Delayed airline passengers are potentially missing out on millions of pounds of compensation, according to an investigation by Which?.
The consumer group found that between June 2014 and May 2015, 37 million passenger journeys to or from the UK were delayed by 15 minutes or more.
About 900,000 people could be eligible for compensation, but only around 38% of them ever claim, Which? found.
Passengers delayed for over three hours are entitled to up to 600 euros (£422).
Those protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation have to be flying with an EU-based airline or flying from an EU airport.
More than 9,000 flights are delayed for three hours or more each year, the group said, with an average of 97 passengers on each flight.
Which? director of campaigns Alex Neill told BBC 5 live: “We want people to assert their rights and hold their airline to account for those delays and claim the compensation that they are owed.”
‘No support’
Which? surveyed more than 7,000 of its members to find out more about their experience of flying from a UK airport.
Only four in 10 people (38%) said they claimed compensation following a delay.
Half of those delayed said they received no support or information about the delay from the airline.
Travel expert Simon Calder said the rules on compensation were “very, very complicated”, with the process of claiming not always being straight forward. He also said airlines generally did “everything to fight it if they believe there’s a chance they’re not responsible”.
Asked why so few claim, he told BBC Breakfast: “It’s partly because people don’t know. The airlines aren’t very good at telling you your rights and I think lots of people simply give up.”
He added that if a passenger thinks they are owed compensation and the airline won’t “play ball”, they can go to a lawyer or claims company, but they will typically charge a third of any compensation given.
Passengers travelling within the EU who are delayed for more than three hours could be entitled to up to 400 euro (£282) in compensation, which rises up to 600 euro (£422) if the journey is over 2,170 miles.
But delays caused by “extraordinary circumstances” are not eligible for compensation under EU regulations.
The consumer group’s calculations are based on Civil Aviation Authority data.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33833059
.
.
.
Gatwick named worst offender for flight delays over three hours
8.8.2015 (City AM)
Delayed airline passengers could be missing out on millions of pounds in compensation, according to an investigation from watchdog Which?.
Read more: Decline in Brits abroad as holiday makersopt to stay home this summer
From June 2014 to May 2015 more than 9,000 flights in the UK were delayed for three hours or more with 2,134 flights at Gatwick making it the worst offender.
The investigation found that around 900,000 passengers were eligible to receive compensation for their disrupted journeys – but only one in four did.
Passengers travelling within the European Union delayed for over three hours could be entitled to between €400 – €600 (£425) in compensation.
Read more: British Airways is shrinking its hand luggage allowance to reduce risk of delays
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said:”Flight delays are a disappointing and stressful reality for people travelling abroad this summer. The last thing you need is a long wait at the airport, but sadly this is going to be the case for many holidaymakers.We are urging people to hold their airline to account and claim the compensation they are rightly owed if they have a lengthy day.”
Worst UK airports
The average delay for flights at Gatwick was 16.8 minutes according to data sourced from the Civil Aviation Authority, with 0.8 per cent of flights more than three hours late.
Heathrow actually had more overall delays (2,192) but just 0.5 per cent were for more than three hours.
| Airport | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|
| Gatwick | 0.8% | 16.8 mins | 255,839 | 2,134 |
| Cardiff Wales | 0.7% | 12.8 mins | 7,239 | 52 |
| Manchester | 0.6% | 13.5 mins | 162,209 | 1,049 |
| Luton | 0.6% | 13.4 mins | 75,069 | 439 |
| Jersey | 0.6% | 14.9 mins | 14,060 | 80 |
Worst airlines for short haul flights
Vueling, Monarch and Thomas Cook accounted for 700 delayed short haul flights during the monitored period.
| Airline | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|
| Vueling Airlines | 1.2% | 19.9 mins | 4,936 | 59 |
| Monarch Airlines | 1.2% | 15 mins | 35,330 | 412 |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | 1.1% | 16.3 mins | 21,119 | 241 |
| Loganair | 1% | 15.6 mins | 24,894 | 243 |
| Aurigny Air Services | 0.9% | 13 mins | 8,763 | 83 |
Worst airlines for long haul flights
For long haul flights, Pakistan International Airlines, Air India and American Airlines were the worst offenders and together accounted for over 700 flights.
| Airline | Flights > 3 hours late | Average delay | Total no. of flights | Approx no. delayed flights |
|---|
| Pakistan Intnl Airlines | 6.6% | 55 mins | 2,156 | 143 |
| Air India | 3.5% | 30.9 mins | 2,724 | 95 |
| American Airlines | 1.6% | 18.8 mins | 11,045 | 180 |
| Thomson Airways | 1.5% | 23.4 mins | 8,312 | 128 |
| US Airways | 1,3% | 17.3 mins | 3,493 | 44 |
.
