Berlin airport suspends flights due to winter weather: Your rights

Berlin airport is the latest to be hit by wintry weather, with take-offs suspended this morning (5 February) due to freezing rain.

Cancellations and delays are still ongoing and passengers have been advised to check their flight status before travelling.

Last month, the Netherlands saw over 700 flights cancelled at Amsterdam Schiphol airport due to snow and strong winds.

The European hub warned that more cancellations of mainly European flights were likely, due to “persistent winter weather and heavy winds”.

Winter weather disruption is stressful, especially as it can halt all flight services for days leaving passengers stranded.

But travellers are entitled to certain rights and travel insurance can help out. Here’s what you need to know about rebooking, refunds and compensation.

What are my rights if my flight was cancelled or delayed due to bad weather?

EU laws cover passengers whose flights are within the UK or EU and operated either by an EU or a non-EU airline.

It also covers passengers whose flights arrive in the UK or EU from outside the UK or EU and are operated by a UK or EU airline, and passengers whose flights depart from the UK or EU to a non-EU country operated by an EU or a non-EU airline.

In these cases, travellers are entitled to compensation as standard if their flight arrives at its final destination with a delay of three hours or more (from €250 to €600, depending on the distance).

If your flight is cancelled, you have the right to choose between reimbursement, re-routing or a return flight. You are also entitled to assistance at the airport from your airline, which means meals and accommodation if you are rebooked to travel the next day.

These rules apply during bad weather, apart from when the conditions are considered ‘extraordinary circumstances’.

Is bad weather considered an extraordinary circumstance?

When unforeseeable events occur, airlines are not obliged to provide financial compensation to passengers, but they still have a duty of care that covers assistance at the airport and rerouting or refunding.

“Flight delays or cancellations due to snow can be extremely frustrating, but airlines still have a duty of care to passengers, and must provide clear information about their rights to assistance or a refund,” explains Rory Boland, Editor of UK consumer watchdog Which? Travel.

“If you are flying with a UK or EU airline, or due to depart from a UK or EU airport with any carrier, you’ll be entitled to food and drink during delays of over two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul and four hours for long-haul. If you are stuck overnight, you are entitled to accommodation too.

“If your flight is cancelled, you also have the choice of being refunded or rerouted on the next available flight. If you choose the latter, then your airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible – including with a rival carrier, if necessary.”

To be an ‘extraordinary circumstance’, bad weather must be extreme and out of the ordinary. This might mean severe storms, volcanic ash clouds or hurricanes.

As Which? explains, “If a flight is grounded because of a freak snowstorm in the Canary Islands, this would be extraordinary. Light snow at an airport near the Alps in the middle of winter is not.”

It also isn’t an extraordinary circumstance if your flight is delayed because a previous flight was disrupted due to bad weather. Your flight must be directly affected by extreme weather for it to be an extraordinary circumstance.

Can I claim on travel insurance for bad weather disruption?

Depending on your policy, you may be entitled to financial compensation from your travel insurance.

“To be covered under the Travel Delay benefit, your delay typically has to be over three hours and be for a covered reason as outlined in your policy, such as a mechanical breakdown of a common carrier or inclement weather,” explains Lauren McCormick, public relations manager at travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

Missed connection coverage might also cover additional costs incurred if you missed a connection flight due to bad weather, such as meals or accommodation. Typically, this coverage only applies if you experience a three to 12-hour delay.

“If you are delayed, keep all documentation that can help with filing a claim, including receipts for meals and accommodations, proof from your airline of the delay and the reason, and an updated itinerary showing the length of the delay,” says McCormick.

Can I cancel my trip due to extreme weather conditions?

If your flight is delayed for over 12 hours, you may be covered to cancel your trip entirely.

Trip cancellation may also be triggered if a winter storm renders your hotel or accommodation uninhabitable, or a mandatory evacuation is ordered due to the winter storm.

However, it is important to note that coverage will only apply if the policy is purchased before the extreme weather event is named or becomes known, explains McCormick.

For hurricanes, the policy must be bought before the storm is named. For other disasters, the event must be unforeseen or not publicly announced before you buy your insurance.