Cancellation

Short-haul flight

Under EU law an airline is not allowed to leave you high and dry if they cancel a short-haul flight that you are booked on.

Any flight that covers under 1,500km is short-haul. However, these rules only apply to certain flights to, from or within the EU.

Check if the law covers your flight

What are my options?

If your cancelled short-haul flight is covered by EU law, your airline must let you choose between two options:

1. Receive a refund 

You can get your money back for all parts of the ticket you haven't used. For instance, if you have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.

2. Choose an alternative flight 

If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. It's up to you whether to fly as soon as possible after the cancelled flight, or at a later date that suits you. Airlines often refer to this as being ‘rerouted'.

Although most airlines will book you onto another of their flights to the same destination, if an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner then you may have the right to be booked onto that flight instead. You can discuss this with your airline.

Care and assistance 

If the law covers your short-haul flight, your airline must look after you once you have been  delayed by more than two hours.

This means they must provide:

• A reasonable amount of  food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers)
• A means for you to  communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
• Accommodation, if you're delayed overnight (usually in a nearby hotel)
• Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)

The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it.

How it works in practice

If your flight is delayed, many airlines will provide vouchers for you to buy food and drink. If you require accommodation, they may book a hotel and arrange transportation for you.

Sometimes airlines are unable to arrange care and assistance for all passengers. This can happen when staff are stretched during major disruption.

If this happens, in our view you have the right to organise reasonable care and assistance yourself, then claim the cost back later. If you end up paying for things yourself,  keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable. Airlines are unlikely to refund you for things like luxury hotels or alcohol. Some will provide guidance on reasonable costs.

Occasionally, airlines refuse to provide care and assistance. If your airline does this, but you are sure you are entitled to help, you can organise it yourself and claim the cost back later. Always keep receipts in this situation.

However, it can take time to complain and get your money back.

Compensation 

If you received less than 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you may be able to claim compensation too.

This depends on what caused the cancellation – if it wasn't the airline's fault, don't expect to receive any compensation. 

Delays caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances' are not eligible for compensation.

Learn more about extraordinary circumstances

Seven to 14 days' notice

If you received seven to 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight, you can claim  €250. 
  
• If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives more than two hours after it, you can claim  €250. 
  
• If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than two hours after it, you can claim  €125. 

Less than seven days' notice

If you received less than seven days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than two hours after your original flight, you can claim  €250 – no matter what time it departs. 
  
• If your new flight takes off more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than two hours after it, you can claim  €125.

You can only claim compensation if your cancelled flight matches one of the situations described above. All compensation figures are per person.

More about claiming 

Learn more about how to claim compensation for a cancelled flight.

Claiming after a cancellation

Medium-haul flight

Under EU law an airline is not allowed to leave you high and dry if they cancel a medium-haul flight that you are booked on.

Any flight that covers 1,500km – 3,500km is medium-haul. However, these rules only apply to certain flights to, from or within the EU.

Check if the law covers your flight

What are my options?

If your cancelled medium-haul flight is covered by EU law, your airline must let you choose between two options:

1. Receive a refund 

You can get your money back for all parts of the ticket you haven't used. For instance, if you have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.

2. Choose an alternative flight 

If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. It's up to you whether to fly as soon as possible after the cancelled flight, or at a later date that suits you. Airlines often refer to this as being ‘rerouted'.

Although most airlines will book you onto another of their flights to the same destination, if an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner then you may have the right to be booked onto that flight instead. You can discuss this with your airline.

Care and assistance

If the law covers your medium-haul flight, your airline must look after you once you have been delayed by more than three hours. 

This means they must provide:

• A reasonable amount of  food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers) 
  
• A means for you to  communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls) 
  
• Accommodation, if you're delayed overnight (usually in a nearby hotel) 
  
• Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)

The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it.

How it works in practice

If your flight is delayed, many airlines will provide vouchers for you to buy food and drink. If you require accommodation, they may book a hotel and arrange transportation for you.

Sometimes airlines are unable to arrange care and assistance for all passengers. This can happen when staff are stretched during major disruption.

