We explain how your travel plans will be affected by the fall out.
In a bizarre turn of events a volcanic eruption in Iceland has caused travel chaos, grounding the vast majority of flights both in the UK and across Northern Europe.
While this may seem like a blessing if you live under a flight path, for those that were meant to travel this weekend it's going to be more like a nightmare!
The good news is that the dust isn't thought to pose any significant health threat. However, it would jam airplane engines which is why a near-complete shut down is seen as unavoidable.
At the time of writing the vast majority of UK airports are out of operation, with no flights scheduled to depart until tomorrow morning at the earliest. That said, a few flights have taken off today but these are the exception rather than the rule.
If you were planning to travel over the weekend, bear in mind that the nationwide lock down could well be extended if the weather doesn't play ball and blow the dust away.
Should I go to the airport?
The current advice, if you were meant to fly either today or over the weekend, is to contact your airline to check the status of your flight before you leave for the airport. The CAA have a comprehensive list of airlines and airports on their website.
Flights:
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled?
If your flight has been cancelled you will be given the option either to take a full refund, or to transfer your booking to a flight scheduled for departure at a later date.
Some airlines place restrictions on when you're able to claim a refund (for instance in the first 24 hours after your flight was cancelled) so you should contact your airline as soon as possible to find out what's going on if you think your flight may be affected.
What are my rights if my flight is delayed?
If your flight is delayed, your airline is obliged to provide you with refreshments, free phone calls and, if necessary, overnight accommodation. Your entitlement will depend on the length of the delay and whether the flight you are waiting for is long or short haul.
If your flight is delayed by more than 5 hours and you choose not to travel, you will be entitled to a full refund.
Will I be entitled to compensation?
As the cancellation or delay due to volcanic eruption is largely out of the airlines' hands, it's unlikely that you'll be entitled to claim anything in the way of compensation beyond the entitlements detailed above.
Package holidays:
If flights you booked as part of a package deal are affected by the disruption, your tour operator will be responsible for either issuing a refund, arranging alternative transport or rebooking your flights. As such you should contact them directly to discuss your options.
Hotels, onward transport & other bookings:
If any stand-alone bookings for accommodation, onward transport (such as train tickets or hire cars) and the like will be affected by the delay or cancellation of your flight, you should contact the company in question and find out whether you are able to rebook for a later date or obtain a refund.
It may be that they refuse as they are not responsible for your change of plans. In this instance you will need to refer to your travel insurance to see whether you're able to place a claim.
Can I claim on my travel insurance?
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this as it will depend on the insurer you purchased your travel insurance with and the type of policy you took out.
Some insurers may class the volcanic eruption as an 'Act of God' and as such refuse to pay out for any losses you've incurred. Others, however, will cover the cost for any bookings you've missed due to the cancellation or delay of your flights.
As such you should look carefully at the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy and contact your insurer for clarification if you're not sure. Bear in mind that it's likely they'll need proof of the cancellation or delay if they do agree to pay out; you should ask your insurer what they would need.
If you purchased travel insurance after news of the volcanic eruption broke on Thursday it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to claim as you will not be covered for losses caused by an event that has already taken place.
For this reason it's always a good idea to take out travel insurance at the same time you book your flights/holiday and to shop around and look carefully at what you'll be covered for when you take out a policy.
