Brits are being urged to check their rights when experiencing any disruptions, delays or cancellations travelling home this Christmas.
Travel insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk want all passengers to understand their rights under the law to ensure they’re treated and compensated fairly if they experience any disruptions.
It is best to plan as far ahead as possible for any festive journeys, whether travelling by plane or train.
When it comes to railway travel over the festive period, there are usually no trains running on Christmas Day and a very limited number running Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
There will also be a significant amount of improvement and maintenance work on railways across the UK from the 21st of December to the 5th of January, likely causing more delays.*
Although most train companies are able to offer compensation and refunds for delayed or cancelled trains, some travel insurance policies may cover train travel issues as well, so travellers with annual or multi-trip travel insurance could unknowingly have an additional layer of protection.
However, travellers should be sure to check the policy details, some providers stipulate you need to be a certain number of miles away from home or have a minimum number of nights away.
In terms of planes, although the airline should legally cover refunds for cancelled and delayed flights and potentially compensation, depending on the situation, having travel insurance can give passengers extra peace of mind over the festive period and cover travel related issues such as lost or damaged luggage, medical issues or if the passenger themselves has to cut the trip short.
Greg Wilson, CEO and travel insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk said: “There is nothing more frustrating than having your journey cancelled or delayed when travelling over the busy festive period, but unfortunately disruptions are normally par for the course with Christmas travel given unpredictable UK weather conditions and a surge in passengers trying to get home for the holidays.
“When it comes to flying, although the airline should legally cover refunds for cancelled and delayed flights and various levels of compensation, having travel insurance is important and covers all sorts of travel related issues passengers might encounter.
“Making sure bookings are ATOL protected, using a credit card to pay and taking out an insurance policy when the initial holiday booking is made, can all help protect passengers on their travels.
“Travel insurance can also cover the cost of any lost or stolen items, and cancellation costs in the case of an emergency.
“When seeking compensation for train travel, always make sure to visit your plane or train company’s website to find out about their policy and guidance. Thankfully, most train companies offer compensation or full refunds when journeys are affected via the delay repay scheme, calculating claims based on the length of the delay.”
What to do if public transport is delayed or cancelled:
1. Delayed trains
If you are travelling and arrive late at your destination due to a cancelled or delayed service, you may be able to claim compensation. However, this depends on which train company you travelled with. They all offer some kind of compensation but will have slightly different schemes. The length of delay will also affect your compensation.**
If you’re delayed for 60 minutes or more, you may be entitled to a full refund for a single ticket. If the train is blocked on the track and can’t continue then the train company must organise for transport from the train to the next station, an alternative departure point or to the final destination of the service. If there is a disruption which means you cannot continue to travel, you may be entitled to full compensation.
2. Delayed flights
If you experience a delay of five or more hours, all passengers should be entitled to a full refund or a replacement trip and even compensation. If you experience short delays, you can request help with travel costs and claim compensation if the cancelled flight means a delay of arrival by two or more hours. But, the airline will rarely give out compensation if a delay was caused due to reasons beyond their control – such as a security alert or adverse weather conditions.***
Quotezone helps over 4 million people every year compare and find savings on bills and essentials, including travel insurance, both UK and abroad.
