Delayed or cancelled flights when returning from holiday: what to do with your car

What you need to tell us, how we adjust the pick-up and which rights are worth knowing if your travel schedule changes.

It has been a great holiday.

But after several days away, sleeping in beds that are not yours and confirming that your back no longer tolerates just any pillow like it did when you were twenty, you start to feel like going home.

And just then, that word no traveller wants to see appears on the airport screen:

DELAYED.

Or, even worse:

CANCELLED.

Your brain immediately starts doing calculations.

What time will I arrive? Will I miss my connection? Will I get to work tomorrow? Where am I going to sleep? And, at some point, another question appears:

What happens to the car I have parked at the airport?

The short answer is quite reassuring: your car can stay longer.

The important thing is that you tell us about the change so we can adapt your booking and organise the pick-up.

If your flight arrives late, your car will still be waiting for you

When you book long-stay parking at the airport, you indicate an estimated return time based on your flight landing time.

If the flight is delayed by several hours or cancelled, that estimate changes.

No problem.

At aparca&go we are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so a late-night landing does not mean you will find the car park closed and have to pitch a tent next to the terminal.

That said: if the delay is significant or your arrival day changes, update your booking and let us know as soon as possible.

There is no penalty simply because your flight has been delayed.

If the change means the car remains parked for longer, the extended stay will be charged according to the conditions and fare applicable to your booking.

What should you do if your arrival time changes?

If the airline has already confirmed a new return time or date, update your booking details as soon as you have a reasonably reliable estimate.

You can do this from your confirmation email or from the aparca&go app, by entering your personal area and accessing your active booking.

If you cannot modify it or need help, contact our team and we will manage it with you.

And here there is an important difference depending on the service you have booked.

If you have Express

If your arrival time changes significantly, let us know so we can update our operational forecast.

When you finally land, follow the usual instructions for the Express service to let us know you are ready to return to the car park.

If you have Premium

Here, telling us is especially important.

With Premium, we have to coordinate the delivery of your vehicle at the terminal, so we need to know your new estimated arrival time to adapt the operation.

Even if you included your flight number in the booking, do not rely solely on the change updating automatically.

If the airline significantly changes your return flight, tell us.

A timely message or call can avoid a wait when the only thing you want after several hours of delay is to get in the car and go home.

Three mistakes that can complicate a fairly simple situation

A delayed flight already creates enough hassle on its own.

Better not add any extra problems.

1. Not updating the booking

If you know you will arrive several hours later or even the next day, do not keep the original time.

Update it or contact us.

2. Thinking that landing means you are already outside the terminal

Just because the plane touches down at 22:15 does not mean you are waiting for your car at 22:16.

You have to disembark, walk through the terminal, wait for your luggage —if you checked any in— and reach the meeting or pick-up point.

That is why it is important to follow the instructions for your service and let us know at the right time, once you have collected your bags and are ready to leave the terminal.

3. Reaching the end of the trip with 3% battery

Precisely on the day when you need to check the new flight, speak to the airline, inform whoever is waiting for you, review your booking and contact the car park.

Charge your phone before the return journey and, if you have an external battery, this is one of those days when you will be glad you packed it in your hand luggage.

On days like this, every problem you avoid counts.

Since you are waiting: what rights do you have if your flight is delayed or cancelled?

While you check the departures board for the fifth time, there is something else worth knowing: a delay or cancellation may give you certain passenger rights.

And there are two concepts that are often confused: assistance and compensation.

Assistance: what the airline must provide during the wait

Depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight, European regulations include assistance such as food, drinks and communications.

If the new flight forces you to spend the night, accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel may also apply.

If you have to cover reasonable expenses because the company does not provide that assistance, keep the receipts.

Compensation: when you may be entitled to money

European Regulation 261/2004 provides for compensation of 250, 400 or 600 euros, mainly depending on the distance of the flight and the circumstances, for certain major delays and cancellations.

But not every three-hour delay or every cancellation automatically generates compensation.

Factors include when the cancellation was communicated to you, what alternative transport you were offered or whether the problem was caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline’s control.

So, rather than trying to solve European regulations from the boarding gate, keep one simple rule in mind: keep the documentation.

Boarding pass, booking, communications from the company, new departure time, receipts for expenses you had to cover and any other information related to the incident.

Afterwards, you can check your rights through official channels and first claim from the airline and, where appropriate, contact the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA).

The flight can change; getting your car back does not have to become complicated

If your return flight is delayed or cancelled, you already have enough to deal with reorganising the rest of the trip.

With the car, remember three things:

• Update your estimated arrival time.
• Let us know if the change is significant.
• Follow the pick-up instructions for your service when you finally land.

Your car will remain in custody while you are away and, if you need to extend the stay, we can adapt the booking.

So when that long-awaited “landed” finally appears, you can focus your energy on what really matters: collecting your suitcase, getting home and swearing that next time you will travel with hand luggage only.

The flight can get complicated.

Your parking does not have to.