Getaway delay What to do if your flight is disrupted

Q What should I do if I’m affected? A Call British Airways’ customer services or visit its website. There is a “flight cancellation compensation” section. From there, click through to “right to compensation”, and from there, “claim compensation for British Airways flight”. You will see an online form and, alternatively, an address in Uxbridge that you can write to. “BA is going to have to pay out on this,” said James Walker, who is founder and managing director of Resolver.co.uk. “The form can be hard to find, but it is there.” Q How much will I get? A If the flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled, you have a right to compensation under European law. The EU261/2004 regulation requires BA to hand out between €250 (£218) and €600 depending on the length of the flight. “Most of BA’S flights are long haul so you can expect the compensation to be on the upper scale,” said Mr Walker. The end of the flight is defined as when the plane’s doors are opened. Q I’m told not to return to the airport – how do I get my bags? A Baggage will be returned to your end destination automatically; whether that’s your holiday address or home address. BA takes pride in quickly retrieving baggage, but when things go wrong, the legislation is unclear. The airline allows compensation claims if luggage is missing for more than 21 days. Q It’s not just my flight – my holiday is ruined too, what should I do? A Phone up your travel insurance company, or, if you have it, check your policy document. They are usually very clear on this.