Are you one of the passengers who has had a British Airways cancelled flight and waiting to get a refund or compensation? Was your flight delayed and did it result in you losing your connecting flight? Do you feel unsure about your rights with airlines such as British Airways? Then keep reading below to stay up to date and be informed about your air passenger rights.
Countless passengers have had their British Airways flight cancelled or delayed due to Covid-19 or other circumstances. However, that does not mean that they shouldn’t receive a full refund or compensation for these flight cancellations. It can be a long process for you to receive a refund from an airline, and it even might be necessary to take the airline to court, which is of course financially risky.
However, Air Delay can help you get your money back, without you be worrying about the legal costs of taking the airline to court. We at Air Delay specialize in air passenger rights and know which action is needed to get your refund or compensation for your British Airways flight.
British Airways history
British Airways is one of the largest airlines in Europe. In addition, it is also the national airline of England. British Airways has established itself as the airline with the most departures across the Atlantic. British Airways has roots dating back to 1919 meaning that it is more than 100 years old, but it was not until 1939 that the name British Airways came to be, after a merger of two airlines.
British Airways has its main base at London Heathrow. With British Airways, it is possible to fly to destinations in Europe, Africa, North America, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, Australia etc. Thus, British Airways offers long-haul and short-haul flights all over the world.
British Airways flight delay
With delays, there are many factors that affect whether you are eligible for compensation and how much compensation you can get. The first thing to look into is how long your flight delay was. If you arrived at your destination more than 3 hours later than planned, then it means that you can claim flight delay compensation.
Air passengers that have 2 or more connecting flights are more likely to encounter inconveniences with their flights. It could happen that your first flight had a delay of less than three hours, but it caused you to miss your connecting flight. What does that mean for your air passenger rights? The airline is responsible for finding an alternative flight for you, so you can reach your desired final destination. However, the flights must have been under the same booking in order for this to apply. This means, that if you booked two separate flights to reach your final destination, and you miss the second flight, the airline of the first flight has no responsibility for inconveniences due to delays of less then 3 hours.
It is common for passengers that experience flight delays, to face additional expenses due to the delay. These expenses could be accommodation in a hotel, transportation to and from the hotel, and other expenses such as food, beverages and possibly clothes. The airline is obliged to cover for all the expenses you had to pay for, so you must always remeber to keep all the receipts. However, be aware that the airline only covers reasonable costs that are considered necessary.
In some cases where the delay is more than three hours, you cannot get a British Airways compensation. The main reason for that is if the delay is due to causes known as extraordinary circumstances. Extraordinary circumstances could be bad weather, air traffic control issues, security reasons, etc. Thus, it can be said that you lose your entitlement to compensation if something out of the airline’s control happens.
British Airways flight cancellation
A flight cancellation can be due to various reasons such as extraordinary circumstances which are inevitable. However, in many cases the airlines could have prevented the cancellations. In those cases, you should be compensated for the inconveniences. So you should always look thoroughly into your case so you may understand which rights are yours.
There are also cases where airlines like British Airways have denied boarding due to overbooking. It is very common that airlines overbook their flight to make fully use of the aircraft. If you are denied boarding, then your rights will be the same as for a flight cancellation.
Therefore, if British Airways cancels your flight you are entitled to:
- A refund of the full price of the ticket.
- A rebooking for the next available departure.
- A rebooking to another time by your choice.
So it is your choice to accept any of these options provided by British Airways. At the same time, it is possible to get a British Airways flight cancellation compensation. The amount of compensation will increase depending on how long the flight is. The three different amounts you can get are based on these three factors:
- Flights of 1,500 km or less (250 EUR)
- Flights between 1,500 km – 3,500 km (400 EUR)
- Flights over 3,500 km and outside the EU (600 EUR)
But, you cannot be awarded compensation if you have been informed of the flight cancellation 2 weeks before the time of departure. The same applies if you have already been rebooked to a similar flight or if the cancellation is due to special circumstances. However, do bear in mind that these rights are only valid under the EU regulation 261/2004, so if you are traveling outside of the EU, you may not be able to get any compensation. We at Air Delay can help you with evaluating your case and inform you what rights you are entitled to.
EU regulation and Air Passenger Rights
Because British Airways’ headquarters is situated in Europe, most of their flights are protected under the EU regulation 261/2004. The EC 261/2004 regulations give passengers the right to seek compensation for delayed, cancelled or overbooked flights. Passengers can claim compensation for a flight for up to three years after the departure.
