Following the demise of regional airline Flybe, readers have been contacting me and asking what their rights are in relation to cancelled flights. Here’s what you need to know:
WILL MY TICKET BE REFUNDED?
Whilst passengers can make a claim to the administrators of Flybe it is highly unlikely that they will receive a payout. However, there may be other avenues for getting your money back:
“I booked the flight direct with Flybe using a card”
If you booked directly with Flybe and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You should contact your card provider and tell them that you want to make a ‘section 75’ claim. Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer and say that you want to make a ‘chargeback claim’.
When Monarch and Thomas Cook collapsed the card providers did pay out under both section 75 and the chargeback scheme.
If you purchased travel insurance that includes cover for scheduled airline failure, known as SAFI, you should contact your insurer. If you did not book directly with Flybe and purchased your tickets through a third party, you should contact your booking or travel agent in the first instance.
“I booked my flight through an airline ticket agent”
If you booked your ticket through an airline ticket agent you should contact them and ask if they will refund you. You should also ask if they sold you travel insurance that includes Scheduled Airline Failure cover.
“My flight was part of a packaged holiday and is ATOL protected”
If you received confirmation that you are ATOL protected, the travel firm is responsible for your flight arrangements and must either make alternative flights available for you so that your trip can continue or provide a full refund. However, the Civil Aviation Authority has released a statement saying that they believe very few passengers are ATOL protected.
CAN I CLAIM ON MY TRAVEL INSURANCE?
Potentially yes, but you will have to check the terms of the policy carefully to see if it covers flights cancelled as a result of the airlines collapse.
