While Brits brace for drastically altered public transport during the upcoming festive season, those planning on heading abroad for the holidays could be facing even more costly disruptions as the Unite union announced a walk-out.
Fuel tanker drivers for North Air at Edinburgh Airport will be striking for 19 days throughout the busy Christmas and New Year period due to a pay dispute. This will begin at 5am on Wednesday, December 18 and last until Monday, January 6. The union commented on the strike blaming the firm’s “belligerence” for “grounding domestic and international flights over the festive season”.
While airport spokespeople have assured they are working with other airlines to create contingency plans and “minimise passenger disruption”, money expert at Wethift, Nick Drewe, highlighted the facts, rights and entitlements passengers should be aware of to make sure they’re not done-in this Christmas. His first piece of advice stretches long before you get to the airport, suggesting people book their flights using credit cards and buy travel insurance too.
These two steps add a contingency plan of your own as he explained: “If an airline wrongly denies you a refund, you can initiate a chargeback through your credit card company and comprehensive insurance can cover cancellations. Look for Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI), which may offer up to £2,500 for ticket losses and additional costs.”
If your flight is cancelled, Nick assured that in this stressful moment it’s best to take stock of what your best next steps are to get the most of your money back. He shared: “If your flight is cancelled, your airline must offer you a choice between receiving a full refund or taking an alternative flight.
“You’re also entitled to a refund for any unused portion of your ticket. For instance, if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can claim a full refund for the entire ticket.” However, some people would much prefer the holiday they’ve been waiting for than a simple refund, so if you still want to travel Nick advised you can work with the airline to find an alternative flight, or even another suitable airline or mode of transport if they are available.
If you do manage to get another flight with the same airline, they are required to assist you until you reach your destination. This support can come in the form of food and drink vouchers, reimbursed communication costs like phone calls and accommodation if an overnight stay is required as well as transport to and from the airport to the accommodation.
If you booked a package deal, the responsibility to arrange alternative travel and accommodation or compensation lies largely with your tour operator. However, if you booked everything separately a cancelled flight does not make the airline responsible for your hotel or car hire bookings.
Generally, airlines can take around 6 to 8 weeks to respond to refund claims. But Nick warned: “If you’ve submitted a claim and received no response, you can contact the CEDR or an ombudsman, and they will investigate your claim, often prompting the airline to respond more quickly.” You can also check your rights as a passenger on the Civil Aviation Authority’s website.