Your refund rights explained after British Airways cancels flights from Heathrow

BRITISH Airways has cancelled all short-haul flights from London Heathrow this morning.

We explain your consumer rights, including whether you can get a refund and how to rebook.

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Short-haul flights from Heathrow are cancelled until at least 12pm today, but the airline said it anticipates “further disruption during the day”.

In a statement this morning, BA said: “We are extremely sorry that due to the continuing technical issues we are facing we have regrettably had to cancel all short-haul flights from Heathrow today until midday.”

It added that long-haul services from Heathrow and all flights at Gatwick and London City Airport are still running.

However it warned that there could be delays.

BA’s website is working and passengers are able to check in online and at the airport.

You can check the status of your flight on the BA website.

Here’s everything you need to know about the cancellations, including whether you can get a refund.

Can I get a refund if my flight has been cancelled?

BA said you can get your money back if your flight has been cancelled.

If you booked with the airline directly you should log in to the “manage my booking” section of the website, where you will be able to request a refund.

Customers who booked with a travel agent or tour operator should contact them first.

But if you have a problem getting a refund through the agent, you can contact BA for help.

Can I get a refund if my flight is delayed?

British Airways customers can get a refund if flights are delayed for five hours or more.

If you arrive at your destination more than three hours late, you could be eligible for compensation.

But that’s only if the delay was BA’s fault, instead of “extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided by all reasonable measures”.

The cause of the technical issues that have led to today’s disruption isn’t clear yet.

What happens if I’ve booked a package holiday?

If you booked a hotel, or another extra such as car transfer, through British Airways at the same time as your flights, you might be able to rebook for free.

You can switch to another flight, departing on the same day, for no extra charge.

If you decide to swap to a different date, you can also rebook your flights for free.

But if the price of your hotel is higher on that day, you’ll need to pay the difference.

If the hotel is cheaper, you’ll get the extra you’ve payed refunded.

Alternatively, you can cancel your booking and claim a full refund.

What happens if I’ve got a connecting flight?

Delays and cancellations can cause extra stress if you’re worried about missing a connecting flight.

If you don’t make your connection due to a delay or cancelled plane, you’ll be rebooked on to the next available BA flight.

You should contact the oneworld Global Support team, which will be able to provide travel information, new boarding passes and, if required, overnight accommodation.

If your connecting flight was booked through a separate airline, BA won’t be able to help.

You should contact the airline you booked the flight with.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk