My Flight Is Delayed Or Cancelled Due To Bad Weather, When Can I Claim Compensation?

When Can You Claim Flight Compensation For Bad Weather?

You can claim flight compensation under EU261 for a delay or cancellation caused by bad weather if the weather was not considered ‘freak’ or ‘wholly exceptional’, or if the weather conditions did not force air traffic control to restrict the number of flights.

Under EU261, bad weather does not automatically prevent you from claiming compensation. The weather conditions generally need to be unusual or unexpected to be considered an extraordinary circumstance.

For example, heavy snowfall during summer in Egypt could be considered freak or wholly exceptional. In contrast, heavy snowfall during winter at a ski resort may be part of the usual weather conditions.

Airlines are expected to consider the weather conditions they are likely to encounter when deciding where and when their aircraft operate.

It’s also important to consider whether the bad weather directly affected your flight. If your delay or cancellation was caused by the knock-on effects of bad weather affecting an earlier flight, you may still be able to claim compensation. You may also be able to claim compensation if bad weather causes your flight to be diverted or you miss a connecting flight.

Flight delays and cancellations caused by bad weather can sometimes be difficult and time-consuming to prove. The simplest way to find out whether you can claim is to enter your flight number and the date you flew into our flight compensation calculator.

We’ll instantly check your flight and let you know whether you may be eligible to claim and how much compensation you could receive.

Can I Claim Compensation If My Flight Is Delayed Due To Bad Weather?

You can claim compensation if your flight is delayed due to bad weather, provided the weather conditions were not considered an extraordinary circumstance and you arrived at your final destination at least three hours late.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Flight Delays Caused By Bad Weather?

You can claim up to £520 per passenger if your flight is delayed due to bad weather and you are entitled to compensation.

The level of compensation increases the longer you are delayed and the further the distance of your flight.

Compensation amounts are fixed and unrelated to your ticket cost, the fare class you booked, or whether you used air miles.

Our table below shows how much flight delay compensation you could claim if you have been delayed due to bad weather.

When Can You Claim Compensation For A Cancelled Flight Due To Weather?

You may be entitled to claim compensation if your flight has been cancelled because of bad weather, as long as the conditions were not considered ‘freak’ or ‘wholly exceptional’.

However, you may not be entitled to compensation if air traffic control limits the number of flights because of the weather. Decisions made by air traffic control are outside the airline’s control, so the airline would not be responsible for paying compensation.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Flight Cancellations Caused By Bad Weather?

The amount of compensation you can claim if your flight is cancelled because of bad weather will depend on the distance of your flight and, if you accept a replacement flight, the departure and arrival times of that flight.

Depending on these circumstances, you could be entitled to between £110 and £520 per passenger.

These are fixed compensation amounts and are separate from your right to a refund or replacement flight following a cancellation.

Can I Get A Refund If My Flight Is Cancelled Due To Weather?

Yes. If your flight is cancelled because of bad weather, you can choose to receive a full refund for your flight or ask the airline to arrange a replacement flight to your destination.

Your right to a refund applies regardless of whether the bad weather is considered an extraordinary circumstance and whether you are entitled to compensation.

If you choose a refund, the airline is no longer responsible for arranging a replacement flight for you.

EU Regulation 261 states that the airline must provide a full refund for the price of your ticket within seven days if you choose a refund following the cancellation of your flight.

Can I Claim Compensation If My Flight Is Diverted Due To Bad Weather?

You may be able to claim compensation if your flight is diverted because of bad weather and you arrive at your final destination at least three hours late.

As with a flight delay or cancellation, whether compensation is payable will depend on the weather conditions that caused the diversion and whether they were considered an extraordinary circumstance.

You may be able to claim up to £520 per passenger, depending on how long you were delayed and the distance of your flight.

If your flight lands at a different airport, your delay is based on the time you eventually arrive at the destination airport you originally booked.

Is Bad Weather An Extraordinary Circumstance Under EU261?

Bad weather is not always considered an extraordinary circumstance under EU261.

