Did you know if your flight has been delayed for three hours, or more, you could be entitled to up to £540 in compensation?  I didn’t know that and I bet many other people don’t either.

There are even companies who will do all the paperwork required to claim your compensation on a ‘no win no fee’ basis, so you don’t have to deal with any of the legalities or stress.

Claim compensation if your flight is delayed

If your flight has been delayed by 3 hours or more, you’ve really got nothing to lose.  Using the flight delay compensation calculator at Flight Delay Claims 4 U, you can easily see just how much money you could claim.

Delayed flights really are quite frustrating.  It’s frustrating for us as adults on our own, but throw some kids in to the mix and stress levels are set to elevate!  Luckily we have never been delayed for three hours or more whilst sat at one airport, but I can only sympathise with those who have.

We did once have a diverted flight in Germany which added a fair few hours onto our journey.  We had to wait for a coach back to the original airport we were supposed to land at as that’s where our car hire was arranged for and they couldn’t change it.

With two young children in tow who are bored and tired, it’s not much fun!

If you’re travelling with kids, here are my top tips in case of a flight delay:

• Pack more snacks than you’ll think you’ll need – it’s better to have too many than not enough.  Plus you’ll never know how long you could be delayed for.
• Take some money for food and drinks – you can’t take liquids through security, which means you can’t take drinks through.  If you have a baby you can take bottled milk through.  You’ll just have to drink some yourself at security to prove it’s not anything else.  Make sure you have enough money to buy some drinks at the airport.  If flights are heavily delayed you may also need to buy lunch or dinner depending on the time of your flights.
• Fill the kids’ cabin bags with entertainment – don’t think the kids won’t need any hand luggage.  Instead, make the most of theirs by filling them with their snacks and entertainment.  An iPad or tablet with lots of games on can keep them entertained for ages.  Colouring books and pencils are also ideal.  A few small world toys and books to read kept our kids entertained when delayed.
• Take a change of clothes and lots of wipes – you’ll also never know when your child decides to be sick!  Reuben wasn’t sick at the airport on our last holiday, but he was sick all over the hire car on our first day.  He’s never sick so we were totally unprepared.  Make sure you have some spare clothes, underwear and lots of wipes for unexpected illness, sickness and accidents.

Don’t forget to also check the airport for children’s entertainment.  On our last flight to visit family in Germany our flight was delayed by approximately one hour.  We arrived the recommended two hours early at the airport and whizzed through security, so had a whopping 3 hours to entertain the kids.

Bella, age five, is a little easier to entertain.  Plus she understands to sit still and behave.

Reuben, on the other hand, is only two years old and does not understand (or want) to sit still.  He was clambering all over the chairs, using us as a climbing frame and even said hello to the man next to us at the top of his voice.  This man did not seem very child friendly didn’t acknowledge him and quickly changed seats!

It can be very stressful trying to keep a child like this still when they don’t want to and as a parent you feel like all eyes are on you!

Ben took Bella to toilet and discovered there was a children’s room just the other side to where we were sitting, full of interactive screens and games.

Doh!

This would have kept them busy the entire time if we had known.  Make sure you look around the whole airport or ask if there are any dedicated children’s areas!

 

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