05-07-2025
Do train delays ever get you more than a mere refund?
Q Does the rail network have a compensation scheme for late arrivals like airlines?
I was booked on a 5.30pm Avanti West Coast train from London Euston to Penrith, and ended up walking into the house in Cumbria at 3am. I have claimed 'delay repay', which means I will get my fare back. But surely a delay like that should warrant some compensation?
Marie Haynes
A Travellers on the West Coast Main Line, which connects London Euston with the West Midlands, northwest England, north Wales and southern Scotland, have been having a torrid time of late. Last Thursday, for example, I tried to travel from Manchester to London – but a derailment near Milton Keynes meant I had to travel via Sheffield and Doncaster. Avanti West Coast has already refunded half the cost of my return ticket for a delay of under two hours. Earlier this year, I endured a four-hour delay at the hands of GWR after a train hit an unfortunate animal, and on that occasion had the whole journey refunded.
Your delay must have been even more extreme. But there has never been a custom on the railway of refunding more than the cost of the ticket. In contrast, any delay in arrival of three hours or more on a flight for which the airline is responsible triggers a payout of hundreds of pounds. The payout is the same whether the delay is four or 48 hours, and bears no relation to the price of the ticket. This strikes me as illogical.
I prefer the policy of delay repay, which, regardless of fault, you get some compensation from. This avoids the absurd disputes between passengers and transport provider that you get with aviation. For such a long delay, though, I think train operators could consider issuing some kind of compensation, which for Avanti West Coast would be easy, in the shape of an upgrade to Standard Premier class for your next round trip.
Q Can you explain the rules when a cruise cancels a port visit? Our stop in Cadiz was cancelled as it was deemed unsafe due to planned protests. Do we have any comeback?
Andy Bunt
A As you no doubt know, Cadiz is an unsung Spanish gem: an ancient and beautiful city with a vast amount of appeal: culturally, aesthetically and gastronomically. One reason it is off the average traveller's radar is that there is no airport; the nearest pair are Jerez and Seville. The easiest way to reach Cadiz is as you were planning: on a cruise ship.
Sadly a long and bitter strike by shipyard workers in Cadiz has triggered multiple cancellations of calls at the Spanish city by cruise lines. They have taken the view that potential unrest in the port could pose a risk to passengers. And while it represents a huge financial hit for the city, the captain will not hesitate to cancel a call if he or she thinks it appropriate.
I have lost count of the number of cruise ports I have glumly sailed past due to anything from unhelpful tides (the Scilly Isles) to Atlantic storms (Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands). The worst holiday I have ever had was an Arctic cruise in Greenland and Canada that bypassed about two-thirds of the promised ports. And there was not a thing I could do about it. When you sign up for a cruise, you accept the risk that you might (in an extreme case) end up doing circuits of the Isle of Wight rather than visiting the intended destinations.
The only possible remedy is if ports of call are cancelled in advance of the voyage, when you might be able to argue it constitutes a 'significant change' in the holiday you booked, and thereby qualifies you for a full refund. Once you are on board, though, all you can do is try to make the most of an extra day at sea.
Q I am curious about your thoughts on the latest French air traffic control strikes. Apparently, since 2005, French ATC staff have recorded 249 days of strikes. Number two on the EU list is Greece with around 30 days. Are the working conditions really that bad in France?
Jason Evans
A Tens of thousands of British passengers have had their travel plans torn up by the first French air traffic control strikes of the peak summer season. Controllers belonging to two unions walked out yesterday and then today over issues including understaffing and what is said to be a toxic working atmosphere. Around 1,000 flights are cancelled, affecting an estimated 160,000 passengers – many of them hoping to travel between the UK and France. Some overflights have been hit, too, especially on routes to and from Spain. And even if you are not travelling on a route that overflies France, you could still be affected, as airlines re-route planes to avoid French airspace.
Air traffic control is under pressure across continental Europe. During the Covid pandemic, many experienced controllers left the industry and their replacements could not easily be trained because of social distancing rules. That has led to staff shortages, which are said to be at the root of the French controllers' dispute.
Are the working conditions really that bad? I am sure les controleurs would confirm they are. Leafing back through the archives, they have been saying much the same – and regularly walking out – for decades. The unions would say that demonstrates the systemic problems that the French Civil Aviation Authority has allowed to fester. A cynical and disrupted passenger might conclude that, with so much high-value air traffic passing over France, controllers are accustomed to pressing home their claims because of the industrial power they wield.
Meanwhile, it is worth pointing out that many people are getting through – two-thirds of UK-France flights are being operated, albeit with delays. But be warned that the largest air traffic control union, the SNCTA, has not yet flexed its muscles this summer.
Q I am seeing some really good all-inclusive deals for this month in Tunisia. But how safe is it?
Eleanor W
A Tunisia is a warm and welcoming destination, with a deep history as well as indulgent hotels. I would not hesitate to travel there tomorrow. But it is also important to say that it has been the location for unspeakably brutal attacks on tourists. Ten years ago this summer, 30 British holidaymakers and eight other people in the Tunisian resort of Sousse were killed by a terrorist. Three months earlier, terrorists attacked a cruise excursion visiting the Bardo Museum in Tunis and murdered 21 people, mostly European tourists. In the wake of the attack, Tunisia was placed on the Foreign Office (FCDO) 'no-go' list for two years.
Today the FCDO warns against travel to areas close to the Algerian and Libyan borders, but all the areas that are likely to feature on a tourist's agenda are open and regarded as sufficiently safe.
The FCDO currently warns that visitors may be 'at higher risk' in specific locations including religious sites, tourist sites and 'areas where foreign nationals and tourists are known to gather'. The official travel advice says: 'The terrorism threat comes from both established groups and self-initiated individuals.'
That may be enough to put you off, but from what I have seen I would have faith in the security operation in all-inclusive hotels and in the Tunisian people to take care of guests in their country. In terms of precautions: the main one that I would take is to avoid road travel as much as possible, because driving standards are poor. If you make an excursion to Tunis and the ancient site of Carthage – which I urge you to do – take the train from nearby Hammamet rather than going by road.
