Flight Cancellations - Cancellations, not about flight delays (different altogether).
Snow - Volcanic Ash - Fog or other natural forces that are beyond the airlines control to cause a flight cancellation in the UK. This is about your options if you can't start your journey, not if you are returning back to the UK (different altogether).
There are 2 ways passengers book flights - and 2 options and what to do depending on how you have booked.
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If you booked a flight or holiday direct with the airline you will have to use their Help Line telephone numbers to rebook (not easy I know). Easyjet have an option for rebooking online.
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If you booked with a Travel Agent / Tour Operator, they should assist and either refund or rebook you depending on availability and restrictions, see below. Call them as soon as the fight is cancelled, if the phone is busy don't get annoyed (they will be dealing with lots of passengers) leave a message.
Guidelines for Schedule flights (ie Virgin - British Airways). Note charters operate slightly different rules, some may be the same but check their policy on their T&C's and websites..
Refund or Rebook
Refunds - Airline won't give a full refund unless the flight is cancelled. Then you will have an option to re-book at a later date - within certain restrictions, some below. Or get a full refund, the refund is not instant - refunded to the point of sale / your agent or yourself, depending on how you booked. Knowing you are going to get a full refund means you can start to search pay for an alternative yourself. Full refund for both the outbound and inbound flight if outbound is cancelled, applies especially to long haul where you are required to buy a return ticket and both flights are on the same booking / e-ticket number.
Rebook - if extra cost, noted below
Restrictions to rebooking at no cost - some below, others may apply.
- Limited travel window - ie 3 day period before or a 16 day period after the scheduled departure time of the original flight. If possible the ticket validity may be extended and the inbound may be rebooked.
- Same booking class that you originally booked in or pay the difference in price - extra costs apply.
- Same route - same destination (same cities/can be different airports) if re-route - price difference - extra costs apply.
Other rebooking restrictions may apply, check ticket rules and class restrictions.
Help airlines get in touch with you
Add a mobile contact number. No matter how you book - make sure you add your mobile contact number to your flight booking by using the Manage My Booking option found on many airline websites. Then have your mobile with you and take it on holiday. Many airlines will send you a text message with major schedule changes or flight cancellations. You'll be the first to hear and the first to get a chance to re-book on the next available flight. If it is snowing, don't expect miracles, or even to fly out the next day. On-one can predict the weather, better to wait a couple of days for the next flight than to rebook for the next day and get cancelled again.
Before you go to the airport
Check the airline and airports website for the latest updates.
At the airport - flight now cancelled
Contact your travel agent / Tour operator. Try and rebook. Keep all travel receipts and expenses (car parking, airport hotels) and claim against your travel insurance. Keep a copy of your travel Insurance Help Line number in your mobile contact list.
Disclaimer: This is not the advice of Mumsnet and is independent advice from someone in travel and my experience with passengers who have had flights cancelled due to all the above events this year. Roll on 2011.
Please forgive typos and gramma! Did this quickly.