The reoccurence of the ashcloud caused by the volcano in iceland has left thousands of holiday makers and air travellers stranded with over 250 flights grounded after air space was closed over Scotland.

On advice from the Met Office and the Civil Aviation Authority, the skies over Scotland were designated as a "red zone" and flights were cancelled as a precautionary measure. The cloud is predicted to drift further south over the course of today (24th May) and tomorrow though Transport Secretary Philip Hammond stated that he felt disruption would be short-lived, saying disruption later in the week was likely to be 'limited' and that scottish airports should be reopened by the morning (the 25th May).

This will come as little comfort to those already affected by the ashcloud as they start to think about finding alternative arrangements for reaching their inteneded destination and whether they can claim a refund.

Visit our blog on the ashcloud for advice on your options if you are delayed and what the airlines are legally required to provide.

A quick guide to cancelled flights

Q. My flight has been cancelled – what can I do?

You can rebook free of charge for a later flight – or cancel, and apply for a refund. Of course, if you’ve booked an outbound on one airline and an inbound with another (as many people do these days), you can only claim back the outbound flight – unless the inbound one is subsequently cancelled.

Q. Does the airline have to provide the hotel?

In theory, yes, however in practice they don’t when there is large-scale disruption such as is likely to be seen in this instance. As such make sure you keep all your receipts for reasonable expenses and claim them back.

Q. What if I’m outside the EU on a non-EU airline?

The rules are different and you could be in trouble. It will depend where you are and which airline you are on. I would recommend you contact the airline immediately and see what their policy is.

Q. What happens if you decide not to travel as you are worried that you may be able to fly out but could end up stranded?

"Disinclination to travel" is not regarded as valid grounds for a refund by either travel companies or insurance firms and you could end up out of pocket.