Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert team is calling on travellers who have flown with TUI, Ryanair, and other airlines to check if they are eligible for payouts worth hundreds of pounds. One quick check could see you receive around £350.
A new social media post from MSE reads: “Over two-thirds of MoneySavers told us they were delayed on their last flight, the majority for more than three hours. If you were as well, here’s how you can claim up to £520 (per passenger!) in compensation…”
Further MSE guidance explains that UK or EU-regulated flights, which cover departures from UK/EU airports or arrivals of UK/EU airlines, have specific entitlements when it comes to delays. Under these rules, passengers may be entitled to payouts if they arrived at least three hours late, the flight was due to fly in the the last six years (or five in Scotland), and the delay was the airline’s fault.
Payouts are are fixed at £220 per person for distances up to 1,500km, and £350 for per person for flights between 1,500-3,500km, for delays of three hours or more.
If your destination was more than 3,500km away, it’s £260 per person for a delay of 3-4 hours, jumping up to £520 per person if you were delayed by more than four hours. The most popular routes for UK travellers on Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 tend to fall in the 1,500-3,500km range, so the £350 per person mark.
MSE guidance adds: “Crucially, it’s about when you arrive, not when you leave. You’ll start being eligible for compensation if your flight arrives three hours (or more) later than scheduled. So if you’re on a flight that takes off four hours late but lands two hours 55 minutes late, you won’t be eligible.”