Weather may only be considered an extraordinary circumstance when:

• The flight in question is directly affected by ‘freak’ or ‘wholly exceptional’ weather
• Air traffic control reduces the number of flights because of bad weather. For example, if ATC decides that only 20 aircraft an hour can land instead of the usual 45, this may be considered an extraordinary circumstance
• Air traffic control delays a flight because of bad weather, causing knock-on delays to flights later in the day
• An airport is closed because of bad weather.

Does The Bad Weather Have To Affect My Flight Directly For Me To Claim?

No. Bad weather does not have to directly affect your flight for you to claim compensation.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled because of the knock-on effects of bad weather affecting an earlier flight, you may still be able to claim.

For example, you may be booked to fly from Manchester to Paris, but the aircraft operating your flight was previously flying from Stockholm, where it was delayed by bad weather.

If your Manchester to Paris flight is then delayed or cancelled because the aircraft arrived late from Stockholm, you may be able to claim compensation because the bad weather did not directly affect your flight.

What Weather Conditions Can I Claim Flight Compensation For?

You may be able to claim compensation for delays and cancellations caused by various types of bad weather, depending on how unusual the conditions were and how they affected your flight.

Common meteorological conditions that can disrupt flights include fog and reduced visibility, snow and ice, high winds, storms and heavy rain, volcanic ash clouds, sandstorms and extreme heat.

Below, we explain how each of these weather conditions can affect your right to compensation.

Can You Claim Compensation For Flight Delays Or Cancellations Caused By Fog And Reduced Visibility?

You are unlikely to be entitled to compensation if severe fog or reduced visibility directly affects your flight and causes air traffic control to restrict flights or the airport to close.

Fog is not uncommon, particularly in the UK at certain times of the year. However, when it becomes so severe that air traffic control has to limit the number of flights taking off and landing, or the airport has to close, this may be considered an extraordinary circumstance.

Can You Claim Compensation For Cancelled Or Delayed Flights Caused By Snow And Ice?

You may not be entitled to compensation if heavy, unexpected snow or ice directly affects your flight, particularly if air traffic control restricts the number of flights taking off and landing.

However, snow and ice may also require aircraft to be de-iced before they can safely take off. If your flight was delayed or cancelled because the airline did not have enough de-icing equipment available to ensure the usual safe operation of its aircraft, you may be able to claim compensation, although these claims can sometimes be difficult to prove.

Can You Claim Compensation For Flight Delays Or Cancellations Caused By High Winds, Storms Or Heavy Rain?

High winds, storms and heavy rain do not automatically mean you are unable to claim compensation. These types of weather are not uncommon in the UK and would not usually be considered extraordinary simply because they cause disruption.

However, if winds are so strong that aircraft cannot safely take off or land, air traffic control may restrict the number of flights. If these restrictions cause your delay or cancellation, you would not normally be entitled to compensation because the decision made by air traffic control is outside the airline’s control.

Similarly, if exceptionally heavy rain or severe storms cause flooding at the airport and restrict the use of the runway, you would not normally be entitled to compensation because the disruption is outside the airline’s control.

What Other Weather Conditions May Affect My Right To Claim?

Other less common weather and meteorological conditions can also cause flight delays and cancellations. These include volcanic ash clouds, sandstorms and extreme heat.

These types of events can make it unsafe for aircraft to fly, cause airports or airspace to close, or lead to restrictions being imposed by air traffic control.

If your flight is directly affected by conditions such as these, you would not normally be entitled to claim compensation because the disruption is likely to be considered an extraordinary circumstance outside the airline’s control.

Can I Claim Compensation If Air Traffic Control Restricts Flights Because Of Bad Weather?

You would not normally be entitled to compensation if air traffic control limits the number of flights because of bad weather and these restrictions directly affect your flight.

During severe weather, air traffic control may introduce restrictions to reduce the number of flights operating, especially during storms or high winds.

Poor weather can mean pilots need more time and space between aircraft when approaching and landing, while air traffic controllers may also need more time to manage each flight safely.

