Am I covered if Extinction Rebellion target my airport next?

Extinction Rebellion and travel disruption – here is what you should do if your flight has been cancelled

A number of flights have been cancelled from London City Airport due to Extinction Rebellion protesters demonstrating, ranging from people refusing to sit on flights to more extreme methods such as gluing themselves to planes. The protests have affected a number of BA flights, and while only City airport has been impacted, larger airports such as Gatwick or Heathrow could be targets in the coming days.

While BA has rescheduled the flights, it does raise the question of what happens to the rest of your travel plans. If you are on a multi-stop trip; do you have to book another, possibly more costly flight? If you booked your flights and accommodation separately, can you get a refund if you can’t make it to the location? And what compensation can you claim for the cancellations?

Rebecca Kingsley, Brand Manager at the consumer awareness initiative, travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk gives advice on what you can expect from your travel insurance if you have been affected by the cancellations.

What should you do if your flight is cancelled or delayed?

The first thing you should do is contact the airline. The airline is responsible for booking you on the next available flight. However under European legislation there is also a ‘re-route’ option which means that if your original airline cannot get you to your destination on your booked date, or the day after then you can demand to be booked with a  different airline (subject to seat availability). If the airline advises you to make your own arrangements then provided you can prove that you have taken the only available alternative, you should be able to reclaim the costs from the original airline.

What can you do if you have incurred additional costs due to the flight cancellation or delay?

As the airline is liable for rearranging your flights, this is not something you can claim for under your travel insurance policy. You should therefore make use of the re-booking or ‘re-route’ options mentioned above.

Similarly, any additional costs to enable you to continue your holiday would not be covered under your travel insurance policy; for example, if you had pre-paid your airport parking but now have to travel from a different airport, or if your flight arrangements mean that you now have to stay in a hotel overnight before catching your new flight. The airline is responsible for arranging transport if they book you a flight from another airport. They should also provide refreshments and overnight accommodating if necessary.

What if I want to cancel my holiday?

If you are unable to make alternative travel arrangements, you may wish to cancel your holiday altogether.  However, you should be aware that most travel insurance policies only cover cancellation in these circumstances if you are being delayed for a substantial period of time; usually 12 or 24-hours. This will come under the travel abandonment section of your travel insurance policy.

If you have a travel insurance policy which offers cancellation cover for ‘any cause beyond your control’ or something happened ‘which you could not have been expected to foresee or avoid’ you may be able to cancel your holiday and claim back any pre-paid expenses, such as excursions, car hire costs or accommodation fees that you cannot get back from anywhere else.

What if I don’t want to cancel my holiday, but just arrive a day or so late, would I be able to claim for the lost days I’ve paid for accommodation and car hire etc?

Unfortunately the answer is no…you may be able to contact the accommodation or car hire provider and explain the situation to them, and they might agree to amend their charges – most hotels and car rental companies allow you to reserve the accommodation or vehicle, and then you pay for the time actually used when you check out or collect the vehicle. If you booked via an online booking company, they may be able to provide help and assistance as well.

What if I’m stuck abroad due to the flight cancellations?

Passengers whose flights are cancelled while on holiday are entitled to hotels and meals until the airline can get them home, but there could be other expenses to be paid because of your delay, such as parking fees, kennel costs etc., and these costs are not, generally, covered by travel insurance.

However if your policy has a section called ‘if you are delayed returning to your home country’ you may be able to claim for these additional costs, so it is worth checking if your policy offers this cover.