What to Do When Your Flight Is Cancelled
Rebook first, claim second. The order of your first ten minutes decides whether you get home today.
Short answer: Rebook before you complain. Open the airline app and take the first acceptable alternative while simultaneously joining the desk queue — whichever resolves first wins. Keep every receipt for food and accommodation, photograph the departure board showing the cancellation, and submit any compensation claim afterwards, directly with the airline, in writing.
Seats on the replacement flights are allocated roughly in the order passengers ask for them. Every minute spent arguing about compensation at the desk is a minute someone else spends taking the last seat on tonight's alternative.
Your first ten minutes
- Screenshot the cancellation notification and the departure board.
- Open the app and look at self-service rebooking before the announcement finishes.
- Call the airline's phone line while standing in the physical queue — three channels at once.
- Search alternative routings yourself (nearby airports, a different carrier in the same alliance) so you can ask for something specific.
- Only once you are rebooked, ask what care — meals, hotel, transfers — is being provided.
What airlines typically owe
| Situation | Usual entitlement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation, airline's fault | Rerouting or refund, plus care | Cash compensation may also apply |
| Cancellation, extraordinary circumstances | Rerouting or refund, plus care | Weather and strikes often exclude cash compensation |
| Long delay before departure | Meals, comms, hotel if overnight | Thresholds depend on flight distance |
| Downgrade | Partial fare refund | Claim in writing with the boarding pass |
Keeping the claim simple
Write one short message: flight number, date, scheduled and actual times, what you were told, what you spent, and what you are asking for. Attach the receipts and the boarding pass. Refuse vouchers if you want cash and you are entitled to it — accepting a voucher can close the claim.
Want to go further? Read our guide on How to Avoid Tourist Price Traps in Any City or browse everything in Travel.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I accept a voucher?
- Only if you would genuinely fly with them again soon. Accepting a voucher often settles the claim and removes your right to cash.
- Does travel insurance replace airline compensation?
- No. Claim from the airline first for rerouting and statutory compensation; insurance covers the gaps, such as prepaid nights you lost.
- What if the airline never replies?
- Escalate to the national aviation regulator or the airline's ADR scheme after the stated response window, attaching your original message and receipts.
Sources & references
About the author
Daniel Okoye
Technology Writer
Daniel tests consumer hardware and software and explains what actually changes for everyday users, without the marketing language.
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