THOUSANDS of Brits have been warned they could be refused compensation after their flights were cancelled amid air traffic chaos.
Holidaymakers at home and abroad were left in limbo after the UK airspace was hit by a technical fault yesterday.
EPAGlum passengers have struggled with the delays[/caption]
N.CPassengers at Heathrow were forced to use their luggage as makeshift beds[/caption]
Holidaymakers waiting for updates on their flights at Gatwick
SWNSOthers were left in the lurch at Birmingham Airport this morning[/caption]
It saw stranded families forced to sleep over at airports or on trolleys as the disruption causes knock-on effects today.
A further 200 flights have been cancelled on Tuesday, on top of more than 1,200 which were grounded and delayed yesterday.
And your rights on getting your money back can vary if you are one of the many affected amid flight chaos.
Usually, airlines do have to provide compensation if their flights arrive three hours late.
However, air traffic control problems don’t count because these technical issues aren’t their fault.
And if you agree to travel on a later flight, the airline is no longer obliged to offer food, drink or accommodation while you wait.
Travel expert Simon Calder said today that around 200,000 people were waking up this morning stranded.
But he echoed warnings that compensation is unlikely to be offered to those affected.
While you’re entitled to some support, airlines do not have to provide compensation because these air traffic faults are classified as “extraordinary circumstances”.
Mr Calder told GB News: “I’m afraid things are getting worse before they get better.
“The airline absolutely has to get you back as soon as possible even if it has to buy a ticket on another airline.
“And there is no truth to the rumour that it only has to pay for one night’s accommodation. They have to pay for your hotel, if you’re lucky enough to get a room.”
Airlines do have an obligation to keep passengers comfortable in the event of a “significant delay” – with the Civil Aviation Authority setting out a clear definition of what meets this threshold.
You’ll qualify for support if a short-haul flight under 932 miles is pushed back by two hours.
And this rises to three hours for journeys up to 2,175 miles.
For long-haul flights going any further than this, four hours or longer constitutes a significant delay.
But one expert suggested a financial package may be offered to frustrated passengers if airlines can access emergency cash themselves.
Paul Charles, CEO of The PC Agency, told Good Morning Britain: “I think the airlines are going to end up having to pay compensation but they’re going to have to get that money back either from government or NATS whose software failed. It’s going to take a long time.”
Despite the issue being said to have been fixed by yesterday afternoon, knock-on disruption has massively affected tourists.
Passengers due to fly to Newcastle were seen bunking down on the floor of Palma airport overnight, with their flight already facing huge delays following severe weather problems.
Dozens more cancellations were announced on Tuesday morning as airlines struggle to recover from the four-hour failure.
Helen Clayton says she’s stuck in Mallorca after booking a three-day break over the bank holiday.
She says she’s managed to rebook her flight but it’s not until next Sunday with tensions seeing “fists flying” at the airport.
Frustrated tourists also took to social media to plead with airlines for help after being left in limbo.
Holidaymakers on Twitter claimed that they were forced to sleep in the airport after the shambles.
One passenger named Liam is travelling with his nine-year-old daughter and blasted Jet2’s handling of the situation as ridiculous.
One lady at Heathrow was in tears after sitting there for over 20 hours waiting for her return flight to the USA.
300 Ryanair passengers were also left stranded in Gran Canaria after the technical fault, reports Sky News.
The abandoned travellers were reportedly told the next direct flight would be at least another week away and there was “zero chance” of an emergency flight.