Passengers could lose out under flight compensation overhaul

Friday 22 April 2022

Islanders travelling to and from the UK could miss out on compensation for delayed or cancelled flights under new plans to overhaul the passenger compensation scheme.

While the UK Government says the proposals will “bolster airline passenger protection and rights”, the new scheme could see local passengers losing out on hundreds of pounds in delay compensation.

Currently, if you’re travelling within the UK and your flight is cancelled at short notice, or delayed by more than three hours, you are entitled to claim £220, unless the cause was extraordinary circumstances, such as bad weather. 

The new plans announced by the Department for Transport (DfT) aim to overhaul the air passenger compensation scheme with a new proposal similar to the compensation scheme in place for train delays. 

Pictured: Presently, if you pay £30 for a flight that is later cancelled or severely delayed, you could still claim the £220 compensation. 

With the government’s new proposal, customers would receive compensation depending on the length of the delay, and pay-outs would be capped at the price you paid for the ticket.

Jersey's Consumer Council told Express that it was looking into how the change will impact islanders and is waiting for a response from the Civil Aviation Authority ATOL. 

Compensation gains for shorter delays 

Under the current compensation scheme, passengers are entitled to £220 if a domestic flight is cancelled at short notice or delayed by more than three hours. 

This compensation is fixed and not linked to the price of the flight ticket.  

Under the new system, passengers would be able to claim back 25% of their flight ticket after an hour delay, 50% after two hours and a full refund after a three-hour delay. 

Presently, if a flight is delayed by one or two hours, passengers don’t receive any compensation. With the new scheme, passengers would receive a partial refund. 

How much could islanders be set to lose? 

For flights delayed by three hours or more, passengers will be set to lose out. 

For the island’s busiest route, Jersey to Heathrow, the average one-way economy ticket with British Airways is £85, so passengers would be paid £135 less. 

For the average EasyJet flight to Gatwick at £41, passengers would lose out on £179.

Pictured: With passengers losing out on compensation, airlines would be better off.  

The regulations are designed to deter airlines from cancelling and overbooking flights, and encourage punctual services. Compensation also helps passengers cover expenses caused by flight disruptions. 

Under the new proposals, the amount airlines would need to pay-out in the event of a cancelled flight, would be far lower. 

The Government is also proposing that all airports join the aviation Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme, which gives consumers a route for escalating complaints. 

In the current setup, airlines can join the scheme voluntarily, but the Government believe that mandatory membership could help people who are struggling to get refunds.