Martin Lewis, the Money-Saving Expert, dished out a lesser-known tip that could see passengers getting cashback if they bail on or even miss their flights.
The financial guru was accompanied by Adrian Chiles in a new segment of his namesake podcast, where Chiles took up the challenge of besting the Mastermind rounds curated by Martin.
Posing a question, Martin asked what would happen if someone had to back out of a non-refundable, non-exchangeable flight to New York just 48 hours before take-off, could they claim any money back?
Bucking conventional wisdom and catching Adrian off guard, despite nailing the answer, Martin revealed customers actually have a right to reclaim some dosh even if they ditch the trip themselves. He shared: “In those circumstances, you are entitled to the air passenger duty. Air passenger duty is not paid by the airline until you fly.”
Digging deeper, the MSE mogul pointed out that certain airlines might not factor this charge into their ticket prices since it’s often underwritten by the airports they use as points of departure or arrival. Furthermore, it’s not a one-size-fits-all fee, flyers in posher seats or on longer journeys have a higher air passenger duty than the domestic economy crowd.
Currently, air passenger duty rates vary from around £7 for economy seats flying within the UK while long-haul flights in business or first-class cabins can reach up to £607.
Martin highlighted that some airlines may charge an admin fee for you to get the refund but pointed out that for long-haul or premium seats it will undoubtedly be worth the hassle.
He also revealed: “Most airlines go back as far as you like, so if you missed a flight 10 years ago you may still be able to claim. Some, Ryanair and Quantas especially, have much shorter time limits.”
Martin particularly encouraged people who have cancelled or missed long-haul flights or had not booked economy to take these steps to get their refund: “Get in touch with the airline and ask them for the money back. Most of these are just a contact form on their website if you know where to look. You fill in the form and you will just get the money back.”
“This is if you chose to cancel and it wasn’t refundable or you missed the flight. Golden rule: If you have a problem with your flight, go online and check your rights.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, the BBC star explained that if the airline cancels instead of you within two weeks of the flight due to a fault on their end, you are entitled to: “A full refund or alternative flight and compensation”.
However, if it was due to something out of the airline’s control you ca get: “A full refund or alternative flight but no cancellation”.