The “Denied Boarding Regulation” website states:
Flight compensation amounts
You are entitled to claim compensation if your flight is cancelled. The amounts stipulated are:
- €250 (£217) for flights under 1500 kilometres (932 miles – short haul)
- €400 (£347) for all longer flights within EU, and for all other flights between 1500 kilometres (932 miles) and 3500 kilometres (2175 miles – medium haul)
- €600 (£521) for all other flights (long haul)
Distance is measured to the final destination.
Compensation is reduced by 50% if the ultimate arrival time is within two hours for short haul flights, within three hours for medium haul flights and within four hours for long haul flights.
Compensation can be paid by cash, bank transfer or cheque. Only if the passenger agrees can it be paid in travel vouchers or other services.
.
.
Telegraph article on averate price of plane tickets per airline. 21.10.2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10393475/Ryanair-not-the-cheapest-airline.html
| Airline | Average ticket price including fees (£) |
|---|
| Pegasus Airlines | 53.41 |
| Wizz Air | 64.02 |
| Blue Air | 69.69 |
| Ryanair | 70.53 |
| easyJet | 76.05 |
| Air One | 76.92 |
| Eurolot | 82.03 |
| Volotea | 87.69 |
| Vueling | 91.29 |
| flybe | 94.53 |
| Meridiana | 102.50 |
| germanwings | 104.54 |
| Transavia | 111.61 |
| airBaltic | 118.53 |
| HOP! | 118.86 |
| Norwegian Air Shuttle | 120.62 |
| Monarch Airlines | 134.80 |
| Jet2 | 139.84 |
| WOW air | 160.08 |
| Fly Thomas Cook | 174.76 |
.
Scots miss out on millions as only four in ten make airline delay claims, report
8.8.2015 (Herald Scotland)
SCOTS are missing out on millions of pounds in compensation for flight delays as a new survey revealed only four in ten bother to make a claim.
A Which? report reveals that some 1000 flights in Scotland were delayed for three hours or more in the past year, with over 90,000 potentially eligible for compensation.
But the consumer watchdog found that only 38% of people were claiming compensation for delays.
The Which? survey further shows that half of those delayed said they received no support or information about the delay from the airline.
Which? are urging people to hold their airline to account and claim the compensation they are rightly owed if they have a lengthy delay.
Under European Union directive 261, passengers delayed for more than three hours are eligible for between £170 and £420 compensation, depending on the length of flight.
The highest level of payout is for passengers held up more than four hours. It applies to all flights from UK airports, and inbound flights on European airlines.
Passengers are not eligible for compensation if flights are delayed by bad weather, strikes or security alerts.
The consumer organisation’s investigation found that around one in five flights leaving or arriving in Scotland were delayed by at least 15 minutes.
Some 4.1 million passenger journeys leaving or arriving in Scotland were delayed by 15 minutes or more in the year to May, this year, which equals 41,000 flights.
Based on the 210,000 flights which went to or from Scottish airports over a year, Logan Air was proportionally the worst performer with 215 flights delayed by over three hours, Which? said.
The worst Scottish airport for delays was Glasgow with 0.5% of its 75,780 flights held up for three hours or longer, closely followed by Edinburgh with 0.4% and Aberdeen with 0.3%.
Across the UK, some 9,000 flights were delayed for three hours or more, with around 900,000 passengers potentially eligible for compensation under the Euro rules, Which? said.
The Which? study analysed over 1.7 million flights across the UK to work out the worst offenders based on the proportion of flight that were delayed for three hours or more.
It found that UK passengers on short haul flights are most likely to experience delays of over three hours if travelling with Vueling, Monarch or Thomas Cook, who together accounted for over 700 delayed flights amounting to 68,000 passenger journeys.
For long haul flights, UK passengers were more likely to be delayed by three hours or more with Pakistan International Airlines, Air India or American Airlines who together accounted for over 400 affected flights amounting to 40,500 passenger journeys.
Easyjet, BA and Ryanair, the three largest airlines operating in the UK who operated nearly half (48%) of all flights during the year accounted for four in 10 (44%) delays over three hours, Which? said.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, said: “Flight delays are a disappointing and stressful reality for people travelling abroad this summer. The last thing you need is a long wait at the airport, but sadly this is going to be the case for many holidaymakers.
“We are urging people to hold their airline to account and claim the compensationthey are rightly owed if they have a lengthy delay.”
A British Air Transport Association spokesman said in response to the report: “Airlines hate delays just as much as their passengers. That’s why the vast majority of the 300,000 plus flights carrying over 21 million passengers in and out Scottish airports departed within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time last year.
“When passengers are affected by significant delays, airlines provide care and assistance, as well as information on their rights to compensation.”
Which? used Civil Aviation Authority punctuality data, the Office of National Statistics International Passenger Survey and its own surveys in its latest research.
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/denied-boarding-regulation
.
.