If this happens, in our view you have the right to organise reasonable care and assistance yourself, then claim the cost back later. If you end up paying for things yourself,  keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable. Airlines are unlikely to refund you for things like luxury hotels or alcohol. Some will provide guidance on reasonable costs.

Occasionally, airlines refuse to provide care and assistance. If your airline does this, but you are sure you are entitled to help, you can organise it yourself and claim the cost back later. Always keep receipts in this situation.

However, it can take time to complain and get your money back.

Compensation

If you received less than 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you may be able to claim compensation too.

This depends on what caused the cancellation – if it wasn't the airline's fault, don't expect to receive any compensation. 
Delays caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances' are not eligible for compensation.

Learn more about extraordinary circumstances

Seven to 14 days' notice 

If you receive seven to 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight, you can claim  €400 – no matter what time it departs. 
  
• If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives three to four hours after it, you can claim  €400. 
  
• If your new flight takes off more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than three hours after it, you can claim  €200.

Less than seven days' notice 

If you received less than seven days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than three hours after your original flight, you can claim  €400 – no matter what time it departs. 
  
• If your new flight departs more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than three hours after it, you can claim  €200.

You can only claim compensation if your cancelled flight matches one of the situations described above. All compensation figures are per person.

More about claiming

Learn more about how to claim compensation for a cancelled flight.

Claiming after a cancellation

Long-haul flight

Under EU law an airline is not allowed to leave you high and dry if they cancel a long-haul flight that you are booked on.

Any flight that covers over 3,500km is long-haul. However, these rules only apply to certain flights to or from the EU.

Check if the law covers your flight

What are my options? 

If your cancelled long-haul flight is covered by EU law, your airline must let you choose between two options:

1. Receive a refund 

You can get your money back for all parts of the ticket you haven't used. For instance, if you have booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket back from your airline.

2. Choose an alternative flight 

If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight. It's up to you whether to fly as soon as possible after the cancelled flight, or at a later date that suits you. Airlines often refer to this as being ‘rerouted'.

Although most airlines will book you onto another of their flights to the same destination, if an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner then you may have the right to be booked onto that flight instead. You can discuss this with your airline.

Care and assistance

If the law covers your long-haul flight, your airline must look after you once you have been delayed by more than four hours. 

This means they must provide:

• A reasonable amount of  food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers)
• A means for you to  communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls)
• Accommodation, if you're delayed overnight (usually in a nearby hotel)
• Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)

The airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it.

How it works in practice

If your flight is delayed, many airlines will provide vouchers for you to buy food and drink. If you require accommodation, they may book a hotel and arrange transportation for you.

Sometimes airlines are unable to arrange care and assistance for all passengers. This can happen when staff are stretched during major disruption.

If this happens, in our view you have the right to organise reasonable care and assistance yourself, then claim the cost back later. If you end up paying for things yourself,  keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable. Airlines are unlikely to refund you for things like luxury hotels or alcohol. Some will provide guidance on reasonable costs.

Occasionally, airlines refuse to provide care and assistance. If your airline does this, but you are sure you are entitled to help, you can organise it yourself and claim the cost back later. Always keep receipts in this situation.

However, it can take time to complain and get your money back.

Compensation  

If you received less than 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you may be able to claim compensation too.

This depends on what caused the cancellation – if it wasn't the airline's fault, don't expect to receive anything.  
Delays caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances' are not eligible for compensation.

Learn more about extraordinary circumstances

Seven to 14 days' notice

If you received seven to 14 days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight, you can claim  €600 – no matter what time it departs. 
  
• If your new flight departs more than two hours before your original flight, and arrives less than four hours after it, you can claim  €300.

Less than seven days' notice:

If you received less than seven days' notice of the cancellation, you can claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight:

• If your new flight arrives more than four hours after your original flight, you can claim  €600 – no matter what time it departs. 
  
• If your new flight departs more than one hour before your original flight, and arrives less than four hours after it, you can claim  €300.

You can only claim compensation if your cancelled flight matches one of the situations described above. All compensation figures are per person.

More about claiming

Learn more about how to claim compensation for a cancelled flight.

Claiming after a cancellation