There is nothing worse than being stuck on a crowded train platform in winter with “cancelled” sprawled across the departure boards.
Or to discover that your transatlantic flight to see family for the festive season has been seriously delayed or cancelled. If you have travel plans over the holiday season, make sure you’re prepared with MoneyMagpie’s tips on how to manage changes and claim your money back.
Get travel insurance
If you have plans to travel abroad, or have even booked a UK holiday away, make sure you have travel insurance. This will help you with an extra layer of contingency planning and refund claims if something goes wrong. For example, you might be able to claim a portion of your holiday back if your outbound flight is delayed.
Or, if you’re taken seriously ill and unable to go to the cabin in the Lake District, you could claim lost deposits. Check the Ts and Cs of all insurance before you buy, to make sure likely eventualities are covered. If you’ve booked a package holiday, insurance is usually included but make sure you read the fine print. There may be some exceptions to cover that might not suit you – such as excluding pre-existing health conditions. If this is the case, find additional cover that works for you.
Your seat isn’t guaranteed – but ask for it
If you get onto a very crowded train because previous trains have been cancelled, you’re entitled to your reserved seat. This is unless there is a specific announcement that ticket restrictions are lifted, such as when an issue has affected all train companies in an area. So, if you need to sit down on the train you’ve reserved your seat – you can ask whoever is sitting in it to move.
If ticket restrictions are lifted, however, you should also know that you can enter a first-class coach without paying a first class fare. If you hold a first-class ticket and restrictions are listed, take full note of the details of the journey and contact the train operator. They will refund the difference between a standard class and first-class ticket.
If ticket restrictions are lifted because trains are very crowded due to cancellations and delays, but you need to sit down due to limited mobility, find a station guard before you board. They will assist in finding you a seat when the train arrives.
Know your delay repay rights
Delay Repay is the UK-wide system for train travel refunds when your train is delayed or cancelled. The amount you can claim for a refund depends on how late your train is delayed – and you can’t claim until after the journey is complete (or totally cancelled).
Delays between 15-29 minutes are a 25% refund of a single ticket fare (or the single portion of a return), 30-59 minutes is a 50% refund, and anything over 60 minutes is 100% of the single ticket fare. A delay of more than 120 minutes means you can also claim the return portion of a return ticket for a 100% refund. You have to claim with the train operator you bought your ticket from within 28 days. It is advisable to take screenshots of live delays on your phone app, or of departure boards, to aid in your evidence for your claim.
If your train is cancelled and you can’t get the next train or decide not to travel, you’re entitled to a full refund on that portion of the ticket. If, due to cancellations and delays, you didn’t use your ticket at all (such as deciding not to travel on an outbound leg of a return ticket), you can claim the full refund even if it’s an advance ticket.
Some companies will automatically refund you if you purchased a ticket directly through them and selected one-click Delay Repay. Season ticket holders may receive some compensation, but it depends on the delay and operator, so get in touch with the train company to find out more.
Flight compensation
The rules for flight compensation vary widely depending on the delay. We’re going to look at flights departing from the UK (any airline) or arriving in the UK or EU (on a UK or EU airline). It’s important to remember that an airline might offer only a credit note in place of a refund, but you are entitled to claim a cash refund.
During delays for bad weather the airline should provide access to food and drink, phone calls and emails, and overnight accommodation where the delay occurs overnight. You’re entitled to this support if your flight distance is less than 1500km (and 2 hours delayed), 1500-3500km (and a 3+ hour delay), or a delay of more than 4 hours for distances over 3500km.
Refunds are only provided if it is something the airline could control, such as a technical issue with the aeroplane, and the flight was delayed by more than three hours. Bad weather delays do not qualify. Cash compensation will be between £220 and £520 depending on the length of delay and the flight distance.
Flight delays over five hours
If your flight is delayed by more than five hours, you don’t have to take it and can get a full refund for the cost of your ticket. This includes a full refund on onward travel tickets, such as a return portion of a flight. If you’re halfway through a split journey with several legs, the airline must give you a flight back to your original airport.
If the flight delay was unavoidable, such as bad weather, you’re not entitled to a cash refund. So, if your flight delay is over 5 hours, it’s advisable to cancel the ticket and claim the full refund. Cancelled flights mean you have the right to a full refund, including for other tickets such as a split leg onward journey or a return flight, or a replacement flight on another airline to your destination.
Be aware: if your outbound flight is cancelled but you travel with another airline to your destination, your return portion of your original ticket may also be cancelled. Check in good time before you are due to return! For more details on flight compensation and refunds, Citizens Advice has a detailed page to check out.
Be kind but firm
Finally, we’ve all seen videos of tired and angry delayed passengers having a go at transport staff. It’s understandable that tempers can fray, but being kind to staff will get you a lot further than shouting at people will. Knowing your rights will help you make a solid case for requesting assistance, without needing to kick up too much of a stink.
If you or someone you’re travelling with is a vulnerable person, such as they need to take timed medication (or have limited medication on them), or they are disabled or have limited mental capacity, transport operators have a further duty of care.
Make sure you highlight the additional needs you or the person in your group has, and try to find a solution that you would like them to offer to make it easier for decisions to be made. You might not be able to insist they stop a snowstorm outside, but they could find alternative travel such as a taxi home or a quiet place to wait out the delay instead of a crowded room.
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