Passengers whose flights have been cancelled as a result of the volcanic ash cloud currently passing over Britain must be given a choice between rerouting to their final destination or a full refund under European regulations.
If consumers choose to re-route instead of applying for a refund, airlines have to offer an alternative flight to the final destination at the earliest opportunity or at a later date of the intending passenger's choice subject to the availability of seats.
The airlines must also offer meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation where a stay of one or more nights is necessary. If an airline offers a flight to an alternative airport they must bear the cost of transferring you from that alternative airport to the one in your reservation or to another close-by destination agreed with you.
"In realty many airlines do not provide these things as a matter of course," Caroline Curneen of the European Consumer Centre in Dublin told The Irish Times this morning.
She advised anyone who has been affected by this morning's cancellations to keep all receipts for expenses incurred as a result and to submit a claim in writing, enclosing copies of all the receipts directly to the airline in question. If the airline does not respond within ten working days passengers should make a complaint to the Commission for Aviation Regulation.
She also said all passengers who have been negatively affected by the cancellations should be informed in writing of their rights. The regulator will then raise the matter directly with the airline, and if it is satisfied that an infringement has occurred, it will consider a prosecution.
If intending passengers choose a refund instead of rerouting, the airline can immediately discontinue the provision of care. However, if the journey no longer serves its intended purpose as a result of the cancellation of a connecting flight, you are also entitled to a free flight back to your original departure point, as well as the refund for the part of the journey already made. In such a case, the air carrier may not decline the passenger's right to care.
