Get Up to £520 Back for Cancelled or Delayed Flights: What You Need to Know

Flight disruptions have been a common sight at airports worldwide this summer. In August, easyJet cancelled a staggering 232 flights to and from Portugal due to cabin crew strikes. And just last week, long queues formed outside Birmingham Airport following a cancelled flight and 'technical issues'.

While many of these problems have now seemingly concluded, you may ask: am I entitled to compensation? Experts at Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE) suggest you might be - and its readers appear to agree.

Celia, a fan of its money-saving newsletter, recently claimed she was embursed a whopping £440 after flight chaos in Barcelona. Emailing the gurus, she expressed her gratitude for their game-changing guidance, which she credits for her compensation success.

"My Heathrow to Barcelona flight was cancelled at 9pm the day before due to 'operational constraints," she reportedly explained. "We were put on the next flight. I used your tool, and have received an email today confirming a successful claim totalling £440 for me and my son."

Celia gave a special nod to MSE's Resolver compensation tool as well. Not only does this help you draft a complaint, but monitors its progress and escalates it if necessary. However, before using this, it's important to understand what specific criteria are required to make a complaint in the first place.

Flight Delays and Cancellations: What You Need to Know

And that starts with knowing what situations are relevant. For example, if the flight was cancelled less than two weeks before take-off, if staff strikes occur, or if it's the airline's fault, you may have a case on your hands. But stormy weather, political issues, volcanic eruptions and security concerns aren't grounds for compensation.

Meanwhile, anyone delayed for over three hours could be due more than '£500 in compensation', according to MSE. You can still claim even if your flight was years ago too.

MSE suggests that you'll only be entitled to a refund or alternative flight if you are flying from a UK or EU airport, or if you're onboard a UK or EU-based airline arriving in these zones. This is also the case if you've booked through a travel agency or tour operator. However, any flight operator or airport outside of the EU may have different regulations.

To then make a claim, you can use the Resolver tool or contact an airline directly, with each hosting different procedures for flight cancellation reimbursements.

How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

A summer of strikes, erupting volcanos, and airport staffing issues has left many Londoners with cancelled or delayed flights. Although it won't fix their spoiled holiday, travellers could be able to entitled to hundreds in compensation, according to Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE).

The team say people have the legal right to claim up to £520 if their flight was cancelled or over three hours late. This is on top of any refund, alternative flight, or food reimbursement already offered by the airline.

This advice doesn't just apply to your most recent getaway as claims can be backdated. Any flight entering or leaving the UK and EU within the last six years (or five in Scotland) can be submitted for compensation.

Who is Entitled to Compensation?

It is important to note that you are only entitled to money back if it was the airline's fault. This includes staff shortages and knock-on issues from prior flight delays but doesn't cover extreme weather or problems directly caused by thirds parties such as the airport or air traffic control.

You can check whether you're delayed or cancelled flight meets the criteria by using the the MSE's free reclaim tool here. You can also claim directly through the airline but this can be a more complicated process.

Claiming Back Air Passenger Duty (APD)

Martin Lewis' MSE is also encouraging people to claim potentially hundreds back for flights that they themselves have missed or cancelled. If you take a flight from a UK airport to anywhere worldwide, it includes an air passenger duty (APD) tax of up to £202 per person.

However, this is only paid to HM Revenue & Customs once the passenger flies so if you didn't get on the plane then you can claim it back. Again, there is no deadline to claim but airlines also don't have to give the money back so it is important to check their terms and conditions.

The pay-out amount depends on the flight location and seat class. For example, an economy flight to Spain incurs a £13pp APD tax, whereas a business flight to Australia would mean a potential £202pp refunded.

Similar rules apply if you flew into the UK from elsewhere. You can check out other country's departure taxes here.