Travelling abroad doesn’t always go to plan and like trains and buses, sometimes flights are struck by delays and cancellations. While airlines do their best to avoid delays, sometimes problems occur that are unavoidable and when this happens, it’s important for passengers to know their legal rights.

Under UK law, airlines are required to provide passengers with care and assistance if flights are significantly delayed, and what you’re entitled to is dependent on the length of the delay. The law defines short-haul flight delays of under 1,500km as more than two hours, medium-haul delays of 1,500km – 3,500km as more than three hours, and long-haul flights of more than 3,500km as more than four hours.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in the event of delays airlines must provide:

• a reasonable amount of food and drinks (usually in the form of vouchers)
• a means for you to communicate (often with call refunds)
• accommodation (if you’re re-routed the following day)
• transport to and from the accommodation

Airlines must provide all of these items until it is able to fly passengers to their destination, regardless of how long the delay lasts or what has caused it.

The CAA says: “Under UK law, airlines may have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late. This depends on what caused the delay – if it wasn’t the airline’s fault, don’t expect to receive any compensation.

“Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation. The length of your flight determines the amount that you may be entitled to, so it’s a good idea to check which category your flight falls into.”

In the event your flight is delayed or cancelled it’s important to know they policy of the airline you’re flying with. Listed is a breakdown of the rules on delays if you’re travelling with easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 or British Airways.

easyJet

Depending on the length of your delay, easyJet will provide passengers with a drinks voucher to the value of £6. If your flight is delayed by two or three hours then you are entitled to vouchers. If the delay is longer than five hours then easyJet will allow you to change your flights for a later date, subject to seats being available. Or you can cancel your flight and apply for a full refund.

If a delay means you aren’t able to depart until the following day, easyJet Ground Crew will arrange overnight accommodation for you and transport to get there.

The airline adds: “We will arrange, where possible, for the hotel to provide you with an evening meal (excluding alcohol) and breakfast. If the hotel isn’t able to provide you with food, we will reimburse you up to £25 per person per day (EUR/ CHF equivalent).”

Ryanair

If short-haul or medium-haul flights are expected to be delayed for two hours or three hours or more respectively, then passengers will get assistance at the airport, including meal coupons.

If delays extend to the following delay, Ryanair says it will often provide hotel accommodation and transportation between the airport and the accommodation. If this is not offered, passengers are advised to keep all itemised receipts for any reasonable expenses and submit these to Ryanair to claim back. For delays of five hours or more, passengers who choose not to travel can request a refund.

Jet2

Jet2 says if a flight’s arrival was delayed by more than three hours, passengers may be entitled to compensation but this depends on the circumstances of the delay.

The airline will provide meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, two telephone calls, fax, or email messages and accommodation in cases where a stay of one or more nights becomes strictly necessary.

Jet2 explains: “Where we have arranged accommodation for our customers,we are unable to reimburse accommodation and related expenses not arranged by Jet2.com. We will provide transport to and from the place of accommodation where this has been arranged by Jet2.com. 

“In the interests of customers, care while awaiting a delayed or alternative flight may be limited or declined if the provision of the care would itself cause further delay.”

If a flight has been delayed for more than five hours and passengers choose not to travel, then you may also be entitled to reimbursement of your flight ticket.

British Airways

British Airways passengers experiencing a delay of three hours or more upon arrival at their destination may be eligible for flight compensation, although this depends on the circumstances of the delay.

In the event of a delay, the airline will provide additional assistance, such as compensation, refreshments and other care and reimbursement, “if required to do so by any law that may apply”.

British Airways says: “If we cancel a flight, delay or reschedule a flight by six hours or more, fail to stop at your place of stopover or destination, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a confirmed reservation, you you are entitled to a cash refund of the fare for the cancelled, delayed or rescheduled flight.

“We will attempt to offer re-accommodation in order to carry you as soon as we can to the destination shown on your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available in the class of service for which you have paid the fare. If you do not accept the offered re-accommodation your refund will be automatically processed as required by applicable regulation. If you accept the offered re-accommodation, we will not charge you extra and where necessary, will extend the validity period of your ticket.”