Early frost and freezing fog have caused travel disruption across London, with commuters waking to cancelled flights and ferry services, and chaos on the roads.

Twenty-three flights were cancelled at London City Airport on Tuesday morning (March 7), including flights bound for Amsterdam and Florence. Dozens have been delayed, including a flight to Geneva, and inbound flights from Frankfurt and Glasgow.

Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport said some passengers experienced “minor delays” on Wednesday morning but “the airport is open and flights are operating”.

Knock-on delays at airports will be likely, and passengers should check with their airline before they travel, a spokesperson told the Standard.

If you find yourself in this unfortunate position, here are a few tips on what to do about delayed and cancelled flights.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

According to the Citizens’ Advice website, if your flight is delayed, your airline has to give you:

• food and drink

• access to phone calls and emails

• accommodation if you’re delayed overnight - and travel between the airport and hotel

What should I do if my flight is delayed due to bad weather?

However, legally, they don’t have to pay if it is due to an “extraordinary circumstance” outside their control - which includes weather delays.

According to the Bottomline website, your right to claim compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 (which also still applies to the UK) will depend on how long you were delayed and the exact nature of the weather.

And how long the delay has to be depends on the distance of the flight and the countries it is flying between. You can check the flight distance on the WebFlyer website. However, the delay often has to be more than three hours.

The airline will probably still give you vouchers to get food at the airport, and should give you water bottles. Ask someone who works for the airline if you’re not offered any help.

If they don’t give you help at the airport, keep receipts for expenses and try to claim from the airline later. Airlines only pay for “reasonable” expenses - you almost certainly won’t get money back for alcohol, expensive meals, or luxury hotels.

Am I entitled to compensation if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is delayed by more than three hours and it is the airline’s fault, you’re entitled to compensation from the airline.

You’re unlikely to get compensation if the delay was caused by something outside of the airline’s control, like bad weather or a security risk.

You’re entitled to a set amount of compensation depending on both:

• the distance of your flight - check your flight distance on the WebFlyer website

• the length of the delay – how late you are getting to your destination

What should I do if my flight is cancelled?

In the event your flight is cancelled, the compensation that you’re due varies, but it is unlikely you can claim if the airline uses bad weather as the excuse.

However, it is worth trying to get:

• a full refund - including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking such as onward or return flights

• a replacement flight to get you to your destination

If you’re part-way through a journey and you don’t want a replacement flight, you may be able to get a flight back to the airport you originally departed from.

Ask for a refund or replacement at the airport if you can. If not, try to can claim from the airline later.

It is also worth asking for:

• help with costs – if the cancellation delays you two or more hours

• compensation - if you’d be delayed two or more hours by the replacement flight offered and you were given less than two weeks’ notice

If my flight is cancelled, can I get compensation?

If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to compensation legally if the cancellation is the airline’s responsibility.

You also qualify if:

• the replacement flight delays your arrival by two or more hours;

• your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure

The amount of compensation you’re entitled to depends on:

• when the flight was cancelled;

• the distance of the flight – check the flight distance on the Web Flyer website

• the departure and arrival times of the rescheduled flight

However, in the case of cancellations due to weather, the airline is not legally obliged to reimburse you.

What can I do if the airline refuses?

It’s still worth submitting a claim.

According to FlightRight, you should check:

• If other flights are taking off at the same time, as this may be an indication that your flight could have gone ahead

• You arrived on time at check-in

• Your flight started within the EU or landed in the EU. In the latter case, the airline must be based in the EU

• You arrived at least three hours later at your final destination

These are all points to make at the airport. Get any agreement to compensation in writing, unless you are offered a new flight.

If you still don’t get a satisfactory answer, contact the airline operating the flight, even if you booked through another airline. The airline’s customer services department will usually help. Be ready to give all your flight details and booking reference numbers.

Write your claim – say what went wrong and what you want the airline to give you. Include copies (not originals) of your tickets and any receipts of expenses, such as meals brought, hotels booked and travel costs incurred. Quote the legislation.

Keep records of your claim and any response from the airline. Take notes and names if you speak to anyone from the airline - this could be useful if you decide to take your claim further.

If you’ve asked the airline and they won’t compensate you, you can complain to an independent organisation.

If the airline is a member of an alternative-dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, you can complain to the scheme.

If they are, complain to the ADR scheme. If the airline isn’t part of an ADR scheme, you can complain to the Civil Aviation Authority on their website.

For further information, visit the Citizens’ Advice website.