Experts on what passengers with delayed or canceled flights need to know

Airports around the world have been hit by a major IT outage, causing widespread chaos.

Passengers across Europe and around the world are experiencing long check-in delays and late departures. Some airlines have stopped flights completely.

If you are traveling today, you should check your flight status before you leave home and allow plenty of time for check-in and security.

It is not yet clear whether passengers will be owed compensation or who will be liable for delays and cancellations.

Under European law, however, passengers are entitled to certain protections.

Here’s everything you need to know about claims and insurance.

Can I claim compensation for delays caused by IT at the airport?

Under European law, if a flight is delayed by more than three hours or is canceled entirely, the airline must offer the passenger another flight or reimburse them in full and sometimes compensation.

Compensation ranges from €250 for a short-haul flight to €600 for a long-haul flight.

However, there are exceptions to this rule such as weather conditions and security risks, as these are beyond the control of the airlines.

It remains to be seen who will be held responsible for today’s major problems, but it is likely that airlines will view the disruption as an “extraordinary circumstance” beyond their control.

“If it’s not the airline’s fault, compensation is unlikely,” Anita Mendiratta, author and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Tourism, told Euronews Travel.

European airlines and other airlines operating in the EU and the UK must also provide assistance in case of delays and cancellation, including food and accommodation when necessary. Although this is only if it’s their fault or a problem within their control.

Who to contact to claim compensation

Many airline websites were also affected by the outage, including their compensation claim pages. Therefore, it is best to consult a member of staff at the airport.

You’ll be able to contact airlines once their websites and apps are back up and running, though that could take a few days, according to some experts.

“Compensation may come from the airline depending on the location and ticketing conditions, but this is not the only route,” says Mendiratta.

“Credit cards used to purchase airline tickets may have compensation clauses built in to address disruptions. And of course there is travel insurance.

“Whatever the case, there are options and travelers should consider when and how they can be compensated. But that comes only after we address priority no. 1: for everyone to fly safely again.”

Will travel insurance cover disruption delays?

If you can’t claim compensation through the airline, you may have recourse yourself travel insurance.

This depends on your policy agreement, which may only cover delays or cancellations. Travel insurance often only covers delays of more than eight or 12 hours. It is best to contact the insurance company to ask for more details.

You may also be able to make claims for unused hotel bookings and other losses such as basic costs incurred during the delay.

Be sure to keep any documentation of your delay from the airline or airport to support your application, as well as your boarding pass and any receipts.