommodation, transport costs, missed connections, certain expenses caused by a lengthy delay and potentially cancellation/abandonment, depending on the policy wording.
“It's worth checking your policy's definition of 'travel delay', 'missed departure', 'abandonment' or 'travel disruption' as cover levels vary.
“If you're travelling today, check your flight status with your airline before heading to the airport, and keep receipts for any costs you incur as a result of the delay.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Passenger Agents Association (SPAA), which represents the travel trade, said: “Scottish airports were not impacted as badly as some in England, however, it should be remembered that Scottish travellers connect to onward flights via Heathrow and this will have affected many in this situation.
“The fragility of this connectivity is a reminder to all travellers that using a travel agent means you are never alone in this situation and we’re confident that our SPAA members are doing all they can to assist their clients.
“It’s also an important reminder to check all clauses in any travel insurance before buying, as some policies which may seem more cost effective at the time of purchase don’t cover these eventualities, leaving the traveller out of pocket and having to make, and pay for, all their own arrangements.”
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said affected air passengers could change their rail bookings for Tuesday or Wednesday to a different date or apply for a fee-free refund.
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