Thursday 12th October 2017
As part of the Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo weekly advice column we focus on compensation for flight delays.
In the Summer we had a week-long holiday to Greece. My outbound flight was cancelled with an hour’s notice, but I got the replacement flight provided by the airline. Can I claim compensation?
If your flight is cancelled at short notice you are legally entitled to a full refund or a replacement flight.
If the replacement flight delays you arriving at your destination, you can also claim compensation directly from the airline operating the flight – unless it was cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances, like bad weather.
The amount you can claim depends on when your replacement flight departed and arrived, how far you were travelling, and when the flight was cancelled.
Start by contacting the airline’s customer services department and explain you’d like to claim compensation for the delay.
They will ask for your flight details and booking reference number, and explain your next steps – either writing a letter or filling in a form on their website. You’ll need to enclose copies of any tickets and receipts. Make a copy or take a screenshot of the form.
If the problem isn’t resolved after 8 weeks, you can take your complaint to the Alternative Dispute Resolution service the airline is a member of, or if that doesn’t work, the Civil Aviation Authority.
For further help contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Look out for our column next week when we focus on the dangers of borrowing from Loan Sharks.
The information contained in these articles does not constitute advice. Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo accept no liability for the information published. Citizens Advice Exeter is unable to respond to individual requests for advice through these columns. Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date version, please visit the Citizens Advice website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk