More than 1,300 flights to and from London Heathrow Airport will be disrupted today due to the closure of the airport following a fire at a nearby electrical substation.
Thousands of homes have been left without power and more than 100 people were evacuated after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire.
The UK’s largest airport is supplied by the substation and said it was among those impacted by the power outage, with flights being axed or diverted to other hubs.
At least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be impacted, while 120 flights to the airport were in the air when the closure was announced, according to FlightRadar24.
Passengers are being advised not to travel to the airport – with travel expert Nicky Kelvin, editor-at-large at The Points Guy, describing it as an ‘extraordinary situation’.
Under normal circumstances, passengers delayed for more than two hours on a short-haul flight must provide support such as food and drink by their airline.
They should also get accommodation and transport to a hotel or home if they are delayed overnight. Here, MailOnline answers all your questions about the chaos:
Passengers are facing travel chaos today after Heathrow Airport had to close due to a fire
FLIGHT DELAYS
Delayed passengers could be entitled to free meals and compensation of up to £520 if their flight is disrupted – and this section helps you understand how.
Travel expert: This is an extraordinary situation
By NICKY KELVIN
The shutdown of London Heathrow today owing to a fire at a nearby electrical substation will have a major impact on more than 1,300 flights globally, with aircrafts in the air being diverted to alternative destinations.
Passengers are being advised not to travel to the airport under any circumstances and with significant disruption expected throughout Friday and for days to come, it is important that travellers continue to check their specific airline’s website for more information and emails too – travellers are often given updates on cancellations here before anywhere else.
The scale of the closure is expected to impact flights today and over the weekend, as airlines look to rebook passengers on alternative flights, however this is once the airport has been able to reopen – which is still unconfirmed given how the situation is still developing.
This is an extraordinary situation. Passengers are reminded that under normal circumstances, if they are delayed for more than two hours on a short-haul flight, airlines must provide them with support such as food and drink and reimbursement for phone calls.
If they are delayed overnight, the airline will provide them with accommodation and transport to a hotel or home.
Usually if travellers arrive at their destination more than three hours late, they are entitled to compensation, however as these are extraordinary circumstances and out of the airlines’ control, this type of compensation will very likely not be payable.
With those travellers looking to find alternative routes, it is important to look to utilise points and miles – I’m current stuck in Doha with a flight to London Heathrow but have managed to book a business class flight to Amsterdam this afternoon for just 43,000 Avios plus £200, placing me very close to London with a host of different options to get back to the UK using other airports or the Eurostar.
NICKY KELVIN is editor at The Points Guy. For more of his tips, click here
ASSISTANCE
Airline passengers delayed by two hours or more could be entitled to assistance such as two free phone calls or emails, free meals and refreshments, free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers, according to Which?, outlining the following:
Short-haul – Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) with a delay time of at least two hours are entitled to assistance.
Medium-haul – Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least three hours are entitled to assistance.
Long-haul – Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) with a delay time of at least four hours are entitled to assistance.
Delayed passengers who meet the above criteria can contact their airline or approach staff at the airport for further information.
SEVERE DELAYS
Passengers whose flight has been delayed by more than five hours are ‘entitled to choose between being rerouted on a different flight or getting a refund’, Which? says.
Passengers can also request flight delay compensation, according to the watchdog, ‘if the delay is not due to extraordinary circumstances’. These include bad weather, strikes unrelated to the airline, such as with baggage handlers, acts of terrorism or sabotage, drone disruption and long security queues.
Claims are valid for up to six years after the flight if it flew in or out of the UK, it adds.
COMPENSATION
Passengers of delayed flights are protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation if their flight departs from the UK or Europe or is operated by a UK or European airline, Which? says.
‘If you’re travelling with a non-EU based airline flying from a non-EU destination, the airline doesn’t have the same duty to look after you,’ it adds.
‘But you can check the airline’s ‘conditions of carriage’ to see what compensation you are entitled to.’
HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION
‘If your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late, each affected passenger is entitled to claim flight delay compensation,’ Which? says.
The total value of compensation depends on the length and distance of the delayed flight as well as the reason for the delay, it adds.
Passengers can make a claim under the EU Denied Boarding Regulation if they meet the criteria, listed in a table by Which?, below.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU ENTITLED TO?
Short-haul – Passengers flying up to 932 miles (1,500km) who are delayed for more than three hours are entitled to £220, according to Which?
Heathrow staff within the airport in West London today after it was shut due to the nearby fire
Medium-haul within the EU – Passengers flying more than 932 miles (1,500km) within the EU who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to £350 compensation, the watchdog says.
Medium-haul outside the EU – Passengers flying between 932 miles (1,500km) and 2,175 miles (3,500km) who are delayed more than three hours are entitled to £350 compensation, Which? explains.
