Abta and other trade associations have issued guidance after Heathrow was forced to close for the whole of today due to a nearby power outage.
The travel association said: “If your flight has been disrupted due to the power outage at Heathrow, you have significant rights in relation to replacement flights, refunds and general customer care.
“Your rights will vary depending on whether your holiday was booked as part of a package holiday or not.
“If your flight is part of a package holiday, you will have the highest level of protections. Your travel company will be in touch regarding your holiday.”
Abta added: “If your flight is cancelled and you’re departing from the UK or travelling to the UK with a UK airline, then your airline must offer you the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund. If you’re flying to the UK with a non-UK airline, you should check the terms and conditions of your booking to see what you’re entitled to.
“You’re entitled to care and assistance while you wait, which usually means refreshments, access to communications e.g. phone calls, plus accommodation and the necessary transfers if the flight is delayed until the next day or later. If your airline advises you to make alternative travel arrangements and claim back the cost later, you should incur reasonable costs and keep all receipts.
“If your flight is delayed or cancelled and you’ve booked a package holiday, you have the same rights as any other passenger as well as additional protection for the rest of your holiday.
“If flight delays or cancellations lead to your holiday being cancelled, or new arrangements are made that result in a significant change to your holiday, then your travel company must offer an alternative holiday if they can, or a refund for the full price of your package holiday. Generally, a change of more than 12 hours on a 14-night holiday is considered a significant change.
“If your flight is delayed by at least two hours and you’re departing from the UK, your airline should offer you care and assistance while you wait. This usually means refreshments, access to communications e.g. phone calls, plus accommodation and the necessary transfers if the flight is delayed until the next day or later. Any additional expenses beyond this are your responsibility and you should check your travel insurance to find out what’s covered in your policy.
“The length of the delay and how far you’re travelling determines when your right to care and assistance starts.
“If you’re delayed by more than five hours, your airline must offer you the choice of taking a refund of the flight cost.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive Officer of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “An incident like this at one of the world’s busiest airports will have a very significant knock-on impact on all travel for the next few days.
“Friday is typically the busiest day for travel with people returning from business trips, going on holiday or visiting friends and family, so all airports will likely be incredibly busy. Therefore, the reality is that the London airports would have been busy today already and this incident will exacerbate it further.
“This is very much an evolving situation so we would advise travellers in the first instance to follow the advice being given by Heathrow and not travel to the airport today.
“For anyone that has a flight booked out of Heathrow today, and had booked via a travel agent, I recommend contacting them in the first instance as they will be able to provide the latest information and advice. If you haven’t booked with a travel agent, then try and get in touch with the airlines and they will advise you on when you might be able to travel.”
The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) is advising all travellers due to fly via Heathrow today to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible following the airport’s unexpected closure.
An SPAA spokesperson said: “Heathrow is a vital connection point for travellers from Scotland heading to destinations around the world. Today’s closure is causing severe disruption, and the situation is changing rapidly.
“Travellers with connecting flights – particularly those heading long haul – should not assume that their journey will go ahead as planned.
“We’re hearing from SPAA members across Scotland who are working hard behind the scenes today to rebook clients, secure alternative routes, and ensure minimal disruption to travel plans. If you’ve booked through a professional agent, you’re not facing the stress alone.”
Business Travel Association chief executive Clive Wratten said: “Today’s fire at London Heathrow is a devastating event and we send our best wishes to all those involved in the recovery efforts. This has, yet again, exposed the vital role air travel plays in our economy, and when Heathrow is down, the whole economy suffers.
“Over 20,000 people travelling for work today will be impacted. This will be the same for every day Heathrow is closed. Our members will be working around the clock to help those passengers and will play a significant part of aiding the recovery process.
“Travel management companies, who the BTA represents, help support airlines in these crisis moments, playing a vital role in getting the working public where they need to be.”
A Premier Travel spokesperson said: “Our operations team pulled an updated Weekly Departures report first thing this morning to identify all impacted bookings. This information has been shared with our branches to ensure a coordinated and efficient response.
“We are in close contact with our airline and supplier partners to understand the measures they are putting in place to assist affected passengers. Our dedicated team are actively reaching out to customers to provide updates, offer reassurance, and explore alternative travel arrangements where possible.
“Our priority is to ensure that our customers are supported and informed during this disruption. Our experienced team is on hand to provide guidance and help minimise inconvenience wherever possible. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as we receive more information from our suppliers and partners.”
Ryanair added up to eight “rescue flights” between Dublin and Stansted – four today and four on Saturday – to help passengers affected by the closure of Heathrow.