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Austria-UK flights delayed or cancelled after winter weather affects British airports

Airline companies in Austria have warned of possible cancellations and delays as winter weather makes travelling to and from UK airports difficult. Here are the affected flights and your rights.

Published: 12 December 2022 15:55 CET
Austria-UK flights delayed or cancelled after winter weather affects British airports
Passengers wear protective masks at the Vienna International Airport on August 4, 2021. (Photo by ALEX HALADA / AFP)

Heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions such as fog hit the UK on December 11th, causing significant disruption to local public transport and all airlines flying to and from the UK, including flights from and bound to Austria.

Airliners operating in Austria alerted to cancellations and delays as airport personnel were unable to reach certain UK airports and severe snow prevented airlines from taking off or landing at several British airports.

READ ALSO: UK border strikes threaten Christmas travel chaos to and from Austria

“Wizz Air has also been affected by these unexpected circumstances and has, unfortunately, had to cancel or severely postpone some of its flights to and from London Luton and London Gatwick airports”, the airline company said in a statement.

Several delays and cancellations are affecting Austria, especially at Vienna airport. Here are some of the flights affected:

  • OS 464 from Manchester – arrival to Vienna delayed
  • BA 682 from London – arrival to Salzburg delayed
  • BA 704 from London – arrival to Vienna cancelled
  • BA 705 from Vienna – arrival to London cancelled

Earlier on Monday and late on Sunday, several flights were cancelled or delayed due to the bad weather conditions. 

READ ALSO: Yes, train travel across Europe is far better than flying – even with kids

On December 11th, the Wizzair flight from London Gatwick to Vienna, which was scheduled to take off at 7:20 p.m., was cancelled. On Monday, December 12th, the flight departing at 5:20 a.m. from Vienna to London Gatwick and the flight departing at 8:35 a.m. from London Gatwick to Vienna were cancelled.

What are my rights if my flight has been cancelled or delayed?

If you are flying from Austria to the UK or from the UK but using an EU-based airline, then it is covered by EU legislation on passenger rights. 

In case of cancellation, you have the right to choose between getting your money back, getting the next available flight, or changing the booking completely for a later date, plus the right to assistance free of charge.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What the EU’s new EES system means for travel to Austria

Your rights and compensation for delays will depend on the duration of the delay, the flight distance and the reasons for a delay.

You can read more about your rights HERE.

Other ways to claim compensation

Even if you are not entitled to compensation from the airline, there might be other ways to get refunds and money in case of flight cancellation and delays.

Besides using private travel insurance, many credit and debit card companies and banks offer automatic travel insurance if you purchase a ticket with them. 

READ ALSO: Reader question: Is travelling to Austria this winter worth it?

In some cases, you might receive cash payment for delays and cancellations even when they were due to “exceptional circumstances”.

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VISAS

Cost for getting a short-stay Schengen visa to rise on June 11th

The fee for getting a Schengen visa will rise by 12 percent in June, the European Commission has confirmed.

Published: 4 June 2024 14:52 CEST
Cost for getting a short-stay Schengen visa to rise on June 11th

The hike means the basic fee for a Schengen visa will rise from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children. The reason for the price hike has been blamed on inflation in member states.

Schengen visas can be obtained by non-EU citizens from countries that do not benefit from the EU / Schengen area’s 90-day rule such as such as nationals of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China.

Schengen visas are not required for citizens of countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia who are paying short visits to the EU, since they are entitled to 90 days of visa-free travel in every 180.

Anyone who wants to spend longer in an EU country will need to apply for a long-stay visa – but these are issued by individual countries, not the EU. The cost of these visas vary depending on the country and the type of visa (eg study visa, work visa).

In addition to raising the basic fee to €90, the EU has also proposed hiking the fee even higher for those countries who are deemed not be cooperative with receiving expelled citizens back from member states.

In this case the Schengen visa fee for citizens from that country will rise from €120/€160 to €135 /€180.

In addition, the revision of visa fees impacts the maximum amount that external service providers collecting visa applications on behalf of member states can charge, which is usually set at up to half the standard fee.

This charge would increase from €40 to €45.

The fee for a Schengen visa extension will remain at €30.

Revised every three years

Every three years the EU Commission is tasked to assess whether new fees are needed, considering “objective criteria”, such as the EU inflation rate and the average of civil servants’ salaries in EU member states.

The Commission published its proposal on February 2nd, following a meeting with experts from EU member states in December, when an “overwhelming majority” supported the revision.

The Commission says that even with the increase, the visa fees for the Schengen area are “still relatively low” compared to other countries. For instance, a visa for the USA costs €185, or €172; for the UK it starts from £115 (€134); for Canada it is $100 plus $85 for biometrics, or €130; for Australia $190, the equivalent of €117.

Digital-only visa

The EU is also planning to introduce a digital-only Schengen visa. This will allow to apply online, regardless of the Schengen country applicants intend to visit, and will replace the current sticker in passports with a digital visa.

According to the European Commission website, the digital platform will start operating in 2028.

Who needs a Schengen visa

The Schengen visa allows a stay for tourism or family visits (but not for work) in 28 European countries for up to 90 days in any 6-month period. People travelling for business trips, conferences or meetings apply for a Schengen business visa.

Anyone who wants to stay longer, or to work, needs a visa from the country they intend to visit.

The Schengen visa is required for citizens of countries who do not benefit from the ‘90-day rule’, such as nationals of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China.

It is not needed for other non-EU nationals such as Brits, Americans, Canadians or Australians who can spend up to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen area without needing a visa. You can see the full list of countries who need a visa here.

Schengen countries include EU member states, excluding Ireland (which opted out), Cyprus, and Bulgaria and Romania for land borders. Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland are not EU members but have also joined the Schengen Convention.

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