What Happens If Your Flight Is Cancelled? What Are Your Rights To Claim Compensation Under EU261?

Having your flight cancelled can leave you unsure about what happens next, particularly if you are already at the airport or due to travel within the next few hours.

You may have spent months looking forward to a holiday, only to suddenly find yourself worried and frustrated about whether you’ll be able to get to your destination or when you’ll be able to travel.

The good news is that if you are in this situation, you have a number of legal rights to protect you when an airline cancels your flight.

From arranging a replacement flight or giving you a refund, to providing food, accommodation and potentially paying compensation, we’ll explain what the airline is responsible for, what you’re entitled to and what you should do next.

Alternatively, just add your flight details to our free flight cancellation compensation calculator, and we’ll be able to tell you if your cancelled flight is eligible for compensation and how much you may be able to claim.

What Happens If My Flight Is Cancelled?

If your flight is cancelled, you have a legal right to choose between a full refund or a replacement flight to your final destination.

If you still want to travel, the airline must get you to your destination as quickly as possible. This can include booking you onto a flight with another airline if it can get you there sooner. Alternatively, you can choose to travel at a later date that is convenient for you, subject to seat availability.

If you decide not to travel, you can choose a full refund instead. However, once you accept the refund, the airline no longer has a responsibility to arrange a replacement flight for you.

What Are My Rights Under EU261 If My Flight Has Been Cancelled?

If your flight is covered by EU261 or UK261, your rights go beyond choosing between a replacement flight or a refund. Depending on the circumstances of the cancellation, you may also have a right to compensation and care and assistance from the airline.

If you accept a replacement flight, you may also be able to claim up to £520 in compensation. Whether you can claim will depend on why your original flight was cancelled, when you were told about the cancellation and the departure and arrival times of your replacement flight.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim?

The amount of compensation you can claim for a flight cancellation will depend on the distance of your flight and the departure and arrival times of the replacement flight offered by the airline. Under UK261, compensation for a cancelled flight can range from £110 to £520 per passenger.

For shorter flights, compensation can be £110 or £220 per passenger, increasing to £175 or £350 for medium-distance flights and £260 or £520 for long-haul flights. The amount you receive will depend on how the timings of your replacement flight compare with your original booking.

Compensation is paid per passenger and is not based on your ticket price or the class you were travelling in. Flight cancellation compensation can sometimes be difficult to calculate, as the amount will depend on the circumstances of your cancellation and the timings of your replacement flight. You can find a full explanation in our guide to how much flight cancellation compensation you can claim.

If you have to wait for your replacement flight, the airline may also have to provide care and assistance. Depending on how long you have to wait, this can include free meals and refreshments, and hotel accommodation and transport if your replacement flight does not depart until the following day.

Your right to claim compensation will depend on whether your flight is covered by EU261 or UK261, why it was cancelled and how far in advance the airline told you about the cancellation.

Which Cancelled Flights Are Covered By EU261?

For your cancelled flight to be covered by EU261 or UK261, it will need to meet certain criteria based on where your flight was departing from, where it was flying to and the airline you were travelling with.

EU261 and UK261 cover:

• Any flight departing from a UK or EU airport
• Any flight arriving in the UK or EU when operated by a UK or EU airline

This means that if you are flying into the UK or EU from another country with a non-UK or EU airline, your flight would not be covered.

When Is A Flight Cancellation Eligible For Compensation?

When the airline tells you your flight has been cancelled will determine whether you have a right to claim compensation.

Under EU261 and UK261, the rules are split into three different notice periods.

Your Flight Was Cancelled 14 Days Or More Before Departure

You would not be entitled to compensation if the airline told you about the cancellation at least 14 days before your scheduled departure. However, you are still entitled to a refund or a replacement flight.

Your Flight Was Cancelled Between 7 And 14 Days Before Departure

You may be able to claim compensation if you accept a replacement flight that:

• Departs more than 2 hours earlier than your original flight, or
• Arrives at your final destination 4 hours or more after your original scheduled arrival time.

Your Flight Was Cancelled Less Than 7 Days Before Departure

You may be able to claim compensation if you accept a replacement flight that:

• Departs more than 1 hour earlier than your original flight, or
• Arrives at your final destination 2 hours or more after your original scheduled arrival time.

However, the timings of your replacement flight are not the only factor that will determine whether you can claim compensation. The reason why your flight was cancelled will also need to be considered, including whether it was considered the airline’s fault or an extraordinary circumstance.

What Are Extraordinary Circumstances For A Cancelled Flight?

Under EU261 and UK261, an extraordinary circumstance is classed as an event outside the airline’s control that could not have been avoided even if the airline had taken all reasonable measures.

If an extraordinary circumstance was responsible for your flight being cancelled, you would not usually have a right to claim compensation.

