Revealed: The airlines with the stingiest refund policies – and one charges you £1.45 a minute to claim

Travellers who are forced to cancel a flight face a refund lottery as some airlines repay in full while others won’t hand back a penny.

And because it is left to the airline to decide its own cancellation policy, some throw all manner of obstacles in your way to put you off claiming.

For example, Wizz Air customers who want a refund to their bank account can only get one by phoning its customer service number — at a cost of £1.45 a minute plus any fees applied by their phone company. 

Customers who apply online instead have their money put into their Wizz Air account — where it can only be spent on future flights.

It is up to the discretion of each airline whether it refunds you, and all have their own rules. Some refund you if you or a loved one fall ill, others do not.

Wizz Air: If you want a refund you must phone customer services at £1.45 a minute

It always makes sense to buy travel insurance, which may pay out if you’re forced to cancel even if the airline refuses to reimburse you. You should do this the moment you buy your ticket so that you are covered should you need to cancel.

And it pays to check out your airline’s rules before you make a claim. Airlines do not always play fair, and refund you according to their own rules — and they have considerable discretion about when they choose to pay out.

Earlier this month Money Mail consumer champion Sally Hamilton had to step in after Wizz Air refused to ­reimburse a customer the £364 cost of her flight when she had to cancel ­following the death of her husband.

Here we look at how the airline refund policies compare. 

British Airways: You must cancel within 24 hours of booking for full refund without penalty

British Airways 

If you cancel a flight within 24 hours of booking it, you can claim a full refund without a penalty charge. Once you’re outside of this window, you need to contact British Airways as soon as possible.

If you want to cancel a flight due to severe illness or the death of a family member, you will need to provide ­documentation such as a medical or death certificate.

British Airways says it will refund the tickets of passengers who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Those who are not critically ill but are not able to fly can usually put their ­tickets on hold for up to a year. But when they rebook, they will need to pay the difference between the two fares and any increases in airline taxes.

EasyJet: Charges more if you call customer service to cancel rather than doing it online

EasyJet 

Passengers who cancel an easyJet flight online within 24 hours of booking will receive a full refund, minus the £49 booking fee. Cancel online if you can as the fee rises to £55 for those who do it by calling customer service.

Passengers suffering from a ­serious or terminal illness must submit an online medical ­declaration form, once submitted easyJet will review the case and may offer you a refund or flight voucher, to be used within six months.

If you have been bereaved, easyJet will review your case and may offer a refund, free change of flight or voucher towards a future flight, within six months.

Jet2 

All Jet2 flights cannot be refunded. The airline suggests passengers should take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover for unforeseen events that may prevent them from ­travelling as planned.

Jet2 says there may be certain situations where it can assist, but this cannot be guaranteed. You can change the name or date of your flight for a £35 administration fee, plus the difference in price between your original fare and the new flight price. To make changes to your flight, visit jet2.com/login.

Ryanair: The airline does not offer refunds for common illnesses such as chicken pox

Ryanair

You may be able to cancel a ­Ryanair flight and claim a refund if someone you were set to travel with or an immediate family member passes away. Ryanair does not consider aunts, uncles or cousins as immediate family members.

Depending on the circumstances, the airline may refund the total cost of flights for everyone travelling on the booking.

You may be able to get a refund in the form of travel credit if you become seriously ill and are no longer able to travel. All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and the airline does not offer refunds for common illnesses such as chicken pox or routine medical procedures including ­pre-planned treatments.

Visit refundclaims.ryanair.com to apply.

Wizz Air

If you are diagnosed with a ­serious illness or incurable ­disease you may be able to claim a full refund once you provide an ­official medical certificate.

All refunds are paid as Wizz Air credit, so if you want to the refund to your bank account then you must phone the airline’s customer service — costing £1.45 a minute.

Holidaymakers who are ill but are not in a critical condition may be entitled to a 50 per cent refund if they send the airline a copy of their medical certificate.

The refund only applies to the patient and not other passengers included in their booking.

If your child is ill, you can apply for a 50 per cent refund on their ticket and yours. And if a close family member dies within 30 days of a flight departure, you can request a full refund by making a claim online.

A Wizz Air spokesman says: ‘When booking we advise using our WIZZ Flex service if you feel that your plans may change in the future.’

Travellers face a lottery as airlines decide their own cancellation polices when you can’t fly

Demand your tax back

Even if you are not entitled to a full refund, you should be able to claim back the Air Passenger Duty taxes you paid on your ticket. This levy is paid by ­passengers and passed on by the airline to HMRC. However, the tax is only paid if you take the flight so if you don’t you should be refunded the tax by the airline.

Airlines do not automatically refund it and yours may not even tell you that you have a right to claim it. Contact your airline and tell it you’d like to claim yours — otherwise it will pocket the money for itself. The amount of Air Passenger Duty you pay on each flight depends on the distance you travel and type of seat you book.

A passenger who flies from Edinburgh to London Gatwick in an economy seat will pay £7 in taxes, or £14 for a premium seat, such as those with extra legroom.

For a flight of less than 2,000 miles, to destinations such as Italy, Greece or Turkey, you will pay £13 in taxes for an economy seat or £26 for a premium seat.

For further-afield hotspots such as the Bahamas or Costa Rica, you will pay £88 for a standard seat but this rises to £194 for an upgraded seat.

A flight to a destination more than 5,500 miles away, such as New Zealand, has £92 of Air ­Passenger Duty in an average seat, or £202 for an upgraded one.

Anna Bowles, head of consumer policy and enforcement at the Civil Aviation Authority, says if customers have an issue with their booking or flight, they should complain to their airline first.

‘If they are still not satisfied with the response they receive, consumers can seek redress through the approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service, which will independently review their claim,’ she says. Visit aviationadr.org.uk.