By Travel blogger, Flight and Travel expert Mr Plane Guy
The budget airline WizzAir has cited "macro-economic pressures" as the reason behind its reduced schedule.
During the pandemic, so many airline industry staff were unfortunately made redundant when businesses scalled back to control losses never seen before and to simply survive!
Fast forward to summer 2022 post pandemic a huge surge in demandhas taken the industry by surprise! With tourists eager to travel once again after so much lockdown and restrictions, but some of the airlines and airports resources just hasn't been at the levels that can meet this demand.
Passengers board Wizz Air flight twice only to have it cancelled
Customers sent back to terminal with a £4 lunch voucher while engineers ‘turn the plane off and on again,’ says passenger
It takes time to forecast and get the right numbers of teams, to recruit and onboard them, and then train them. Not to mention the safety processes required for working in an airport environment, suchas five years of background checks, DBS checks etc, this in itself can take months and lots of admin staff.
Also why would people want to work in this industry? An industry that’s been so volatile over the last couple of years. The industry can’t afford to increase salaries after several years of huge losses! So that now has created the perfect storm airlines like EasyJet have now found themselves in!
Here are my top tips if you do encounter travel delays and cancellations
Have a back up plan,
Find out what's going on?! Knowledge is power! Check Twitter, check flight radar (track the flights) check the airlines and airports facebook pages.
Gather evidence, take screenshots, you need timings, photos of flight boards etc
Keep receipts, if you are out of pocket you can usually claim expenses onto of any compensation.
Take extra provisions, medication, nappies, food, snacks, have an emergency budget!
Know your rights!!
What are my rights?
Did you know you can claim up to £520 in the UK per person for delayed or cancelled flights?
So In the UK you are entitled to compensation on delayed or cancelled flights that have;
Departed the UK
Arrived in the UK with an EU or UK carrier
Arrived in the EU with a UK carrier
Since the end of the Brexit transition period, the rules haven't changed, as EU law has been written into UK law.
You're entitled to get compensation if the flight arrives more than 3 hours late and it's the airline's fault - for example, if they didn’t have enough staff!
You're legally entitled to get compensation if the cancellation is the airline's responsibility and both the following apply: the replacement flight delays your arrival by 2 or more hours. Or your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure.
So what next?.......
You need to file a complaint under section EC 261 rules with your airline. Claim by yourself, however....things to consider when taking on the greedy airlines,
It's Stressful You have to complete the whole process by yourself, including negotiations with the airline. Lots of paperwork Knowing what forms are required and where to send them, can get complicated.
Time consuming It can take months of back and forth, and hours on hold to airline call centres, to get compensation. Risky If your claim goes to court, you’ll have to shoulder legal fees yourself, whether you win or lose. Unresponsive airlines You might be left in the dark by the airline, with little to no updates on the status of your claim.
Or alternatively, get a professional company to do it for you!
I've teamed up with AirHelp who are first class experts in this field!
With Airhelp its easy and hassle-free
They handle your entire claim, from kick off to compensation.
They take care of it
Guiding you through the essential documents, and they submit them for you.
Can Save you time
You simply submit your documents online — They will take it from there.
No win, no fee
They handle all legal fees, and they will only charge a fee when you get paid.
Regular updates You receive regular updates and answers to any questions you have Click here to check how much you could be entitled too Wizz Air flight delays and cancellations!
By Travel blogger, Flight and Travel expert Mr Plane Guy
