Can we rely on our airline to get us back safely to the UK?

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Q We have been as a result of fly with Etihad from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Manchester through Abu Dhabi on Wednesday 12 March. The flight was cancelled, and Etihad stated that the earliest out there flight is on 19 March – every week later than we should always have flown. Each of us are going to overlook every week of labor and have further lodge bills.

Trying on the warfare state of affairs, we’re more and more frightened that the subsequent flight will likely be cancelled and that we’ll be compelled to purchase a brand new flight, which could possibly be very pricey. What rights do we’ve got?

David and Miri Mair

A Sadly, that is turning into a well-recognized story. Since you are booked on a non-European airline from an airport outdoors Europe, you don’t have any important rights past the final presumption {that a} skilled airline will intention to get you to your ultimate vacation spot as quickly as attainable. “We wish to thank our visitors for his or her endurance,” says Etihad. “We apologise for any disruption attributable to circumstances past our management.”

The Abu Dhabi provider has not, so far as I can inform, laid on any flights to Phnom Penh within the two weeks because the Iran disaster started. As soon as Etihad has informed you that rescue is on the best way, I imagine it’s prone to go forward – although the airline warns: “Given the fluid nature of the state of affairs, some providers could also be topic to alter.” Onwards from Abu Dhabi, the provider is flying twice day by day to London Heathrow and as soon as a day to Manchester.

Remember, although, that through the time you might be in transit in Abu Dhabi, you’ll not be coated by normal journey insurance coverage. The “no-go” warning from the UK International Workplace invalidates most insurance policies throughout airport connections. If you’re sad with this, or your flight finally ends up being cancelled, then the best choice is to make for the closest large hub to Cambodia: Bangkok.

Many airways are piling on capability to Bangkok, and loads of price range airways will get you to the Thai capital for round £50. The most effective deal I’ve seen within the subsequent few days that avoids the Gulf states is round £700 a technique on Oman Air to Heathrow. Higher offers are prone to emerge as the availability of seats will increase and demand dwindles.

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Q I booked a UK-Sri Lanka ticket with British Airways. My return flight from Colombo was cancelled due to the closure of Gulf airspace. BA is telling me the earliest reroute is three weeks from now, however earlier flights with different airways exist. Underneath the UK261 civil aviation rules, aren’t I entitled to rerouteing on the earliest alternative?

Leon Y

A UK261 is the legislation that governs air passengers’ rights from a British perspective. It’s a copy-and-paste near-replica of the deeply flawed European statute, EU261, which got here into impact 21 years in the past. Each units of shopper protections have a gaping loophole for a lot of airways. Whereas all carriers that cancel a flight from British or European airports should discover various transport for the passenger as quickly as attainable, that obligation doesn’t apply to non-UK/EU airways flying from outdoors Europe.

You’re amongst tens of 1000’s of passengers whose journey plans have been torn up due to the Center East flight disruption – and who’re discovering that the airways are in no specific hurry to fly them residence.

The truth that you purchased your ticket from a bona fide UK airline, British Airways, is irrelevant. BA hasn’t flown from Colombo for a few years. The provider that you simply had truly booked to fly you from Sri Lanka to the UK was BA’s part-owner, Qatar Airways. This airline has no obligation to you past flying you again when it’s handy for it to take action, or refunding the homeward portion of your fare. I can roughly assure that this sum will likely be lots lower than you will have to spend to return swiftly.

If you’re ready to take the chance concerned in altering planes at Dubai Worldwide airport, the plain approach house is on Emirates for about £700-£800; seats can be found every single day. Notice that the International Workplace regards connecting at a UAE airport as too dangerous, however many individuals – confronted with a lot larger fares for various routes – are choosing a Gulf transit.

In the meantime, I’ll proceed to foyer for an enchancment in air passengers’ rights. After Brexit, the federal government might have chosen to make the principles match for function, however declined to take action. All that modified was that the stipulated compensation figures in euros have been changed by correct sterling kilos.

