Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been caught out in major disruption at Heathrow airport after an overnight fire at an electrical substation triggered mass flight cancellations.
Throughout most of Friday, travellers were advised not to make their way to Heathrow unless instructed by their airline. By Friday afternoon, the airport said some flights would resume that evening, but it did not expect to be fully operational until Saturday morning.
For those caught up in the chaos, here’s what you need to know.
Can I claim compensation?
In spite of the flight cancellations, consumer experts warn that compensation from your airline for disruption to travel plans is unlikely.
“If your flight is cancelled you won’t be entitled to compensation, as these events will be considered an extraordinary circumstance,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine.
“But you will be entitled to assistance from your airline, including overnight accommodation if needed.”
Should I opt for a refund or rerouted flight?
Affected passengers will have the choice of being rerouted, or accepting a refund. “If you opt for the former, your airline is obliged to get you on a new flight as soon as possible, including with rival carriers from alternative airports,” said Boland.
“If you instead accept a refund, be aware that your airline will have no further duty of care to you and you’ll need to make your own arrangements,” he added. Citizens Advice say you should get the refund within seven days of the date of the flight, after claiming.
British Airways told affected customers on Friday to use its online “manage my booking” option to rebook their flight, rather than call centres, due to high volumes of inquiries.
According to travel agent Expedia, many airlines have issued waivers for flights impacted by the closure, allowing customers to make booking changes that would normally incur charges or penalties.
“Some [airlines] allow cancellations, while others permit only date changes within a specified timeframe,” said Expedia. “A good first step is to visit the airline’s website for waiver eligibility. We are also working closely with our airline partners to honour all applicable waivers.”
What about other costs I incur?
Given the scale of the disruption, the next issue passengers will face is the length of time it could take to be booked on an alternative flight, and the costs they incur while waiting.
Mike, 36, does not have a home to return to in London as he was supposed to move to New York for work on Friday.
“I was going to fly to JFK this morning, and then obviously it was cancelled so I’m just waiting for British Airways now to tell me when I’m flying,” he told the FT.
The food and drink marketer said he was not satisfied with BA’s offer to book him on an indirect flight via Miami on Sunday instead: a 20-hour long trip.
Rerouted airline passengers have the right to reclaim “reasonable” additional costs, such as overnight hotel accommodation if no alternative flights are available, and onward travel costs if they are flown to a different airport.
However, airlines will expect claimants to provide receipts. In previous large-scale incidents, some airlines have encouraged affected passengers to claim via their travel insurance.
“If your airline refuses to get you to the destination your flight was booked to at the ‘earliest opportunity’ you are within your rights to book a flight that will and claim [the cost] back,” said Boland, though some airlines make it a lengthy process to claim this back, and often dispute it.
“I would only do this if the airline was saying it would only put me on their next available flight in two or three days, or if I had a really urgent reason to get to my destination,” he said.
Will my travel insurance cover it?
It is worth checking the terms of your travel insurance to see if you can recoup any other expenses incurred as a result of this incident, such as car hire or airport parking fees — though travel disruption policies are not included as standard, so you may still be on the hook for these.
Customers who take out travel insurance with Aviva are entitled to a delayed departure benefit of £25 for every delay of 12 hours (up to £250 per person) or up to £5,000 per person for unused travel and accommodation costs that have already been paid — but only if their travel provider was unable to provide suitable alternative arrangements within 12 hours and they chose to cancel their trip.
Aviva added that customers stuck abroad who intended to claim for additional accommodation costs should ensure these are of a similar standard to their previous accommodation, and should retain receipts.
What about my credit card provider?
Under UK law, if you make a booking by credit card, costing between £100 and £30,000, and the provider fails to deliver or there’s a breach of contract, your credit provider is jointly liable with the supplier. You can bypass the airline and file a claim directly in your banking app, together with receipts and supporting evidence — such as screenshots of the cancellation. If it does not work you can escalate the claim to the Financial Ombudsman.
Have you been affected by Heathrow disruption? Email money@ft.com
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