If you were due to fly with British Airways over the last few days and your flight has been cancelled due to the air traffic control fault which took place on bank holiday Monday (August 28), you might be wondering what to do next.
Although National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said on Monday afternoon that the technical issue had been “identified and remedied”, travel disruption is set to continue throughout the week.
As of Tuesday (August 29), British Airways has grounded more than 60 flights.
Whether you are stuck in an airport and want to find out how to check your next flight status or figure out how to claim compensation, let’s take a look at your rights for a cancelled flight with British Airways.
What happens if you miss your flight due to airport delays
How to check your flight status with British Airways
The airline said that “while NATS has now resolved the issue, it has created significant and unavoidable delays and cancellations.”
“If you are due to fly with us on Tuesday 29 August, please do not travel to the airport without checking the status of your flight, as it may be delayed or no longer be operating.
“You can do this by visiting Manage My Booking and checking your email inbox.”
British Airways also recommends passengers should continue to check flight information boards and their emails even if they are waiting to board their plane at the airport.
What flight compensation do British Airways offer?
It says: “Any customers due to travel on Tuesday 29 August can move their flights free of charge to a later date, subject to availability.
“We are also rebooking customers onto alternative airlines where possible and have stood up additional colleagues in our call centres to assist our customers.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman is 'very cognisant' of UK air traffic control disruption
British Airways says you can claim a refund if your flight has been cancelled.
The airline adds: “If you booked through a travel agent or a tour operator, please contact them directly to discuss your options or request a refund.
“If you need further assistance obtaining a refund from your travel agent or tour operator, please contact us directly.”
You can find all the relevant contact details by following this page.
British Airways will consider reimbursing “reasonable expenses” for the following items such as:
- Hotel accommodation (where necessary)
- Transport between the hotel and the airport (where necessary)
- Meals and refreshments
- Two telephone calls or internet-related costs to contact people outside the airport
BREAKING: Home Secretary @SuellaBraverman on the air traffic control system failure 👇
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 28, 2023
'I sympathise with any disruption passengers may be experiencing,' she says.https://t.co/uqjo2CpccR
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/TSIHhpdJbY
If you want to submit an expense claim online use this form, but you will need to include:
- The names of all passengers that you are claiming for
- Details of all the delayed or cancelled flights in your journey
- Details of your expenses
- Receipts and other documents in support of your claim (you can attach scans or photographs of these to your online application or send them by post)
- Your bank account details to process the payment. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete the process. The Customer Relations team will review your claim as soon as possible
British Airways outlines the following situations where you can claim:
- If you're delayed at your final destination by more than three hours and that delay arises from causes within their control (rather than extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided by all reasonable measures)
- If they inform you of a cancellation less than 14 days before the planned departure date that arises from causes within their control (rather than extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided by all reasonable measures), unless:
- They inform you of the cancellation between seven and 13 days before the scheduled time of departure and offer an alternative route that allows you to depart no more than two hours before the scheduled time of departure and to reach your final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival; or
- They inform you of the cancellation less than seven days before the scheduled time of departure and offer an alternative route that allows you to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach your final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival
You can find out more information about delayed or cancelled flight compensation with British Airways on the official website.
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