These decisions are outside the airline’s control and are generally considered an extraordinary circumstance.

What Happens When Flights Are Delayed Or Cancelled Due To Bad Weather?

When bad weather affects an airport or the surrounding airspace, flights may be delayed, cancelled or diverted to another airport. Air traffic control may also restrict the number of flights operating until conditions improve.

Bad weather can also cause disruption to flights later in the day. Aircraft and crew often operate several flights each day, so a delay caused by bad weather at one airport can have a knock-on effect on subsequent flights elsewhere.

If your flight is affected, your airline should keep you informed and provide care and assistance when required. If your flight is cancelled, you will also have the choice of a refund or a replacement flight.

What Are My Rights If My Flight Is Cancelled Due To Bad Weather?

If your flight is cancelled because of bad weather, you have the right to choose between a refund for your cancelled flight or a replacement flight to your destination.

If you choose a replacement flight and have to wait before you can travel, the airline must also provide care and assistance when required. This can include food and refreshments, accommodation if you need to stay overnight and transport between the airport and your hotel.

These rights apply to all cancelled flights, regardless of the reason for the cancellation or whether you are entitled to compensation.

Am I Entitled To Care And Assistance At The Airport If My Flight Is Delayed Or Cancelled Because Of Bad Weather?

Yes. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, your airline has a duty to provide care and assistance when required, regardless of the cause or whether you are entitled to compensation.

Your right to care and assistance can start after two hours, depending on the distance of your journey and how long you have been delayed.

As part of the airlines responsibilities under section 9 of Eu261, the airline should provide:

• Reasonable food and refreshments while you wait for your flight
• Two telephone calls, emails or other forms of communication
• Hotel accommodation if your delay means you need to stay overnight
• Transport between the airport and your hotel when overnight accommodation is required

If the airline does not provide the care and assistance you are entitled to, you may need to pay for food, accommodation or transport yourself. Keep all receipts, as you can ask the airline to reimburse you for reasonable expenses.

What Happens If I Miss A Connecting Flight Due To Bad Weather?

If bad weather delays your flight and causes you to miss a connecting flight, the airline is required to arrange an alternative flight to get you to your final destination.

The airline is only required to do this when your connecting flights are part of the same booking.

Landmark Cases Relating To Bad Weather Bott And Co Has Won

Bott and Co has successfully represented passengers in several important flight compensation cases involving bad weather.

These cases have helped establish when weather can be considered an extraordinary circumstance and when passengers may be entitled to compensation.

Jager v easyJet

Jager v easyJet established that bad weather affecting an earlier flight does not necessarily prevent passengers on a later flight from claiming compensation.

Ms Jager was due to fly from Heathrow to Nice. However, the aircraft operating her flight had been delayed on its previous journey from Italy to Heathrow. As a result, Ms Jager arrived in Nice three hours and 12 minutes late.

EasyJet argued that bad weather at Milan Linate Airport caused the delay, which prevented the aircraft from arriving at Heathrow on time.

Bott and Co successfully proved that Ms Jager was entitled to compensation because the bad weather had not affected the ‘flight in question’.

Evans v Monarch

Evans v Monarch is an important ruling because it established that bad weather which is inherent in the normal running of an airline cannot be classed as an extraordinary circumstance.

The case involved an aircraft being struck by lightning. Bott and Co argued: “Aircraft fly through the skies. On occasion, they are struck by lightning. They are designed to withstand such lightning strikes, continue flying, reach their destination and then be investigated and repaired according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This is not extraordinary.”

Her Honour Judge Melissa Clarke agreed and ruled in favour of Bott and Co’s clients, Michael Evans and Julie Lee, awarding them €600 each for the delay.

Huzar v Jet2

Although Huzar v Jet2 primarily concerned technical problems, the case also provided an important ruling on bad weather and extraordinary circumstances.

The Supreme Court upheld that for bad weather to be classed as an extraordinary circumstance, it must be ‘freak’ or ‘wholly exceptional’.

As a Supreme Court ruling, this is binding on all other courts in England and Wales.