Middle East travel chaos: Join Q&A with Simon Calder on flight cancellations, rerouting and your rights – UK Times

Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, Simon Calder.

To see the questions and answers, scroll down and press “load more” to follow the full Q&A.

After US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and Tehran’s response, aviation across much of the Middle East has been thrown into chaos. Major hubs including Dubai and Doha have been affected, with airlines cancelling or suspending flights and hundreds of thousands of passengers facing disruption.

From cancelled British Airways departures in Dubai to suspended Qatar Airways services via Doha, travellers are asking urgent questions about whether they can insist on a nonstop replacement flight, whether an airline must rebook them on a rival carrier, and what happens if there are no seats available for days.

Others want to know if booking a package holiday offers stronger protection, what their rights are when flying on a non-European airline from outside Europe, and whether it is worth going to the airport to try to secure a new route home.

Passenger rights can depend on where your journey starts, which airline you are flying with and how the trip was booked. In some cases, UK and EU regulations may entitle you to rerouting at the earliest opportunity – even on another carrier. In others, your rights may be limited to a refund, with travel insurance stepping in.

With fast-moving geopolitical events and continuing aviation disruption, I will be answering your questions on cancellations, rerouting, refunds, compensation, package travel protection and what to do if you are stranded abroad.

Submit your question now and join the live Ask Me Anything at 2pm GMT today (Monday 2 March):