The most common examples of extraordinary circumstances include unexpected severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, strikes unrelated to the airline, airport closures and security risks.

However, airline staffing issues, strikes involving the airline’s own staff, technical faults, or problems with check-in or boarding fall within the airline’s responsibility. In these instances, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Importantly, extraordinary circumstances only affect your right to compensation. Even if the airline was not responsible for the cancellation, it must still offer you a replacement flight or a refund and, where applicable, provide care and assistance while you wait.

What Should I Do If My Flight Has Been Cancelled At The Airport?

If your flight is cancelled while you are at the airport, speak to the airline as soon as possible to find out why it was cancelled and what alternative flights are available.

If you no longer wish to travel, you can ask for a refund.

If you still want to travel, ask the airline to confirm the earliest replacement flight they can offer to your final destination, including whether another airline can get you there sooner.

You should also:

• Ask the airline to confirm in writing why the flight was cancelled
• Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation and cancellation notification
• Make a note of the replacement flights you are offered and their departure and arrival times
• Ask what food, refreshments or accommodation the airline will provide if you have to wait
• Keep receipts for any reasonable expenses you have to pay yourself

It is worth keeping as much information as possible about the cancellation and the replacement flight you were offered. You may need these details later if you decide to make a claim for compensation.

What Should I Do If My Flight Is Cancelled Before I Travel?

If the airline has contacted you about your cancellation before you travel to the airport, check the email, text message or notification carefully to see what information they have provided and what options are available to you.

If the airline offers you a replacement flight, check the new departure and arrival times before accepting it. You do not have to accept the alternative flight if it does not suit you, and you can ask the airline what other options are available.

If you still want to travel, check whether the replacement flight gets you to your destination as quickly as possible. If there is an earlier suitable flight available, including with another airline, you can ask the airline to re-route you onto that flight instead.

Keep the cancellation email or message you received from the airline, particularly if you were told less than 14 days before departure. The date you were informed, and the timings of any replacement flight you were offered, can be important if you later make a claim for compensation.

What Are My Rights While I Wait For A Replacement Flight?

If you choose to take a replacement flight and have to wait at the airport, the airline is responsible for providing care and assistance depending on how long you are delayed.

This can include free meals and refreshments, two phone calls or emails and, if your replacement flight does not depart until the following day, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and your hotel.

Your right to care and assistance applies even if the cancellation was caused by an extraordinary circumstance.

If the airline does not provide what you need and you have to pay for reasonable expenses yourself, keep your receipts so you can ask the airline to reimburse you.

Can I Book My Own Replacement Flight?

If your flight is cancelled and you still want to travel, you should let the airline arrange a replacement flight first.

The airline is responsible for rerouting you to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. If it cannot offer a suitable replacement, but another flight is available that would get you there sooner, including with another airline, ask the airline to book you on it.

If you do book a replacement flight yourself, you will forgo any rights you may have received from your original booking.

What Happens If My Replacement Flight Is From A Different Airport?

The airline may sometimes offer a replacement flight that departs or arrives at a different airport from the one on your original booking.

If you are offered a replacement flight departing from a different airport, ask the airline what transport arrangements it will provide before paying to travel there yourself.

If the replacement flight takes you to another airport serving the same town, city or region, the airline is responsible for the cost of transferring you from the alternative airport to the airport on your original booking, or another nearby destination agreed with you.

What Happens If A Connecting Flight Is Cancelled?

If you have booked connecting flights as part of the same ticket, the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination if a cancellation causes you to miss your connection.

If your first flight is cancelled and you will therefore miss your connection, the airline should rearrange your flights and get you to your final destination as quickly as possible. This may involve putting you on a replacement flight or finding another route to your destination.

If you are already part way through your journey and one of your remaining flights is cancelled, the same right applies. The airline should arrange alternative travel to your final destination.

However, if the cancellation means your journey no longer serves its original purpose, you can choose not to continue. In these circumstances, you may be entitled to a refund and a return flight to your original departure airport.

What Happens To My Return Flight If My Outbound Flight Is Cancelled?

If your outbound flight is cancelled but you accept a replacement flight and continue with your trip, your return flight should remain unaffected.

However, if the cancellation means you no longer want to travel, what happens to your return flight will depend on how your flights were booked.

If your outbound and return flights are part of the same booking, you can choose not to travel and request a refund for the unused parts of your booking, including your return flight.

If you booked your outbound and return flights separately, the cancellation of your outbound flight does not automatically give you a right to a refund for the separately booked return flight. You would need to check the terms of that booking with the airline.

How Long Do I Have To Claim Compensation For A Cancelled Flight?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you have up to 6 years from the date of your cancelled flight to start a claim for a cancelled flight. In Scotland, the time limit is 5 years.