Flight cancelled or delayed? Here’s what you can do

Maybe you have already experienced it, maybe you will experience it soon: If you currently want to travel by plane, you may have to expect issues. Since the pandemic, some airlines are short of staff so things are going haywire at the airports. Apart from this, there are several more factors that cause delays or cancellations of flights. Here is how you can tackle it.

Know your rights

Aeroplane customers are not helpless in this situation. As per The New York Times, airlinesare obligated to give their customers a full refund if the flight gets cancelled. Under US federal law you can also get a refund if the flight gets delayed and the passenger chooses not to fly. As per UK law, in case of cancellation of a flight, the airline must provide food, drinks, and even accommodation. It also says:

If you received less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation, you may be able to claim compensation too

Although it is necessary for airlines to refund a cancelled or delayed flight, they often compensate by offering vouchers or travel points instead. However, if that’s not something you prefer then go to the airline authorities and inquire about a direct refund.

Reimbursement or accommodation

According to CNN, if your flight is cancelled last minute, you can ask the airport to accommodate you in a hotel. Although they are not obliged by the law to do this, they might offer you a hotel voucher instead.

If the airlines are completely unhelpful in these times, then your credit or debit card might come in handy. Product operations specialist at Scott's Cheap Flights, Lousson Smith said:

The good news is that many credit cards offer travel protections such as reimbursement if a flight cancellation forces you to get a hotel, meals, etc.

These travel protections are typically included automatically as long as you used the card to pay for your flight. Google your credit card plus travel protections to see what specific offerings your card carries.

This article is translated from Gentside DE.

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