What to do if a flight is cancelled or delayed by bad weather

Travellers should know what to do when bad weather hits. Photo / Unsplash

Cyclone Gabrielle has raised many questions as it moves across New Zealand, including: what happens if my flight is cancelled?

The answer, according to the Civil Aviation Act, depends on why it was cancelled.

If an airline cancels a flight for a reason within its control, it must refund or reimburse the passenger. Travellers are then entitled to be paid back costs they can prove resulted from the delay, or up to 10 times the cost of the airfare, whichever is lower.

As convenient as it would be, even the world’s best airlines do not have control over weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle.

This means if your flight has been cancelled due to the storm, airlines are not obligated to refund or reimburse you for any costs unless you purchased a refundable fare. However, airlines will typically attempt to rebook passengers onto a new flight.

For domestic travellers, this could mean travelling one day later, but those on long-haul flights, the delay could be longer. If the delay in travel means you no longer wish to fly (for example, you have missed an event), the airline may offer a credit, but again, is not obligated to.

Passengers of Air New Zealand flights, in this instance, will be offered a credit.

“The airline is advising those with non-urgent travel between Sunday 12 February and Friday 17 February 2023 make use of the flexibility policy,” the airline said in a statement over the weekend. This means customers can hold the fare in credit for 12 months or rebook the same class of travel between February 12 and 22 without paying a fare difference or service fee.

Similarly, Jetstar passengers who were meant to travel domestically to or from Auckland or Wellington between Sunday, February 12 and Monday, February 13 had the option to request a date change or flight credit.

This is when travel insurance can be a worthwhile cost, as long as you understand the fine print, says Allianz Partners New Zealand CEO, Kevin Blyth.

“Always ensure you read your travel insurance policy carefully to understand what you are covered for ahead of time,” he said.

Most travel insurance policies will cover severe weather disruptions but what constitutes “severe weather” will depend on the provider.

What should I do?

When travel disruptions occur, people naturally pick up the phone to find out more information. However, this often results in overwhelmed call centres and three-hour wait times.

In response, Air NZ has asked customers to “refrain from calling our contact centre during this time” and assured people that Air Nz would contact people directly if their flight is affected.

If possible, try to find updates, policy information or advice online. Check the airline’s website, or social media channels like Twitter, which can often be where companies provide more immediate information.

Alternatively, Blyth recommends contacting your insurance provider for help.

“It may be difficult to get through to your airline during a widespread disruption like Cyclone Gabrielle. In these instances, you can contact your travel insurer’s emergency line for advice,” he said.