So, what are your rights if it happens to you?

FLIGHT DELAY RIGHTS:

YOU will be covered by the Denied Boarding Regulation if your flight departed from Europe or was with a European airline.

It does not apply if you fly to Europe on a non-EU airline. What you’ll be entitled to will depend on the airline.

If your flight is delayed, you may be entitled to meals, refreshments, phone calls and emails. You could also be entitled to overnight accommodation.

You can also claim for compensation, but this won’t be due if the airline can prove the delay or cancellation was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

Any entitlement to compensation will depend on how long the delay is and how far you are flying.

Short-haul passengers are entitled to a payout of 250 euros (£220) if the flight is delayed by more than three hours.

Long-haul travellers could be entitled to 300 euros (£26 ) if their plane landed between three or four hours late, or around 600 euros (£530) if their flight was at least four hours behind schedule.

FLIGHT CANCELLATION RIGHTS:

YOU can choose not to travel and get a refund of your ticket cost. This option is available if the delay lasts five hours or more but the flight isn’t cancelled

Another option is an alternative flight, which airlines call rerouting. You can then claim for the delay based on your original departure time and compensation works on the same basis as delayed flights.

So, for example, you could receive £530 for a long-haul flight if you have been delayed for four hours or more.