MARTIN Lewis has urged holidaymakers affected by passport delays to check for compensation, refunds and vouchers.
He says it is unlikely to be able to get money back from travel companies but you should ask your holiday provider if it can offer any alternatives.
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It comes as thousands of Brits hoping to go on holiday this year have had their plans ruined due to huge delays with the Passport Office.
Holidaymakers are facing losing up to £1.1billion on their holidays, which works out as £2,400 per family.
Appearing on This Morning today, the Money Saving Expert founder was asked by a caller who was going to lose £2,600 from a holiday because of passport delays if she could be compensated.
Martin says the first thing to do is to check what cancellation rights you have with your travel provider.
You might have the right to cancel if you have booked a fully-flexible flight or a cancellable hotel reservation.
But in most cases, airlines and tour operators will not issue a refund for holidays hit by passport delays as it is not in their control and they’re still offering the service you booked.
Martin urge families in this position to check with their travel companies but warns that there’s no guarantee the firm will offer any solutions.
“I would always call them up and speak to them really politely to see if they can do anything,” he explained.
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“Can they change the date, give you some form of cancellation or can they give you vouchers?”
He adds that for those that have paid a small deposit, it may be worth cancelling and not paying the remaining balance if you think your passport won’t be able to arrive in time.
This will mean losing the deposit you’ve already paid.
The consumer expert says people can also contact their travel insurance providers but it’s unlikely that they cover holiday cancellations caused by passport delays.
“Many travel insurers won’t cover this. But call them and just see,” he said.
Martin’s Money Saving Expert checked the policies of 10 providers including Aviva, Axa and Direct Line and found that all of them exclude claims for cancellations caused by passport delays.
In addition, those who paid for a fast track passport service might be entitled compensation if they missed their holiday due to passport delays.
If you believe you have a valid claim, you can write to the Passport Office following its complaints procedure.
Here is the exact date you need to renew your passport to make sure it arrives in time for the summer holidays.
Meanwhile, more than a thousand passports were lost by couriers last year alone – here is how to check if yours has gone missing.
Plus, families planning on driving to France are being warned of the “worst chaos yet” at the border due to new passport checks.
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