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Flight chaos due to the global IT outage: What are your rights?

Flight chaos due to the global IT outage: What are your rights?
Emma Lunn
Written By:
Posted:
22/07/2024
Updated:
22/07/2024

Travellers around the world have experienced several days of chaos in the aftermath of last week's global IT outage.

The IT issue was caused by an update to Crowdstrike software which is designed to protect Microsoft Windows devices from being hacked. As well as airlines, the outage affected train companies, banks, and media outlets.

The weekend was one of the busiest at UK airports as families aimed to get away at the start of the school summer holidays.

But hundreds of flights to and from the UK were cancelled, with many more suffering delays. Some passengers were unable to check-in for flights online, while others reported lost baggage.

Below, we answer some of your most common flight delay, cancellation and compensation questions…

Can I get a different flight?

Under air passenger rights rules within Europe, if your flight is cancelled, then the airline has to get you to your destination as soon as possible. This might be with a different airline, if necessary, or another form of travel such as a train.

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In the meantime, airlines have a duty of care and should provide vouchers for hotels and food. If they don’t, you can claim back additional expenses with an itemised receipt.

Am I entitled to compensation?

Travellers are normally entitled to compensation if a flight is delayed for more than three hours and it was the airline’s fault – such as staffing issues or technical problems with aircraft.

But passengers won’t be entitled to compensation for travel delays caused by the IT outage. This is because it is classed as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ which is out of the airlines’ control.

While travellers can challenge the airline’s definition of extraordinary circumstances, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suggested it’s highly likely that an unprecedented global IT outage would qualify. This means affected travellers should turn to their travel insurer for help.

If your policy includes ‘travel disruption’ cover then it may be possible to claim for disruption or losses incurred as a result of your trip being delayed or cancelled.

This may include alternative accommodation or expenses incurred such as travel, food and drink, and can even stretch to covering the full cost of your holiday should you end up not being able to go.

However, it’s worth noting that not all policies cover this as standard, and cover levels, conditions and exclusions can vary between providers, making it important to check with your insurer as your first port of call.

‘Phone lines will be busy’

Alicia Hempsted, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Airlines are already warning passengers to expect long delays, and while some may think that means compensation, unfortunately that is unlikely to be the case as this is largely out of the airlines’ control.

“That said, it may be worth talking to your airline representative as some airlines may be able to provide vouchers for things like food and drink, although this can be at the airline’s discretion.

“Instead we would urge all travellers to check their policy documents and contact their insurer to understand what they’ll be covered for. It’s likely phone lines will be extremely busy at the moment, so in the meantime be sure to save all receipts for costs incurred as you may need these to make a claim.”

Related: Landmark ruling against British Airways ‘paves way’ for compensation on flight delays