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Q I simply found my UK passport expired in January. And whereas I’ve a sound US passport, I can’t use it to journey to the UK for the occasion I’m speculated to attend in two weeks. Had been I simply an American I’d get an ETA, however that’s not allowed for somebody who’s a British citizen. It’ll take a month to resume my passport. Any ideas to rescue my journey?

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A Till final month, any twin citizen from a so-called “visa-free nation” might enter the UK on their non-British passport. They’d be stamped out and in by frontier officers. The method, which was largely automated, concerned a simple enquiry: does the proprietor of this passport have permission to enter the UK? Since 26 February 2026, the query has turn into: is that this individual eligible to enter the UK on an digital journey authorisation (ETA)?

Anybody identified to be a British citizen is ineligible. A UK individual can go away and return solely on a British passport. So strident has been the publicity from the Dwelling Workplace in regards to the change, that you simply may infer that persons are being informed: “You’ll be able to’t come into the UK, as a result of we all know you might be British.” This might by no means truly occur. However have been the system working as meant, that UK citizen could possibly be denied boarding a aircraft – on the grounds that with a overseas passport, an ETA is required.

A lot for the idea; what in regards to the observe? Let me flip to the Home of Commons Library, whose current report notes: “Twin nationals could journey to the UK on a overseas passport [while] unaware that they’ve British citizenship.” This clearly doesn’t apply to you. However the report additionally says: “There was hypothesis that some British twin nationals will go in opposition to UK authorities recommendation by making use of for an ETA with their overseas passport and never declaring their British citizenship.”

In such a case: “Transport suppliers and workers at UK passport management wouldn’t essentially know that an individual travelling on a overseas passport additionally has British citizenship if the individual didn’t volunteer that data. There isn’t a central register of British residents or twin nationals, and details about an individual’s fatherland isn’t sufficient to substantiate if they’re British.”Everybody ought to adjust to all border guidelines always. Evidently, although, not everybody does. I shall say no extra.

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Q We’re in Cape City, and have been as a result of go residence on Monday with Qatar Airways through Doha to Manchester. They’ve provided a refund for the flight, or a rebooking inside 14 days of the unique reserving. We will keep, however are involved {that a} rebooked flight in every week or so could not go forward. Would we be finest getting a refund and discovering one other approach residence?

Sallie S

A The provider is at present saying: “Qatar Airways will resume operations as soon as the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority pronounces the secure full reopening of Qatari airspace by the related authorities.” At current, the airline is working flights to the highest-volume locations, the place essentially the most passengers are stranded, together with Bangkok, Mumbai, Delhi, Moscow and Melbourne. Cape City will not be on that checklist. Moreover, Qatar Airways stresses: “These flights don’t represent a affirmation of the resumption of scheduled business operations.”

That time period “business operations” is essential. Solely when Qatar Airways resumes a traditional schedule, with new prospects paying cash to fly, are you able to make certain of being flown and not using a drawback to Manchester. (I assume right here that if the Qatari authorities deem Doha airport to be secure, the International Workplace will raise its present recommendation in opposition to connections on the hub.)

When you wait it out in Cape City, don’t assume that the airline has you on the high of its checklist of priorities. “Fend for yourselves” is the final precept I’ve noticed from Qatar Airways in direction of its passengers. Even so, I urge you to not cancel. Throughout instances of disruption, airways like passengers to simply accept a refund as a result of it manages down the issue at little value to the provider. Higher to hold on to the ticket and stay an issue for the airline to unravel.

Additionally, when folks hear the phrase “refund”, they could assume that the airline goes at hand again the whole value of their return ticket. Removed from it. You’re reliant upon the airline’s judgement of how a lot that specific phase of your journey prices. It’s prone to be considerably lower than half of what you paid for the spherical journey. If you find yourself deciding to purchase a brand new ticket, I like to recommend Ethiopian Airways through Addis Ababa. The provider presents glorious service, at fares which can be considerably decrease than going continuous.

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