Heathrow closure: What are my rights?

Heathrow Airport was forced to close on Friday due to a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation. Currently, some flights have resumed operations. The incident highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the importance of backup systems.

The UK's busiest airport has warned of significant flight delays in the coming days. At least 1,300 incoming and outgoing flights have been canceled. If your travel plans are affected, what are your rights? Are you entitled to a refund? Passengers are urged to check their flight status and contact their airline for the latest updates.

If your flight is canceled, do not travel to the airport. Contact your airline, who will advise you about a refund or booking an alternative flight. Under UK law, if your flight is protected, your airline must allow you to choose between a refund or rebooking on an alternative flight. You can get a refund for the unused portion of your ticket. For example, if you booked a return ticket, but your outbound flight is canceled, you can get a full refund for the entire return ticket. If you accept a refund, your airline has no further obligations. If you need to make any other arrangements, you will need to handle them yourself.

If you still wish to travel, your airline is obligated to arrange a new flight for you as soon as possible, including using a competitor airline and departing from other airports. But keep in mind that other airports will also be very busy due to the large number of canceled flights. If there are other suitable modes of transport, such as a train for a domestic journey, then you are entitled to book alternative transportation. If your flight is with a non-UK airline flying into Heathrow, then you should check the terms and conditions of your booking.

If you are stranded abroad or at the airport, your airline is obligated to provide you with further assistance, including: free accommodation if you have to stay overnight to fly the next day; transportation to and from the accommodation; a reasonable amount of food and drink (usually in the form of vouchers); and a way for you to communicate (usually by reimbursing phone calls). If your airline is unable to arrange assistance, you are entitled to arrange it yourself and claim the expenses later. The UK Civil Aviation Authority advises people to keep receipts and not to overspend.

In this situation, you will not be entitled to additional compensation from your airline, as the situation will be considered an "extraordinary circumstance" beyond the airline's control. This highlights the limitations of passenger rights in unforeseen events such as infrastructure failures.

If your travel insurance policy includes trip interruption, you should be able to claim compensation if you have to cancel your travel plans. The Association of British Insurers advises you to check your policy details and consult your insurance company if you are unsure what is included. You may be able to recover other costs, such as car rental fees or airport parking fees. Any bookings made via credit card may also have recoverable fees.

If you booked a travel package through an ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) member company, and your flight is canceled, you are entitled to a suitable alternative flight or a full refund. This protection offers peace of mind to travelers who book their trips through reputable travel agencies.

If my flight is diverted to a country where I do not have a visa, do I need to obtain a visa? In this situation, your airline will usually try to keep passengers on the plane, or, if that is not possible, set up a waiting area inside the airport terminal that does not require you to enter the country. If the delay is long enough that passengers cannot be kept in the terminal before immigration, they are usually bused to a nearby hotel. According to consumer group Which?, they are not usually asked to pay for any visas issued, such as port-of-entry or landing visas. However, you should take extra care if your flight cancellation means you end up overstaying the validity of an existing visa somewhere. Which? warns that, especially in places like the US and China, you should contact local immigration officials and ask for an emergency extension.

My flight is booked in the next few days. What should I do? Heathrow Airport says it hopes to be fully operational on Saturday but has warned customers to expect "significant delays in the coming days." Contact your airline for more information. Delays may affect other airports as flights are being diverted. In December 2010, heavy snow caused Heathrow's runways to close for a day, leading to the cancellation of more than 4,000 flights over five days.

What happens if my flight is delayed when I am able to travel? If your flight is delayed for more than the following amount of time, you are entitled to the same assistance at the airport as for a canceled flight: two hours or more for short-haul flights; three hours or more for medium-haul flights; four hours or more for long-haul flights. If you are delayed by more than five hours and no longer wish to travel, you can get a full refund.