Imagine you are on a trip overseas only to hear on the announcement that your flight has been suddenly delayed or cancelled entirely. Flight delays and cancellations can occur due to a multitude of reasons such as weather conditions, technical problems, or aircraft preparations.
In this Pacific Prime UK blog post, we will be discussing what are your rights, as a passenger, if your flight is suddenly cancelled or delayed as well as how travel insurance can help you during this time.
Common Reasons for Flight Cancellations or Delays
There are multiple reasons for flight delays or, in the worst-case scenario, cancellations. There are factors that are under the direct control of the carrier such as aircraft turnarounds between flights or technical and crew performance.
On the other hand, there are also factors beyond control such as unfavourable weather conditions, air traffic control, or airport conditions. The former of which, weather conditions, can also cause air safety concerns in the form of turbulence which can injure passengers and crew members.
Can I Get a Refund or an Alternative Flight if My Flight is Cancelled?
The UK law covers your flight. The airport must give you a choice between a refund or booking an alternative flight regardless of how abrupt the flight cancellation was.
If you wish to get a refund, you can get your money back for any part of the ticket that you haven’t used, meaning you can get the full cost of the ticket refunded if let’s say you booked a return flight, but the outbound leg was cancelled.
On the other hand, if you still wish to travel, your airline will have to find you an alternative flight. If another airline is heading to your destination much sooner, or if there are any other suitable modes of transportation also available, then you have a right to be booked onto that alternative method.
Will I Get Any Compensation if My Flight Gets Delayed?
If your flight is suddenly delayed by over three hours, you can claim compensation. The exact amount will depend on your flight distance. However, if your flight is delayed by over five hours and you no longer wish to travel, you can then get a full refund.
Do keep in mind that you will only be compensated if the delay is due to reasons within the airline’s control, such as technical or crew operations, and not reasons beyond the airline’s control such as weather conditions.
Travel With Peace of Mind
Now that you know the common reasons for your flight getting delayed or cancelled, as well as your rights for compensation as a passenger, let’s now move onto how you can travel with peace of mind with just one factor that you should never overlook – travel insurance.
First off, travel insurance grants financial protection for illnesses and injuries. Let’s say you end up getting sick or injured during your vacation abroad, this is where travel insurance comes in by covering medical expenses, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket.
What expats will find appealing with travel insurance is its ability to cover trip cancellations and delays. The trip cancellation coverage will reimburse your trip cost if you wish to cancel a trip while the delay benefit covers departure delays due to a covered reason after a specific period of time.
For instance, your travel insurance plan may begin providing benefits after a 10–12-hour delay under a covered reason.
Additionally, the delay cause must be specified as a covered reason under the policy. If you are delayed for any reason covered by your specific policy, you can be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable expenses up to the coverage limit specified in your policy.
Such expenses are essential meals, hotel accommodations, or transportation.
Secure Travel Insurance with Pacific Prime UK
As an experienced international health insurance broker, Pacific Prime UK has helped match both expats and local citizens to a health insurance plan that matches both their budget range and unique healthcare needs.
Whether you’re a local citizen or expat, our team of specialists will be more than happy to help you find the right travel insurance policy to cover not only healthcare expenses while abroad but any trip cancellations or delays. What’s more, you can also get impartial advice at no additional cost.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch with us. Or, if you wish to compare plans from multiple insurers, click here to get a free quote.
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