The ongoing winter snap is causing travel disruption among UK airports.
The ongoing winter snap is causing disruption among airports in the UK and other European destinations and the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has urged travellers to check with their airline before leaving the house.
Heavy snowfall and widespread ice have resulted in planes being grounded and airports being closed, which may be causing distress for travel insurance policyholders hoping to get away over Christmas.
Flights in and out of the UK have been "seriously disrupted" by the weather, according to the FCO and hubs in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Ireland have also been affected.
The disruption is having a knock-on effect all over the world, as aircraft cannot take off if there is no slot to land in Britain. Transit countries such as Hong Kong are experiencing a huge backlog of passengers and they may not be able to secure accommodation during the delay if conditions continue.
London's Heathrow Airport is open at the time of writing (15:15 GMT on December 21st), but just one-third of flights are in operation, according to
BAA.
Meanwhile, the
Civil Aviation Authority has suggested passengers log on to its website to see whether they are entitled to a refund on their tickets should flights be indefinitely delayed or cancelled - such procedures may be put in place should the layover be put off for five hours or more.
Carriers are required to provide catering, communications and accommodation in some circumstances and alternative travel arrangements should be offered in the event of a cancellation.
By Anne Jones
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