By Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA - Atlanta Security Line, CC BY 2.0,

Passengers who miss a flight due to security queues unlikely to qualify for compensation

Posted By: Kate RussellPosted date: August 04, 2017

With the kids out of school and our suntans nicely started for a change due to the unusually good weather here in the UK, lots of you will be heading abroad to catch a bit more sun this month. It’s the busiest period for airports and you’re likely to experience long and painful queues through security. You also might expect that if you miss a flight due to spending 3 hours in a queue, the airline will take care of you? But according to consumer watchdog, Which?, that might not be the case. Alex Neill, Which? Managing Director of Home Products and Services, said:

Passengers who miss a flight due to security queues are unlikely to qualify for compensation from their airline, as the time it takes to get through security is out of the airlines’ control. However, there may be some circumstances in which they can claim, for example, if their flight is delayed due to knock on effects of security delays. If a consumer is unsure if they are entitled to compensation, they can use Which?’s free flight delay claim tool.

By Marco Verch – Sangria, CC BY 2.0

You could make the claiming process even easier by using a claim management tool like Air Help, who also have a free app for iOS and Android, so you can get the ball rolling while you’re sitting fuming in the airport. Bear in mind you will have to pay a share of your successful claim to that company though, and the Which? tool, which provides a guide and letter template to help you make the claim yourself, is completely free.

It’s worth noting that if you booked a package holiday that includes airport transfers and miss your flight due to queues at security, the package provider has the responsibility for arranging for another flight out to the destination because of obligations under the Package Travel Regulations. Making sure you have adequate travel insurance is also a must in case you don’t make it to the airport at all! As ever I recommend Money Saving Expert as the go-to site for advice about what and where to buy.

So, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get through a busy airport, and have a sangria by the pool for me!

Kate Russell

Kate Russell is a technology reporter, speaker and author. She appears weekly on the Webscape segment of the BBC technology show Click, and is a regular expert at various other TV and radio stations. Kate's first book, ‘Working the Cloud’, is the ultimate collection of online tips, tricks and resources for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Her first novel, ‘Elite: Mostly Harmless’, is a sci-fi story based on a remake of the computer game Elite Dangerous.