Long-haul – Passengers flying more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) are entitled to £260 in compensation if they are delayed between three and four hours, or £520 if they are delayed longer than this, according to the site.
CONNECTING FLIGHTS
‘Passengers flying with a non-EU airline are entitled to compensation if a flight departing from the UK is delayed by at least three hours at the final destination,’ says Which?
The ‘final destination’ of a connecting flight refers to the last airport listed on the passenger’s ticket, it adds.
At least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be impacted by the major closure today
OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
As well as compensation, some passengers are entitled to claim ‘extra out-of-pocket expenses under the Montreal Convention’, Which? says.
Examples are if you miss a night of pre-booked accommodation, miss a concert you have bought tickets to, or a day of car rental you have paid for, it adds.
FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
COMPENSATION
Passengers travelling with a UK or EU-based airline, or flying from a UK or EU airport, should receive help from the company if their flight is cancelled, Which? says.
‘This is because your flight is protected by the Denied Boarding Regulation,’ it adds.
Depending on the circumstances, passengers could be entitled to ‘a refund or alternative flight, food, phone calls and accommodation, and flight cancellation compensation’, the watchdog further explains.
Heathrow staff within the airport in West London today after it was shut due to the nearby fire
HOW TO CLAIM COMPENSATION
Which? says passengers can claim compensation for cancelled flights unless it is affected by ‘extraordinary circumstances’, as explained earlier in this article.
But even if extraordinary circumstances apply, you are ‘still entitled to meals, refreshments, accommodation and hotel transfers depending on the length of your flight and delay’, the consumer watchdog adds.
HOW MUCH COMPENSATION ARE YOU ENTITLED TO?
Short-haul – Passengers travelling less than 932 miles (1,500km) whose new flight takes off more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than two hours after it are entitled to £110 in compensation, according to Which?.
If the passengers’ flight arrives more than two hours after the original flight, they are entitled to £220 in compensation, it adds.
Medium-haul – Passengers travelling 932 miles (1,500km) to 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than three hours after it are entitled to £175 in compensation, Which? says.
Police officers outside Heathrow Airport today after the hub was shut due to the nearby fire
If the passengers’ flight arrives more than three hours after their original flight, they are entitled to £350 in compensation, it adds.
Long-haul – Passengers travelling more than 2,175 miles (3,500km) whose new flight departs more than one hour before their original flight and arrives less than four hours after it are entitled to £260 in compensation, Which? says.
If the passengers’ flight arrives more than four hours after their original flight, they are entitled to £520 in compensation, it adds.
The figures above are for flights cancelled less than seven days before departure.
CONNECTING FLIGHTS
‘If a connecting flight during your journey is affected by a delay and you departed from the UK or an EU country, you can still claim compensation,’ Which? says.
‘For example, if you were flying from Manchester to Sydney, connecting in Singapore, but your Singapore to Sydney flight was delayed, you’d still be entitled.’
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said today: ‘This incident at Heathrow is set to cause major disruption for travellers, with reports suggesting the airport could be closed for the remainder of the day, and potentially longer.
‘Don’t attempt to travel to the airport, but instead keep in touch with your airline for their advice. If your flight is cancelled you won’t be entitled to compensation as these events will be considered an extraordinary circumstance, but you will be entitled to assistance from your airline, including overnight accommodation if needed.
Firefighters douse the remainder of a fire at a substation supplying power to Heathrow today
‘Passengers will have the choice of being rerouted or accepting a refund, and if you opt for the former, your airline is obliged to get you on a new flight as soon as possible, including with rival carriers from alternative airports. If you instead accept a refund, be aware that your airline will have no further duty of care to you and you’ll need to make your own arrangements.
‘It’s also worth checking the terms of your travel insurance to see if you are able to recoup any other expenses you may have incurred as a result of this incident, such as car hire or airport parking fees.’
HOW TO APPEAL A DECISION
Unresolved complaints about an airline can be escalated to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme and a list of approved providers are listed on the Civil Aviation Authority website, Which? says.
Airline passengers can also gain extra peace of mind at the airport by taking out travel insurance, says Quotezone.
CEO Greg Wilson said: ‘Depending on the type of policy, some travel insurance providers will offer cover for a delayed flight of over 24 hours, or if an alternative travel option hasn’t been offered.
‘Insurance policies for missed or delayed flight departure will pay for costs incurred from delayed flights or if travellers miss the trips because of a situation out of their control – such as getting into a serious accident and being taken to hospital.’
He adds: ‘In the case of an airline going bust before passengers are able to get home, taking out the right travel insurance before jetting off will help give travellers protection.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .