If you'd prefer to travel rather than receive a refund, the airline must rebook you onto an alternative flight to your destination at no extra cost. This should be at the earliest available opportunity, or on an agreed alternative date.

A few things worth knowing:

• The replacement flight does not have to be with the same airline. If your original carrier has no suitable availability, they may rebook you onto a rival airline's service.
• You may also request an alternative form of transport — such as a train or coach if it would get you to your destination more quickly.
• Do not book a replacement flight yourself without speaking to the airline first. If the alternative you arrange is more expensive than your original ticket, you may be left covering the difference out of your own pocket.

If you no longer wish to travel following a cancellation, the airline must reimburse you the full cost of all unused portions of your ticket within seven days.

What if your flight was cancelled after you'd already arrived at the airport?

If you were at the airport when the cancellation was announced and you opt for a replacement flight, the airline must also provide you with duty of care while you wait. This includes:

• Up to two complimentary telephone calls, faxes or emails
• Free meals and refreshments, proportionate to your waiting time (typically issued as vouchers)
• Hotel accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay becomes necessary

If the airline fails to provide vouchers or assistance, keep all your receipts. You can include these costs in your compensation claim.

In addition to a refund or replacement flight, you may also be entitled to financial compensation if all of the following apply:

• Your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before your scheduled departure
• You opted for re-routing, but your replacement flight arrives at your destination 2 or more hours later than originally planned
• Your flight falls within the last six years (five years if you are based in Scotland)

How much can you claim?

The compensation amount depends on three factors: when you were notified, the distance of your flight, and how closely your replacement flight matched your original schedule.

If the airline moves your flight to an earlier time at short notice, this is treated the same as a cancellation under UK/EU law. You may be entitled to the same level of compensation. As a general rule, the earlier you are informed of the change, the more likely it is that the airline can justify the rescheduling without paying out but if you were given less than 14 days' notice, your rights remain.

The price you originally paid for your ticket has no bearing on the amount you can claim. This also applies to passengers who booked as part of a package holiday.

If a cancellation affects one leg of a connecting journey, your rights depend on your total delay to your final destination and whether all flights were booked under a single reservation.

Where your cancelled flight causes you to arrive at your final destination 3 or more hours late, and all legs of the journey were booked together, you are likely entitled to compensation.

If, however, the connecting flights were purchased on separate tickets, each booking is treated as an independent contract and your rights apply independently to each one.

Connecting flight examples

Airlines may decline to pay compensation by citing extraordinary circumstances — events that were genuinely beyond their control and which could not have been avoided even with every reasonable precaution taken.

What counts as an extraordinary circumstance?

• Severe weather: Fog, storms, heavy snow, hail or ice
• Security incidents: Bomb threats, acts of sabotage or terrorist activity
• Air traffic control restrictions: Including those caused by military activity or political unrest
• External strikes: Such as those involving air traffic controllers or airport workers
• Natural disasters: Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or flooding
• Third-party technical events: Bird strikes or drone-related disruption

However, airlines are still required to prove they took all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of the disruption. European Court of Justice case law (C-74/19, 2020) confirms that airlines must demonstrate they explored all rebooking options including other carriers before concluding that a cancellation was unavoidable.

What does NOT count as an extraordinary circumstance?

If your flight was cancelled whilst travelling for work, you are entitled to the compensation not your employer. The regulation recognises that it is the individual passenger who experienced the disruption and inconvenience, regardless of who paid for the ticket. This applies equally to civil servants and those travelling in an official capacity.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you have up to six years from the date of the cancelled flight to submit a claim. In Scotland, this period is five years.

The clock starts from the end of the calendar year in which the flight was cancelled. So if your flight was cancelled on 1 January 2023, you would have until the end of 2029 to make a claim — nearly seven years in total.

Use this checklist to make sure your claim is as strong as possible:

1. Hold onto your travel documents — boarding pass, e-ticket and booking confirmation are all vital. If you no longer have them, contact the airline to request copies.
2. Get written confirmation from the airline — ask ground staff at the airport to confirm the cancellation in writing, including the stated reason (e.g. technical fault, strike). This is often decisive in disputes.
3. Claim your right to care and assistance — if your replacement flight is delayed by 2 or more hours, you are entitled to meals, drinks and access to communication. For longer waits, request hotel accommodation and transfer. Keep everything in writing.
4. Don't accept a voucher without checking your options — you are entitled to a cash refund, not just a voucher. A voucher ties you to the airline and could become worthless if the carrier enters administration.
5. Check whether extraordinary circumstances apply — technical failures and internal airline strikes are generally not extraordinary circumstances, which means your claim is likely valid in these cases.
6. Keep all receipts — meals, accommodation, transfers and any other out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result of the cancellation may be reclaimable.
7. Submit your claim through Air Delayed — use our free compensation checker to establish your eligibility in minutes. If you have a valid claim, we'll handle the entire process on your behalf, from first contact with the airline through to legal proceedings if necessary.