My flight is delayed, is there a penalty?

If you are hiring a car from an airport and your flight is delayed, you need to contact your provider as soon as you are aware.

There will be a direct contact number on your booking confirmation for the location in question. Call this number and let them know the details. If your delay means you get there late but still within the office opening hours then there should be no real problem. They will hold the vehicle for you. But, only if they are aware of the delay.

However, if your delay means you are now arriving outside of the normal operating hours then one of a few different possibilities will occur. Most suppliers will give the local office the power to make their own decisions in these situations. This will be based on staffing levels, costs ect.

1. If your delay means you will be arriving very late, they may suggest that you collect the vehicle the next morning when they are due to open. Depending on the opening times, this could mean a long stay in a boring airport or even checking into a hotel for the night.

2. They may offer to keep the office open until your expected arrival time to enable you to continue your journey without much more disruption. This more often than not would come at an extra cost of around £25/£30 charged as an out of hours fee.

3. They may offer to keep the office open and not levy a charge. This is wholly down the suppliers discretion and isn’t always the same every time.

top Tips To Avoid Problems If Your Flight Is Delayed

Supply your flight number when booking your vehicle, this way they are aware of delays (most of the time)

Call the supplier to let them know of any delays as soon as you are aware of them, even if you have provided your flight number

Book your hire car for a time that you expect to get to the desk, after clearing customs and baggage claim. If you book your car for the time your flight is due to arrive then you are going to be late, even without a flight delay.

Check the suppliers closing time, if your flight is due to arrive 5 minutes before they close, realistically you are not going to make it.

NEVER blame the rental company for the flight being delayed. You may have booked via the airline but they are very separate companies. The rental assistant didn’t make your flight arrive late. The additional costs if indeed there are any, are to pay the wages of the employee who stayed after work to wait for you.

If you do have a problem with having to pay extra, the airline should be the target for your claim if your flight is delayed. If you are unsure about any of the above information then please contact us. We are happy to help.

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.