Passengers caught up in the chaos at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five are being urged to press ahead with compensation claims, despite British Airways (BA) imposing “limits” on how much passengers can claim.

Since T5 opened on Thursday, 254 flights have been cancelled and 15,000 bags have failed to be reunited with their owners. BA has reportedly told passengers they can claim £100 per day for hotels, £25 per day for food and drink and £50 for transport – but experts say BA can not legally impose limits on how much compensation passengers can claim.

James Fremantle at consumer watchdog Air Transport Users Council said: “Passengers should not be out of pocket because of the T5 problems. Remember the law does not specify a limit as to how much compensation you can claim and indeed a limit of £100 for a last minute hotel sounds quite unrealistic.

“As long your claims are reasonable and you don’t book yourself into somewhere really extravagant, passengers should press ahead with claims even if they are over BA’s “limits”.

Q&A: travel advice for Heathrow T5 passengers

Baggage claims, refunds, delay compensation and more. Ginny McGrath answers your questions

• T5 chaos: know your legal rights

T5 chaos: know your legal rights

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, or your baggage is lost, you are entitled to compensation

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Background

• T5 hit by new flights fiasco

• Terminal problems for BA’s Walsh?

• Lost BA bags sent to Milan

• BA reviews transfers to T5

• Unions had warned BA over chaotic move

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Peter McCarthy at consumer group Which? agreed: “If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to assistance. This can include free meals and refreshments depending on how long you are waiting. It also includes free hotel accommodation and transfers to the hotel if the re-routed flight means you have an overnight stay at the airport.

“You are also allowed two free phone calls, faxes or e-mails and you may be entitled to financial compensation if your flight is cancelled, depending on the circumstances.”

Which? has provided template letters which can help you claim for compensation – see www.which.co.uk. Here is a brief guide to what you may be entitled.

Cancellation of Flights

If your flight is cancelled you are entitled to the following, as long as you are a passenger flying from an EU airport or from an airport outside the EU to an EU airport on an EU carrier:

Refund or re-routing – you will be given a choice between a refund of the ticket or of re-routing to your final destination. You are not entitled to reimbursement of any other components of your trip such as hotel and transfer costs.

Compensation – If there is a delay in getting to your destination due to re-routing, compensation varies according to the length of your journey and the delay to your destination. For example, if your journey was up to 1500km and you were delayed by up to two hours, you will receive 125 Euros. If your journey was more than 3500km and you were delayed by more than four hours, you will be compensated by 600 Euros.

Assistance at the airport - free meals and refreshments as well as two free phone calls/ emails/ faxes should also be provided when waiting for the re-routed flights. In the event of re-routing when the flight is the next day, free accommodation and transfer to and from that accommodation should be provided by the airline.