Simon Calder, while appearing on GB News, said that passengers are entitled to claim refunds for costs built up while being stranded abroad despite the ban on cash compensation.
The travel expert explained on Breakfast with Eamonn and Isabel this morning how compensation will not be available to passengers as the error was “not the airline’s fault”. But that airlines have a strict duty of care to get holidaymakers a hotel room and pay for your meals – something which holidaymakers can claim for.
He said: Crucially, there's a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation around this morning. Eamon, on the subject of compensation and getting your money back, those are two different things.
“So I need to be absolutely clear that if your flight is cancelled, the airline has a strict obligation to deliver to you a duty of care, getting you back as soon as possible and getting you a hotel room and paying for your meals.
Simon Calder explained that passengers will not get compensation but can claim refunds
GB News
“All of that the airline has to do. And if they're not booking a hotel for you, then you keep the receipts and you claim it back, but nobody is going to get cash compensation.”
Calder added: “It's clearly not the airline's fault. So there's some reports saying that people are incurring hotel bills going into thousands of pounds.
Well, yes, they are, and it's awful. And particularly if your credit card isn't very robust. But having said that, people will get that money backGB News presenter Isabel Webster helped to piece the information together for passengers: “It's slightly misleading then because I'm just trying to piece together exactly what you've said and all the front pages this morning.
"Flight sale families thousands of pounds out of pocket, no compo for stranded passengers and this one, not a penny to compensate air chaos victims.
"But you're saying they won't get a big payout, but they will get refunds of airline tickets, overnight stays and food?"
Simon Calder on holidaymakers stranded
Calder agreed: “Exactly right is well, yeah, the it's one of these things where if the airline cancels and it's their fault, you are automatically in line for a payment
"Between 220 and 520 pounds clearly isn't their fault.
"Therefore, they are still obliged to give you the money back that you are spending in order to stay there because your flight isn't going.
"But you're not going to get compensation. On top recompense, getting your money back and compensation are two completely separate things."
