What are my rights if a flight is cancelled?

You are owed a full cash refund if you choose not to rebook. EU and UK flights also owe meals, hotels, and cash compensation.

  • US: full refund if you do not rebook, no cash compensation for delays
  • EU: 250 to 600 euros compensation for cancellations and delays over 3 hours
  • UK: same as EU under UK261 rules post-Brexit
  • Airline must rebook you free of charge or refund you, your choice
  • Weather cancellations: refund yes, compensation no

Official resource: EU Air Passenger Rights

Traveling soon? See our Travel Essentials page.

Want a deeper dive? ↓

Detailed Answer

How It Works

When an airline cancels your flight, you have two options in every country: accept a rebooking on the next available flight at no extra cost, or decline the rebooking and receive a full cash refund. The refund must be cash, not a travel voucher or credit, unless you voluntarily choose to accept a voucher. This right applies in the US, EU, UK, Canada, and Australia regardless of how cheap your ticket was.

Beyond the basic refund and rebooking right, the level of additional compensation you are owed depends entirely on where you are flying. The EU and UK have the strongest passenger rights framework in the world. Under EU Regulation 261/2004 and its UK equivalent UK261, passengers are entitled to fixed cash compensation of 250 to 600 euros on top of a refund or rebooking, plus meals, drinks, and hotel accommodation if the cancellation causes an overnight wait. The US offers no equivalent cash compensation for cancellations.

The cause of the cancellation matters for compensation but not for the refund. Weather events and extraordinary circumstances like air traffic control strikes exempt airlines from paying compensation in the EU and UK. They do not exempt airlines from offering a refund or free rebooking. You are always owed one or the other, regardless of why the flight was cancelled.

Your Rights in the US

  • Full cash refund if you choose not to accept the alternative flight offered
  • Free rebooking on the next available flight on the same airline
  • No legal requirement for the airline to rebook you on a competitor airline
  • No legal requirement for cash compensation beyond the refund
  • No legal requirement for meals or hotel accommodation, though many airlines offer these voluntarily
  • US DOT requires refund within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 days for cash purchases
  • Some airlines offer meal vouchers and hotel accommodation as a goodwill gesture, always ask at the gate

Your Rights in the EU and UK

  • Full cash refund or free rebooking, your choice
  • Cash compensation of 250 euros for flights under 1,500km
  • Cash compensation of 400 euros for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km
  • Cash compensation of 600 euros for flights over 3,500km
  • Compensation reduced by 50% if the airline offers an alternative flight with a small delay to your final arrival
  • Right to care: meals and refreshments proportional to your wait time
  • Right to accommodation: hotel and transport to and from the hotel if an overnight stay is required
  • Two free phone calls, emails, or faxes to inform people of the delay
  • Compensation is not owed for extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, political instability, security threats, air traffic control strikes)
  • Applies to all flights departing an EU or UK airport, and to EU or UK airlines on flights arriving into the EU or UK

Your Rights in Canada and Australia

  • Canada: Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) require compensation of CAD 400 to 1,000 for cancellations within the airline's control, plus meals and hotel if required
  • Australia: no fixed compensation scheme, rights depend on the airline's own conditions of carriage and the Australian Consumer Law, refund or rebooking always available

What You Need to Know

  • Never accept a travel voucher under pressure unless you have confirmed you prefer it over a cash refund
  • If the airline offers a much later flight and you prefer a refund, you are entitled to it
  • In the EU and UK, file your compensation claim directly with the airline first, give them 8 weeks to respond before escalating
  • If the airline rejects your EU or UK claim, escalate to your national enforcement body or an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme
  • Third-party claim services like AirHelp or ClaimCompass handle EU261 claims for a 25 to 35% commission, worth it if the airline is unresponsive
  • Keep all receipts for meals and accommodation expenses incurred during a delay, airlines are required to reimburse reasonable costs
  • Screenshot your boarding pass and any delay or cancellation notifications immediately, these are your evidence

Step-by-Step: What to Do When Your Flight is Cancelled

  • Step 1: do not leave the gate area until you have spoken to an agent or received a rebooking notification on the airline app
  • Step 2: decide whether you want the next available flight or a full refund, you do not have to accept the first alternative offered
  • Step 3: if waiting, ask the gate agent for meal vouchers and accommodation if applicable, do not wait for them to offer
  • Step 4: keep all receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses including food, transport, and hotel
  • Step 5: file a compensation claim with the airline if you are in the EU or UK, use their online claims form and keep a copy
  • Step 6: if the airline does not respond within 8 weeks or rejects a valid EU261 claim, escalate to your national enforcement body or a claims management service

Real Traveler Experiences

"Flight cancelled at Heathrow. I asked immediately for a hotel for the night and meal vouchers. The agent initially said they were not offering them. I mentioned EU261 and within five minutes I had vouchers and a hotel booking."  Reddit r/travel

"Delta cancelled my flight from JFK. They offered a voucher. I said I wanted a cash refund instead. The agent processed it without any argument. Know you have the right to choose."  Flyertalk forum

"Used AirHelp to claim 400 euros after Ryanair cancelled my flight and rejected my direct claim. AirHelp took 30% but I got 280 euros I would not have otherwise received. Worth it."  TripAdvisor forum

Pro Tips

  • Download your airline app before every trip, cancellation notifications and rebooking options often appear there faster than at the gate
  • If your flight is cancelled and the next available is many hours away, ask specifically about rebooking on a competitor airline, US airlines are not required to do this but many will on busy routes
  • In the EU and UK, the word "extraordinary circumstances" is often misused by airlines to avoid paying compensation, weather must be genuinely exceptional to qualify, routine bad weather does not always count
  • Always pay for flights with a credit card, chargeback rights give you an additional layer of protection if the airline fails to refund you
  • Travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage is a separate layer of protection on top of airline rights, not a replacement for knowing your legal entitlements
  • If you are at the airport and need a hotel, book it yourself and keep the receipt rather than waiting for the airline to arrange it, reimbursement is faster with your own booking

Related Questions

Sources

AskTravel.org is an information website only. Always check local regulations and app availability before traveling, as rules change frequently.

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