If my flight is cancelled due to bad weather, can I transfer to a new one?

Simon Calder answers your questions on disruptions to air travel and getting into Australia

Raincheck: storms have wrecked the travel plans of thousands of people this month (Getty)

Q We are due to fly to New York for five nights with British Airways Holidays, booked as a package. If bad weather means we do not get to travel, either on our shuttle from Manchester to London Heathrow or onwards from there to JFK, could we ask to be transferred to the direct flight from Manchester to New York if that would save the trip?

Name supplied

A Devastating weather has wrecked the travel plans of tens of thousands of people this month – with Friday’s Storm Eunice and Monday’s Storm Franklin doing particular damage. I’m interested that you didn’t book a nonstop for a winter trip in the first place, and instead chose a routing via an airport, London Heathrow, that is extremely susceptible to weather (and other) disruption. In normal times, it is the busiest two-runway airport in the world, with little slack in the system.