Whilst many were enjoying the sunshine over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, air and rail passengers faced severe delays. Hoping to make the most of the recently relaxed travel restrictions, many Brits were left facing long queues, delays and cancellations due to staff shortages and technical issues. Those travelling by road also experienced hold ups as more than 4 million people were predicted, by the RAC, to travel by car on Easter Monday.
People returning to England from France were amongst the worst affected. Technical issues at the Gare du Nord station, Paris, border control meant people were unable to check in. Passengers reported standing in queues of hundreds of people for several hours before they were able to board their train. The Eurostar from Calais also experienced long traffic queues.
Diversions and cancellation caused havoc for air passengers as sickness amongst air traffic control staff meant those due to land at London’s Gatwick instead touched down in Doncaster and the East Midlands, Gatwick Airport has since reported that flights are now operating as normal. British Airways and Easyjet also cancelled several flights to Europe as well as regional journeys from Scotland to London.
Those who experienced cancellations should contact their airline directly as they will be entitled to either a refund of any unused tickets or be given the option to rebook flights as soon as possible. Similarly, those who endured delays and were travelling by air or rail will need to get in touch with their travel company as compensation may be available, depending on the length of delay. Terms, conditions and eligibility will differ between companies.
Missed flights or trains due to travel delays may be able to be claimed back from your travel insurance provider, however cover will differ between policies. Many travel insurers will not cover missed flights/trains due to traffic delays or queues at check-in, so it is important to look out for ‘reasons outside of your control’ when looking to submit a claim.
If you have any travel insurance related questions, please send us an email: hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and a member of our team will be in touch to help.