Travel Disruption Advice for Luton Airport delays and cancellations

If you need to call Luton Airport for more information on delays, their key contact number is 01582 405100. Or for flight information, please use: 0906 211 500 00 (calls charged at 25p/minute)

Take a look at our free claims calculator or "flight delay tool" to see if you're entitled to compensation because of flight delays or disruptions at Luton Airport. Depending on the circumstances, you could be entitled to up to €600!

Remember if you've taken out separate travel insurance, check with your provider to see if you're flight is covered. For a full Q&A and advice, see What to Do when your flight is delayed and What Causes Luton Airport to Delay and Cancel flights.

Discovering a significant flight delay upon arriving at the airport can be incredibly frustrating. But don't fret – keep reading to find out if you're eligible for assistance, such as free calls, food, accommodation, or even compensation in cash.

In practical terms, if you're departing from or arriving in the UK, you're covered by the Denied Boarding Regulations, regardless of the airline. The criteria are as follows:

• Your departure is from the UK, regardless of the airline
• You're arriving in the UK with a UK or EU airline
• You're arriving in the EU and you were flying with a UK airline

However, if you're flying with a non-UK airline and landing in a non-EU country, you might not receive the same level of assistance. In this case, you'll need to refer to the airline’s Conditions of Carriage to understand their duty of care.

Can You Claim Compensation for Flight Delays?

Your eligibility for compensation depends on both the duration of your flight and the length of your delay. Your situation must fall under one of the following categories:

• A flight covering a distance of up to 1,500km with a delay of at least 2 hours
• A flight spanning between 1,500km and 3,500km with a delay of at least 3 hours
• A flight journey of over 3,500km with a delay of at least 4 hours

As long as you fit into one of the aforementioned categories, you are entitled to:

• Receive a "means of communication", typically covering phone call expenses
• Be provided with complimentary food and beverages
• Obtain free hotel accommodations and transportation between the hotel and the airport, if the delay extends to the following day

Delayed Flight: 5 Hours or More

You can opt out of your flight if it's delayed by 5 or more hours, regardless of fault. This applies whether it's the airline's responsibility or an external issue. If you choose not to fly, the airline must:

• Provide a full refund.
• Refund for connected or return flights if they were booked together.
• Even if you're en route back to the original departure airport.

Inform the airline as soon as you decide to skip the flight.

Financial compensation is due as follows:

• For flights up to 1,500km delayed by more than 3 hours – £220.
• For flights over 3,500km delayed by between 3 and 4 hours that are between UK/EU and non-UK/EU airport – £260.
• For flights between 1,500km and 3,500km delayed by more than 3 hours – £350.
• For flights over 1,500km that are within the UK/EU delayed by more than 3 hours – £350.
• For flights over 3,500km delayed by more than 4 hours that are between a UK/EU and non-UK/EU airport – £520

Flight Cancellations: Your Entitlement

In the event of a flight cancellation, the airline must offer you the choice of either a refund or an alternative route. You're also entitled to free meals and phone calls, which the airport is responsible for providing. However, compensation won't apply if:

• You were informed about the cancellation at least two weeks before your flight.
• You were informed one to two weeks before, AND the alternative flight gets you to your destination no more than 4 hours later and you board within 2 hours of the original time.
• The cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances.
• You were informed less than 8 days before departure, were rerouted leaving an hour before your original time, and reached your destination within 2 hours later.
• Your flight departed and landed outside both non-UK and EU airports, or you traveled from a non-UK or EU country using an airline from outside both regions.

Compensation for cancellations varies based on distance and timing. Below are compensation rates for cancellations occurring 7/14 days before departure. Note that "leaving earlier" means the rerouted flight departs slightly ahead, ensuring you reach your destination sooner. If this still results in a delay, you might qualify for compensation.

• Flights up to 0-1500km: £110 if departing over 2 hours early and arriving within 2 hours, or £220 if arriving 4 hours later or departing over 2 hours early and landing 2 hours later.
• Flights 1500 - 3500km: £170 if departing over 2 hours early and arriving up to 3 hours late, or £350 if arriving over 4 hours late, or departing over 2 hours early and arriving 3/4 hours late.
• Flights over 3500km: £260 if departing over 2 hours early and arriving within 4 hours, or £520 if arriving over 4 hours late.

All distances are measured to the final destination. You'll get the following compensation for flight cancellations if it was cancelled at least 7 days before departure.

• For flights up to 0-1500km miles you'll get £110 if it leaves more than 1 hour before and lands within 2 hours. But it will be £220 if it lands 2 hours later than the intended time.
• For all longer flights ranging from 1500 - 3500km you'll get £170 if the flight leaves more than 1 hour before and it lands up to 3 hours late. But it will be 350 if it lands more than 3 hours late.
• For flights that are more than 3500km+ you'll get £260 if it leaves more than 1 hour before and it lands within 4 hours. But it will be £520 if it lands more than 4 hours late.

Compensation, paid as cash, bank transfer, or cheque, may also come as travel vouchers, provided the passenger agrees.

Reaching your destination via alterative means

There are three options if you're trying to get around Europe without flying.

For example, if you're eager to get away, you could hire a car and drive to your destination. Some car hire providers will let you drive your hired vehicle across Europe and drop it off in your destination country. Bear in mind, companies can sometimes charge extra for letting you take the car across country borders and charge you for crossing back again.

