What to do in the face of a festive disaster - Martyn James

It looks like this is going to be a turbulent winter, with storms, flooding, cold weather and other seasonal traumas affecting people in every corner of the United Kingdom.bSo what can you do if something spoils your Christmas plans? Here’s my guide.

What if my flight gets cancelled?

Planning a winter getaway? Having a lovely trip abroad is certainly very tempting at this time of year. But there’s always a risk that your flight will be grounded.

If you don't have a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer to take you to your festive destination, be prepared in case of cancellations (Picture: Adobe)

If your flight gets cancelled as a result of bad weather, or because of issues ‘outside of the airline’s control’ then you aren’t entitled to compensation.

However, the airline should try to get you on its next available flight, or one with another airline if the options are limited. You should also get food and drink vouchers and overnight accommodation if you’re stranded.

That’s why I’d strongly recommend taking battery chargers for your phone so you don’t miss any updates, which usually come through the airline app. Have a credit card with enough credit to cover emergencies. And never leave home without a great travel insurance policy.

What if my train is cancelled?

As a regular train traveller, I’ve learned the hard way how to deal with rail disruption. Firstly, keep an eye on the many train disruption sites. National Rail’s is at this link.

If you’ve bought train tickets in advance then you should be able to get a refund. Train operators will usually allow you to get on the next available train (or an earlier one) but do double check if that’s allowed.

Refunds for cancelled trains and ‘delay repay’ can be arranged through the train operator’s website. Don’t forget you can make a complaint and take it to the Rail Ombudsman if you aren’t happy. However, over Christmas, I always plan alternative options for getting to my destination. Check out flights, coaches and even car-pooling in worst case scenario.

What if I have a weather-related home emergency?

Wonky meters, cracked pipes and boilers that give up the ghost. It’s that time of year where home emergencies can ruin your festive plans.

Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Re-pressurise your boiler and familiarise yourself with how it works. Increase the heating a notch at a time on the thermostat to reduce pipe cracking scenarios and have a hunt online to find a recommended tradesperson with a 24 hour emergency number. If you don’t have home emergency cover, speak to your home insurance company now to see what’s covered under your existing policy.

If an incident does occur, ask the tradesperson for an assessment before they start disassembling boilers or digging up floorboards. Find out how long it will take to carry out repairs if parts aren’t available and see if your insurer has provisions for alternative accommodation if your home isn’t ‘liveable’.

Not all cold weather problems are boiler or pipe related. Heavy snow can result in your roof, fence, shed or garage suffering damage. If the structure was a bit rickety then the insurer might say the claimable event is as a result of ‘wear and tear’ and turn down your claim. But you can (and should) appeal this to the free Financial Ombudsman.

Other insurance disasters

Every winter, countless people warming up their car on cold days return to the drive to find an opportunistic thief has nicked their vehicle.

‘Keys in car’ thefts occur outside the home, shops, at ATMs, and at petrol stations. While most insurers include clauses in their contracts about leaving your car unattended with the keys in (or leaving the doors open) you can still appeal if your claim is turned down. It’s on the insurer to prove that the car was left unlocked too.

Depressingly, this time of year is a boom time for thieves. So if you have lots of expensive presents under the tree, speak to your home insurer about extra cover that you might need to take out, just in case. Or go traditional and hide the big value prezzies!

Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist. Find more of Martyn’s advice at this link.