We all love a bit of snow, don’t we…

Don’t we?

Well, no. Not all the time. Because if you’re travelling, the white stuff can be a nightmare. And the havoc really unfurls when it comes to air travel. Just ask the passengers who were recently stranded at Gatwick, Edinburgh, Dublin, Robin Hood and Durham Tees. As planes are grounded and terminals swell with troubled travellers, bad weather can mean the only things to go sky high at the airport are frustration levels.

So what do you do if your holiday travel is disrupted by bad weather? What are your rights? Is the cost of travel protected? Can you seek compensation? Can you claim on your travel insurance? It can be very confusing. But with snow becoming an increasingly prevalent feature of the UK winter, it’s important to know where you stand as a consumer.

Let’s try and get to the bottom of what your rights are.

The web is full of information on what your entitlements are if your flight is cancelled or delayed, but much of it is conflicting. It’s no wonder travellers get frustrated when it seems the protocols surrounding compensation for flight disruption fall into an area as grey and expansive as a snow-filled sky. Here are a few of the things you can be sure of.

Looking for compensation? You’re out of luck.

Ordinarily, you would be entitled to seek compensation as well as a refund on your ticket for flight cancellations and delays. However, this is not the case if your flight is disrupted because of extreme weather. It is cited as what’s called a ‘force majeure’; an unavoidable freak occurrence over which the airline has no control. During such circumstances your airline will refuse to pay compensation and have no legal obligation to do so.

You can find official information on extraordinary circumstances on the Air Transport Users Council website.

However, you can get another flight. Or a refund.

Whatever happens, your airline is contractually obliged to get you from A to B – even if that means using a different operator. They will provide alternative arrangements to get you to your destination, though in reality this could mean a lengthy wait until the next available seat on a later flight. Alternatively, once your flight has been delayed for more than five hours you are entitled to a full refund on your unused ticket if you are flying from within the EU.

Again, the Air Transport Users Council has official information on your entitlements, wherever you are travelling from.

What about the cost of food and drink while you wait at the airport?

If you choose to wait it out at the airport, your airline is obliged under EU legislation to look after you. That means you can expect money for food and refreshments as well as overnight accommodation where necessary. You will also get two free phone calls and emails to friends or family if you are delayed for more than two hours.

What can you hope for from your travel insurance?

On top of your automatic protection you receive from your airport carrier, your travel insurance may also pay-out for any delays or disruption to your flights or holiday caused by bad weather. But they might not. It’s important to remember that every insurance provider is different. Their policies can vary dramatically, so make sure you check the small print.

Insure with World First and you can be sure you’re covered.

At World First we like to think we’re a little bit different. Sure, extreme weather is out of your airline’s control. But it’s out of your control too, so why should you be left out of pocket?

Here’s a summary of what you can expect when you insure with us here at World First, whether it’s single trip travel insurance or cheap annual travel insurance.

If you’re delayed after check-in, we’ll pay-out.

If you are delayed at the airport for 12 hours or more because of bad weather, we will compensate you providing you checked-in on time. Refer to your policy schedule for a full breakdown of the benefits you can expect. If you are delayed for more than 24 hours you will be entitled to claim Trip Abandonment. For more on that, see below.

Up to £3,000 if you abandon your trip.

Sometimes accidents happen. If bad weather causes an accident or your vehicle suffers mechanical breakdown en route to your departure point, it might become impossible to undertake your planned itinerary. If this happens we will provide compensation up to the amount covered for trip cancellation: £3,000 per person on our Traveller policies.

Compensation if you miss your flight because of bad weather.

We’ll reimburse you for expenses such as necessary accommodation and travel incurred by missing your flight as a result of the vehicle you are travelling in being involved in an accident, breakdown or any delay caused by a major accident en route.

We will also pay-out for missed departure claims if you get stuck in the snow on your way to the airport, whether you are on public transport or in your own vehicle. We are one of the few insurance providers to offer this cover. And we do so because we like to be fair. All we ask is that you allow plenty of time to reach the airport when the weather is bad. If you still miss that all-important flight, we’ve got you covered.

Top tips for winter travellers:

Sort your travel insurance as early as you can.

It’s worth noting that you cannot expect to claim compensation for extreme weather once it has already started to disrupt travel. So if you leave booking your travel insurance until the last minute, you could find yourself out of pocket. Get a quote now.

Stay ahead of the forecast. Stay in-touch with the airport. Book a hotel, just in case.

When we’re in the middle of a bout of travel-disrupting weather, it can pay-off to keep ahead of the forecast and to keep in-touch with your airline for the latest news. It’s also worth reserving a room in a hotel near the airport just in case your flight is cancelled. If the worst happens and the airport closes, there will potentially be thousands of travellers looking for a place to kip. Knowing you have a room on hold can save a lot of stress when travel plans are uncertain. However, make sure you check the cancellation policy of your hotel. Most of the time you will be able to cancel your room with no charge up to a certain time, but it’s best to check with the hotel first.

You can find a great deal on airport hotels from World First.

If you can be flexible on travel dates, you should.

When extreme weather is forecast, many airlines will let you shift your travel dates forward or back by up to seven days. That could be the difference between enjoying some winter sun or starting your holiday in an over-crowded, under-staffed airport terminal.

Looking to make a claim? Gather as much documentation as you can.

If you think you’re entitled to a pay-out from your travel insurance, it’s important to gather as much relevant and authoritative documentation as you can to support your claim. That means asking for things such as written statements from your airline in the event of a delay, and documentation of things such as road closures and travel incidents if you are held up on your way to the airport.

If you have any questions regarding your travel insurance, get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to give you all the help you need. Call 0845 90 80 161 or email info@world-first.co.uk.

Finally, if you want to stay ahead of the latest travel situations you should follow us on twitter. We’ll keep you updated.

Related posts:

1. UK snow disrupts thousands of travellers. Where do you stand with travel insurance?
2. What happens when poor weather forces you to cancel your Christmas holiday?
3. Where you stand if the UK Border Agency walkout affects your travel plans
4. Slide away. The top 5 winter festivals for fans of music and snow.
5. Strike threatens summer holiday plans

This entry was posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010 at 10:35 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.