+1-347-695-1687You have plans for vacation and are all excited about the journey but get the bad news of flight cancellation due to bad weather. I know this is not an ideal situation to be in. But we all know nothing can control the weather. Your excitement has gone, and now you are wondering about the money you spent on the booking. Well, let's read the article to find out.
Let's explore what you can do if your flight is canceled by the airline.
When you cancel your flight within the time as per airline policy, you don't have to pay a fee, but when you don't follow the policy of your airline and cancel your flight, you may have to pay a charge. What if a flight is canceled by the airline due to some unavoidable conditions, like bad weather.
The airlines never want their flights to be canceled. Cancellation is something airlines do not like. Whether by the passengers or the airline itself, cancellation is a loss for the airline.
What happens if a flight is canceled?
Natural calamities happen, and we cannot control them. But if your flight is canceled due to bad weather. You are eligible for a refund, or the airline can offer you a different route. But if you don't like to take a different route and ask for a refund, the airline can not deny it. You are 100% eligible for a refund.
What rights in case of flight cancellation?
Airlines may have particular internal policies to make their travelers fly trouble-free, and as per Federal Law, if your flight has been canceled or delayed, you are eligible for a full refund for the full cost of your air ticket (regardless of the reason).
Are flights canceled due to storm?
Flights may get canceled due to many reasons. Let's go through some major causes here.
1. Bad Weather
Bad weather is the most common factor that leads to flight cancellation.
Weather conditions like thunderstorms, heavy rain, snowstorms, and fog can impact the safety of the passengers. Hence airlines decide to avoid flying in these conditions and cancel the flight.
2. Security
The safety of passengers is the top priority of airlines. That's why airlines have proper security checkpoints. But if the airline is sure of some uncertainty, it will cancel the flight and refund your money.
3. Tight schedule
When the flights are not manageable due to tight schedules, airlines will prefer to cancel the flight to avoid any chaos.
4. Lack of airplane
Rarely happens, but the airlines have to cancel the flight due to a lack of aircraft.
5. Lack of passengers
Due to some reason, it may happen that passengers don't show up to take the flight, and the number of absent passengers is huge, so the airline can decide to cancel the flight.
6. Mechanical issues
If an aircraft is found unfit to fly due to some mechanical issues, the airline will cancel the flight for the safety of the passengers.
7. Lack of pilots/staff
If an airline finds there is a lack of staff and it is not possible to manage a particular flight. The airline can cancel it.
In what weather are flights canceled?
You can decide to book the flight to travel to any location you want, whenever you want, whether it's some country with snow mountains or a country popular for thunderstorms. But airlines have to be extremely cautious to make flight travel safe. All the aircraft are not able to fly in all conditions. And that's why the flights are canceled.
In these weather conditions, an aircraft cannot fly.
- Thunderstorms: The airline cannot fly during thunderstorms as it impacts the safety of the passengers.
- Heavy rains: Some locations are famous for heavy rains, and planes cannot fly to these locations when it is heavy rain, as it may be a disaster for the airline and the passengers as well.
- Snowstorms: No carrier flights can fly in snowstorms. Hence the flights are canceled if there is any sign or news of a snowstorm.
- Fog: Fog can be the most critical situation to fly. It may cause accidents and significant loss to passengers and the airline.
When are you entitled to flight compensation?
When you book a flight, you expect to fly for pleasure or business. You don't look for compensation. However, you are entitled to compensation when the flight was canceled due to bad weather or delayed because of some mechanical issues. You are entitled to get your money back regardless of flight cancellation reasons.
When does an airline not have to pay compensation?
Suppose your flight is canceled by the airline due to reasons such as bad weather, lack of staff, mechanical issues or lack of planes. You are entitled to a refund. But you are not eligible for any compensation in the below-mentioned scenarios.
- Time: You cannot claim compensation if you missed the flight by not reaching the airport on time.
- Documents: There is no compensation in case you fail to produce the necessary documents.
- Airport strike: If your flight is delayed due to a strike by the airport staff, no compensation will be processed.
- Flight missed: You missed the flight however were present at the airport, but you didn't board the plane.
- Seat: If you give up your seat voluntarily, you will not get compensation from the airline.
If the passenger or someone from the crew needs urgent medical attention, the plane may land before its destination to save a life. In this situation, the passengers cannot claim compensation.
How do I apply for flight cancellation compensation?
Passengers must speak with the customer care team or visit the website of your airline to get the flight cancellation compensation. Different airlines may have different policies in place to process compensation.
Below are some basic tips for applying for flight cancellation compensation.
- Produce your boarding pass and add other relevant travel documents.
- You can ask for the reason for the cancellation.
- Keep a note of the arrival time at the airport.
- Airline to pay for your meals and refreshments.
- Request for a refund.