Other choices are public transport links. Another mode of transport would be to take the ferry if you are trying to get to Europe or, if you're trying to get to France or Belgium, you could try and take the Eurostar. The Eurostar is a train which travels from London St Pancras train station to Paris and Brussels.

However, just because London Heathrow isn't flying, doesn't mean the rest of the UK isn't. So if you're going further afield than Europe, say you're flying to Bali or New York, local ferries and the Eurostar won't really help you. Therefore, if you are travelling internationally and you cannot get a flight with your airline from Heathrow airport you should try and get a flight from any airport within the UK.

Top tips when talking to the airline's customer services provider about your flight delay:

• Where possible, call them ahead of time or check their website or social media for updates. Check your booking confirmation to double-check which airline you are flying with and give them a call for the latest update or what the next steps are. It is best to check flight details with your airline as soon as possible; if your flight is cancelled you may be advised not to travel to the airport.
• Keep checking for up to date information about the airport by checking their Twitter or by calling your airline directly.
• If your airline cancels your flight the airline must give you the option of rebooking an alternative flight; either as soon as possible, or at a later date. If no flight is suitable you can request a refund.
• If the flight is cancelled due to reasons out of the airline's control they will not pay for cancellation of your accommodation or cancellation of any other arrangements. However, if you have taken out a comprehensive travel insurance policy when you booked your holiday, any Heathrow delays should be covered and you should be able to claim back most of the expenses incurred from cancelling the holiday from your travel insurance provider. Please check with your insurers to see if they can help.
• Try to stay calm - you're in safe hands, the airlines know what they are doing and if your flight has been delayed or cancelled it is for your own safety! There's nothing to be achieved by getting angry at any airline representative. As they say, don't shoot the messenger.

Apps for claiming flight compensation

What to do when delayed?

Avoid The Stress

When adverse weather conditions affect your trip, one of the things you can do to make your journey easier is to try to keep the whole experience as stress-free as possible. We have a few tips on how to minimise stress when travelling:

Questions and Answers about Delays

What if I'm flying with young children and my flight has been cancelled or delayed?

Through a child's eyes, an airport can look like one big playground. As long as there is supervision letting the kids ride the escalators up and down and play with the trolleys may get rid of the pent up energy they may have accumulated from all the waiting around.

Find out what Luton Airport's children facilities are, and how to entertain the kids while waiting for Luton Airport delays information.

What do I do about work if my flight is delayed?

Contact your employer if you're abroad and can't get back to work on time. Your workplace isn't required to pay you if you're not at work due to flight delays but each employer is different to it's worth giving them a call and discussing your options.

Getting To The Airport

I need to get to the airport but there are major transport disruptions.

The effects caused by severe weather conditions is not only likely to impact airport flight schedules but can also cause delays and disruptions throughout the major transport networks across the UK. Striking action can also lead to disruptions which although usually localised to certain organisation and locations can still affect your journey.

Unfortunately, this can and does lead to many passengers having a very stressful time getting to Luton airport, with some failing to make their flight altogether. The key to avoiding these problems however lays simply in planning your journey effectively.

In such circumstances where no one is really at fault, you should check your flight's status and speak to your airline as it's more than likely to be affected if the weather conditions are that bad or alternatively look to your travel insurance for compensation.

What causes flight delays?

Why is my flight delayed?

Check out the Flight Delay Tool above, to help figure out why your Luton flight is delayed and whether you could be entitled to compensation.

To find out what the weather's like in London today and what the Luton Airport weather warnings are, we recommend finding your flight details with our online Flight Departures Board. Often Luton will provide warnings if your destination airport is closed or disrupted in any way. If you're flying to Bali where there's a volcanic ash cloud, your flights will be cancelled or if you're flying to Florida where there's a hurricane, you're likely to need to rethink your trip.

Alternatively, weather warnings will be in relation to the UK, such as Storm Doris in February 2017. Our online departures board will give you the most accurate times for your flights and any Heathrow disruptions today.

As for why your specific flight is delayed, stay up to date on your airlines' social media, website or local news for the latest Luton Airport delays information.

Likely causes for Luton Airport delays and cancellations are weather disruptions, technical issues or strike action; but really Luton disruption could come down to a whole array of causes, both in the UK and at your destination. See how different weather type affects flying below - from snow to rain, wind and fog. If you're receiving news that your flight is delayed for other reasons, it's possible there are strikes, a technical error or in exceptional circumstances, the airline may no longer be flying.

In severely cold temperatures, planes must take off as soon as they are de-iced to prevent ice from building up again. De-icing just before flying, therefore, means that none can be done in advance at the start of the day. It's all about timing here rather than efficiency. The runways and roads must also be snow and ice-free which the airport usually clears. If the airport is inflicted with heavy snow then the airport may have to be closed while the airport is cleared of all snow. Planes cannot take off when there is any snow on the ground.

Larger airports like Luton and Gatwick are more impacted by severe weather than smaller airports as they have so many flights that a delay of a few hours causes a huge backlog of flights. It's important to stay up to date with any changes in your flight delay, so for all the latest Luton Airport delays information, we recommend checking social media as the quickest and latest feed.

But don't just take our word for it. Follow us and look up the airline you're flying with to be sure. Whether that's Ryanair, Easyjet, all major airlines have Twitter handles so you can keep up to date on your phone for flight delays today.