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What if your flight is cancelled due to jet fuel shortages? - SKYNEWS
Europe is facing a crisis over low jet fuel stocks due to the war in Iran, raising serious doubts over summer holiday plans.
EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen has told Sky News it's "very likely that many people's holidays will be affected, either by flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets".
The International Energy Agency has warned that major supply issues could occur in the next five to six weeks and some airlines have already cancelled flights to reduce fuel demand.
It comes as most ships have been unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as war in the Middle East continues, meaning oil is not being distributed at the regular rate and prices are skyrocketing.
What are your rights if your flights are affected by the fuel shortages?
What if my flight is cancelled?
Your flight is covered by UK law if it was set to depart or arrive at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline, or arrive at an EU airport on a UK or EU airline.
You are not automatically covered if your airline is not an UK or EU carrier and was set to arrive in the UK from outside of Europe, so you will need to speak to your airline or check its website for more information about your rights.
If your flight is cancelled and you are covered, the airline must either give you a refund or book you on an alternative flight.
You can get your money back for all parts of a ticket you haven't used, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says.
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If you have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, for example, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.
"If you are a transfer passenger and you have already completed part of your journey, you are also entitled to a flight back to your original departure point when your connecting flight is cancelled and you decide not to continue your journey," it adds.
If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight - whether it is the next available one, or a flight at an alternative, later date.
If another airline is flying significantly sooner than yours is able to offer, you may have the right to be booked onto a rival airline's flight, but this has to be negotiated with the company.
Lisa Brady, travel consultant at Travel Counsellors, told Sky News passengers "should not panic" over potential flight cancellations, as the company they've booked through should keep them informed if something changes and offer them alternatives.
She advises travellers to double check that the travel company has their correct contact details.
I haven't booked my holiday yet - should I wait?
If you are keen to get away this summer, Ms Brady suggests booking sooner rather than later.
"We are encouraging clients to book now to secure the best prices and ensure that any increase in fuel costs etc. are covered by the travel company," she says.
"Once your flight is confirmed and (e)tickets issued, the price quoted is the price you pay. If you wait, you may be subject to higher prices and if airlines consolidate schedules, then availability may also be far tighter."
She says there are ways to protect yourself, such as booking through an agency, so there is always a person you can speak to before, during and after your trip.
Booking a package holiday with a trusted provider also gives your trip a layer of added protection under Package and Linked Travel Arrangements regulations.
Ms Brady and other experts recommend this because if one element of your trip falls through, you're entitled to a full refund for all elements of your holiday.
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This means you may be able to get reimbursed if you can't get to your hotel or you miss an event included in your package. If you book these elements separately, they aren't all necessarily protected.
They also suggest taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as your trip is booked.
While Ms Brady points out very few travel insurance companies offer cover for an "act of war" specifically, if your flight is affected by fuel shortages and it has a knock-on effect on the rest of your trip, the right insurance will help mitigate.
Experts also advise paying for your holiday on a credit card, as this gives you Section 75 protection under the Consumer Credit Act, providing legal protection for purchases costing between £100 and £30,000.
What if I'm stranded?
When it comes to significant disruptions, UK law says airlines must provide you with care and assistance.
Significant delays are classed as:
• More than two hours for short-haul flights of under 1,500km (932 miles)
• More than three hours for medium-haul flights of 1,500km-3,500km (932 to 2,175 miles)
• More than four hours for long-haul flights of over 3,500km
Here's what the law says the airline must provide you with until it can fly you to your destination:
• A reasonable amount of food and drink
• A means for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
• Accommodation, if you are re-routed the next day
• Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)
It says this must be provided for you for however long delays last, irrespective of what has caused them.
Airlines may not always be able to arrange care and assistance for all passengers during major disruptions directly, but the CAA says you can organise the things listed for yourself and then claim the cost back from your airline later if you keep every receipt and do not spend more than is deemed reasonable.
Will flights definitely be impacted by fuel shortages?
The impact has already been felt for some passengers, particularly when it comes to prices. Some airlines are increasing ticket costs on long-haul flights to cover the increased price of fuel.
And one of the biggest airline groups in Europe, the Lufthansa Group, has announced the cancellation of 20,000 flights in the coming months over the crisis.
Mr Jorgensen explained: "[Currently] it is primarily a crisis of prices and not yet a crisis of supply, but unfortunately we cannot be sure to prevent a crisis of supply, especially on jet fuel in the future, if the crisis continues."
The strait remains shut to shipping as the US and Israel's war in Iran continues, with no clear end in sight.
Even if the strait reopens soon, Mr Jorgensen says future travellers will likely be impacted, at least financially, for some time.
"If we had peace tomorrow and the Strait of Hormuz opens, I think we will manage without that [a severe fuel shortage] happening, but I have to say that even in the best-case scenario the price crisis will still last for quite some time," Mr Jorgensen warned.
"Gas infrastructure has been ruined to a degree that will take years to rebuild and this means for months and maybe years yet we will see much higher prices than we had before this crisis started."
