What’s going on in Heathrow?
In a word, chaos. More than 1,300 flights to and from the busiest airport in Europe are being cancelled today as a result of its closure following a fire at a nearby electrical substation overnight.
And is it just a today problem?
Probably not. While the airport has said flights up to midnight have definitely been cancelled there hasn’t been much news on flights after that. It seems certain that the knock-on impact of the shutdown will impact flights over the weekend.
Are there many Irish flights caught up in the mess?
There are indeed. A total of 17 flights from Dublin to Heathrow were supposed to depart today with the same number making the return journey. There were also flights due to travel to and from Cork and Shannon so the shutdown is going to impact well in excess of 5,000 passengers.
Are there any others impacted?
Then there are the transatlantic passengers who were in the air when the shutdown happened. Before 9am Shannon Airport had accommodated diverted flights originally scheduled to land at Heathrow, including flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown Barbados, Boston, Orlando and Newark with the first of these flights landing at 4.26am. All of those passengers will have to be looked after until they can get to their destination, putting further pressure on the system in the days ahead.
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I am due to travel to Heathrow today, what should I do?
In short, nothing. People with bookings on flights going to the London airport are being advised not to travel or at least not to travel with any expectation that a flight will take off.
So what do I do, what rights do I have?
Under EU Regulation 261, airlines must offer you a refund or a rerouting on the next available flight or at a later time of your choosing. If you go for the refund, the airline’s responsibility to you ends immediately. If you ask to be put on the next available flight, then the airline must provide care and assistance until you can be accommodated.
What does ‘care and assistance’ mean?
If you are in London or another country waiting for a flight that is due to connect through Heathrow and trying to get home, your airline has to ensure you have meals and refreshments and cover the cost of hotel accommodation and transport to and from where you are staying.
I can’t find anyone to talk to about accommodation and meal vouchers
That is often the way. If an airline does not provide the care and assistance it is supposed to provide, make your own reasonable arrangements and keep all receipts because you will need them to claim back reasonable expenses.
Reasonable expenses? What does that mean?
Expenses are not boundless, but if you stay in a modestly priced hotel and eat in modestly priced restaurants while waiting for things to get back to normal you will be able to claim that money back.
How do I make a claim?
First you send copies (and not originals) of all receipts to your airline and include booking references, passenger names, original flight details and new flight details. Remember you are not looking for compensation.
Why not?
Because this situation falls under the extraordinary circumstances clause. That means the cancellations are beyond the airlines' control. This was confirmed this morning by the Irish Aviation Authority which said that “beyond care, assistance and rerouting, no additional compensation is payable in this circumstance as the event resulting in the closure of the airport was outside of the control of the airlines affected and is deemed an extraordinary circumstance”. Even mentioning the “compensation” word when you apply for recompense for any money spent while stuck in transit might see your claim wrongly rejected.
When should I get my money back?
If you haven’t got the money back within a month, you can complain to the Irish Aviation Authority – aviationreg.ie. But hopefully it won’t come to that.
What if a delay impacts my care hire or accommodation?
First off, you must keep the channels of communication open with the providers. You will want to ensure a car is kept for you if you have hired it. Depending on the policies of an accommodation provider, they may give some money back, but it could ultimately come down to your travel insurance.
And will I be covered by my travel insurance?
Not automatically but there is a decent chance your policy will cover such disruption.
I absolutely have to get to London today. What are my options?
Well, the good news is there are many airports servicing the British capital, and early this morning Ryanair added up to eight flights between Dublin and London Stansted. There will be four departing on Friday afternoon and four on Saturday morning “to rescue passengers affected by today’s Heathrow closure”.
Rescue flights? That is pretty decent, right?
It is but you will pay for the rescue. The cost of a one-way ticket to London with Ryanair if booked on Friday morning was coming in at anywhere between €150 and close to €300. Those prices are high but to be fair to the airline, people are likely to pay through the nose for almost any flight booked this close to departure.
And will my airline cover that cost?
The airline might but that is not a given. It is important that you make contact with the airline you have booked with, alert it that you are making alternative arrangements and try if at all possible to get it in writing that the carrier will cover the additional cost with an alternative airline to save you arguing the toss at a later point.
Heathrow was my connecting point for a long-haul flight. I am going to miss that now. Where do I stand?
Your airline has a duty of care to you. If you have booked a flight with BA to South Africa for a holiday, for example, and the flight is routed through Heathrow then they will have to get you to your final destination although you will miss days of your holiday. It might be more problematic if you have booked a flight with one airline to Heathrow and another to a long-haul destination with another airline. In this instance it is vital that you keep in touch with both airlines although given that no airlines will be taking off from Heathrow today, your flight will not be able to leave without you.
