What Are Your Rights if Your Flight is Cancelled?
A cancelled flight triggers a specific set of legal rights. You are entitled to far more than most airlines will volunteer. This guide explains exactly what you are owed under UK261, EU261, and US DOT rules — and how to claim it.
Quick Answer
If your flight is cancelled, you are always entitled to a full cash refund or free rebooking onto the next available flight to your destination — regardless of the reason for cancellation. Additionally, depending on the reason and how much notice the airline gave you, you may also be entitled to fixed compensation payments of up to €600 (EU/UK) or the full ticket price refund (US).
The Three Things You Are Owed
UK261 and EU261 give you three distinct and separate entitlements when a flight is cancelled. Airlines often try to address only one — typically rebooking — while staying silent about the other two.
Refund or Re-routing (your choice)
You must be offered a full cash refund to the original payment method, OR free re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. The choice is yours — the airline cannot force you onto a later flight if you would prefer a refund, and vice versa. The refund must be paid within 7 days.
Right to Care
While you are waiting at the airport — whether for a rebooked flight or during any wait — the airline must provide meals and refreshments in proportion to the waiting time, two free phone calls or emails, and hotel accommodation plus transport to and from the hotel if an overnight stay is necessary. This right applies regardless of the cause of cancellation.
Fixed Compensation (if applicable)
In addition to the above, you may be entitled to fixed compensation of €250–€600 depending on flight distance. This applies when the cancellation was within the airline's control (not an extraordinary circumstance) AND you were informed less than 14 days before departure. This is separate from the refund — you can receive both.
Fixed Compensation Amounts — UK261 and EU261
| Flight Distance | Routes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | Short-haul (e.g. London–Madrid) | €250 / £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | Medium-haul (e.g. London–Cairo) | €400 / £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | Long-haul (e.g. London–New York) | €600 / £520 |
Note: UK amounts apply for flights departing UK airports or arriving in the UK on UK/EU carriers. EU amounts apply for flights departing EU airports or arriving in the EU on EU carriers.
The Extraordinary Circumstances Loophole — and How to Challenge It
Airlines can avoid paying fixed compensation if they can demonstrate the cancellation was caused by "extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken." This is a narrow legal exemption, but airlines apply it broadly, often incorrectly.
Circumstances courts have confirmed are extraordinary: severe weather making it unsafe to fly, air traffic control strikes, security incidents, political instability, and genuine one-off technical faults not caused by maintenance failures.
Circumstances courts have rejected as NOT extraordinary: routine technical faults (even serious ones), staff shortages, industrial action by the airline's own staff, overbooking, commercial decisions to cancel unprofitable flights, and IT system failures caused by inadequate maintenance.
Key Rule
Even if the cause was genuinely extraordinary, the Right to Care (meals, hotel, rebooking) still applies. The extraordinary circumstances exemption only removes the fixed compensation payment — it does not remove your other entitlements.
US Rules — DOT Regulations
US passenger rights for flight cancellations are weaker than UK/EU rights but still meaningful. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that for cancelled flights, passengers must receive a full cash refund to the original payment method if they request one — even if the ticket was non-refundable.
How to Claim
Step by step when your flight is cancelled
- 1.Document everything immediately — take a photo of the departure board, keep your boarding pass and any notifications from the airline.
- 2.Request meals and refreshments at the airport in writing — send a message via the airline app or email so you have a record.
- 3.If you need accommodation, ask the airline at the airport first. If they refuse, book a reasonable hotel nearby and keep the receipts.
- 4.Decide between refund and rebooking — you have this choice, the airline cannot override it.
- 5.Claim compensation separately after your journey. File via the airline's website first. If they reject the claim or do not respond within 8 weeks, escalate to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the UK, your national enforcement body in the EU, or the DOT in the US.
- 6.If your claim is rejected incorrectly, use a service like AirHelp — they work on a no-win no-fee basis and handle the legal process for you.