Flight delays: airline passengers waiting up to 5 years for compensation

UK travellers are being forced to wait months and even years to get a refund for cancelled or delayed flight as the industry warns that the problems at airports will not be fixed in time for the summer. Sue Davies, head of consumer protection at Which?, told the business, energy and industrial strategy committee that some UK airlines are taking a very long time to pay compensation claims. “It can be a very lengthy and complicated process for people that can take months or even years. I think the worst example we have is the Ryanair one, which it will take about five years for people to get the compensation they’re entitled to,” she said. “People know very little about their rights. Airlines are required to tell them what their right are but they don’t always do that explicitly or obviously.” Travellers are entitled to compensation if their flight arrives three or more hours late. However, they are unlikely to receive any remuneration if the delay is not due to the airline. For example, bad weather or security issues. The amount of compensation customers receive changes depending on the length of delay and the journey distance.<br/>