UKC

I'm sure lots of people will know this already, but it's something I've only just found out.

If your flight is cancelled and the airline is unable to provide an alternative flight that is acceptable to you then you have the right to book onto another flight with another airline and reclaim the cost plus meals, hotel expenses etc from the airline that cancelled.

In addition you can claim for compensation, typically £220 for shorthall European flights subject to conditions.

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cance...

Do not take the option of a refund from the airline that cancelled as this may prevent you making the claim.

Hope this is helpful

There are crucial limits on where this applies:

• only flying out of UK on any airline
• flying into UK on any UK/EU airline
• flying into EU on UK airline 

Wouldn't apply on a connecting flight in USA, for eg, or indeed flying back to the UK with Delta. You'll need to look at the small print of your travel insurance then.

I’m not sure how the UK version works, but the EU law covers any single booking that departs or arrives in the EU. So let’s say you fly Paris to San Francisco via New York on a single booking, and your NY-SF leg is delayed - the EU legislation still covers you. I have extensive personal experience of this getting delayed on internal Greenland flights, that ultimately end in Copenhagen.

But to add to your exemption list: weather delays are excluded from the compensation part, but not the rebooking part. 

I claimed for a flight in October, and the process reminded me that I had a flight cancellation over a year prior. I assumed I had left it too late to claim, but submitted it anyway, and it was accepted. So it's worth thinking back to flights back in the Covid period where flights were being cancelled on a regular basis.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-cancellation-compensation/ breaks it down pretty clearly

Bump

Very helpful thread, thanks, Steve

This is all going to be worth knowing for the next couple of years. Aviation lost a very significant number of experienced technicians in COVID, and is not succeeding in recruiting replacements easily. Airline profitability has also taken a hit, and on average (there are exceptions) airlines are low-margin businesses. One effect of that will be dispatch reliability and cancellations, and it will take time for things to settle down. 

For myself, of four trips this year with a well-known national carrier that likes to present itself as John Lewis when in fact it's a bit more Woolworths, two have been cancelled. Both rebookings were tiresome and unpleasant and one (with my family) was abject. 

Y

I'm sorry to hear you've had some poor experiences. I don't know if this is going to by an issue for the next couple of years though. I work as a tour operator and whilst last year there were a lot of last-minute cancellations, this hasn't been the case in 2023. More schedule changes? Yes. Fewer options for less profitable routings? Yes. More expensive flights? Yes. But it already feels like things have settled down post-Covid.

Caveat: We don't use BA that much.

I appreciate the interesting perspective. I do think it will drag - I think some of the pain hasn't come through yet, I also know there are problems beyond the technicians (wave of narrowbody groundings for engine technical immaturity/production problems.) There are others in the industry who tend to take your view a bit more. The low-fare and charter carriers are less exposed to these things and better at managing it, so yes, I believe it'll be folk such as BA where it shows more. 

I (my) accept anecdote isn't data, but the internet is for venting, right ?

Things largely have recovered since COVID, but I think "settled" will mean a higher level of cancellations than in the 2010-19 era, plus the higher fares/fewer options dynamics. I heard recently (can't back it up) that real-terms cost of air travel hasn't risen since ~1970, and there's certainly an argument that fares are going to have to rise 'cos costs sure are. 

Y

My anecdote. October 2022 on our busiest weekend for Nepal departures we had flight cancellations affect passengers on 7 different trips. Same weekend this year no issues whatsoever. Fair enough we're talking just two carriers in this example (Qatar and Ethiad), but it was a (nice) surprise. The lead into the 2023 Nepal autumn season did see an unprecedented number of schedule changes though. 

One significant development that consumers should take heed of is you will pay significantly less if you book early. E.g. Nepal flight prices for October/November increased by approx. 35% between March and May this year.

I completely agree that venting is justified when it comes to airlines.

That is the best comment on this thread so far IMO

I gave up BA years ago, whenever I have had the option to do that

I've been mucked about with by other airlines too though. The best IME when I've needed help: Qatar Airways, and KLM. KLM are great (Cathay Pacific, I don't know, because I've never needed help with them!)

*Steve Woollard, I am sorry for the thread drift