Holidaymakers whose flights are delayed or cancelled are entitled to refunds or rebooked flights – but the bad news is the system can be tricky to navigate.
This can pile extra work and confusion onto travellers already grappling with stressful flight delays, such as the thousands of current flight hold-ups due to air traffic control problems.
As many as 80 per cent of flights leaving the UK were delayed yesterday following a ‘huge failure’ of the national air traffic control system, with experts warning of more disruption this week.
Thousands more flights have been cancelled or delayed this year alone due to staffing issues, security hold-ups and wildfires caused by climate change.
Holiday hell: Holidaymakers face delays this week after air traffic control systems crashed
Flights are some of the most expensive purchases Britons make, with costs easily running into the hundreds or thousands of pounds for a family trip.
But travellers can get refunds and compensation when airlines ground flights.
This is our ultimate guide to everything you need to know about your rights when your flight gets delayed or cancelled.
Your rights if your flight is delayed
Consumers rights around flight problems are protected by law – namely European Union Regulation 261/2004, often just called ‘EU 261’. This law still applies in the UK after Brexit.
It says airlines must compensate passengers if their flight is cancelled or heavily delayed.
Being a European law, it only guarantees delay compensation for flights that:
- Start in the UK
- Arrive in the UK from the EU or UK airline
- Arrive in Europe from a UK airline
How much money you get depends on how long your flight has been delayed.
If you cannot remember how long the delay was, the free website Flightstats.com will tell you.
| Trip distance | Delay criteria | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500km | Arriving at least three hours late | £210 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving at least three hours late | £340 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving between three and four hours late | £250 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving more than four hours late | £520 |
| Source: CAA rules | ||
All the above compensation is per person that is delayed.
EU261 rights kick in if you have bought a flight ticket and have arrived to check in for that flight.
You do not need to be a citizen of an EU country, or the UK, to get compensation, just be on a qualifying flight.
If your flight is delayed you are also entitled to other sorts of compensation, such as food and drink, hotel accommodation and the ability to make phone calls and emails.
This applies for:
- Delays of two or more hours on flights of up to 1,500km
- Delays of three or more hours on flights of more than 1,500km within the EU, or all other flights between 1,500km and 3,500km
- Delays of four or more hours on all other qualifying flights
Know your rights: You may be entitled to compensation for flight delays and cancellations
If your airline does not give you food, drink or vouchers in this situation then you can pay for this yourself and claim it back, but only for reasonable expenses – so no alcohol.
If your flight is delayed for at least five hours, you are entitled to:
- A full refund for the ticket price
- Alternative flights to your destination
If your flight is delayed so badly that it takes off a day or more later than scheduled, you are also entitled to:
- A hotel stay
- Transport to that hotel
Are there any exceptions?
Sadly, yes.
Airlines do not have to pay any compensation if they can claim the delay was not their fault – for example because of very bad weather.
How do I get this compensation?
You have to contact your airline directly for delay compensation.
Your rights if your flight is cancelled
If your flight is cancelled, your airline will step in to help, either by rebooking your travel or issuing a refund, whichever you prefer.
Your rebooking rights
As with delayed flights, airlines have to follow EU261 rules when they cancel flights.
These rules say passengers have the right to take an alternative flight with the same airline to their destination, or to cancel the flight and get a full refund.
But airlines don’t always have to pay out and can avoid doing so if the delay is caused by an extraordinary circumstance, such as bad weather or crew strikes.
>> Read our guide to getting the right travel insurance policy
If a flight is cancelled you should be offered an alternative flight with the same airline to your destination either on the day or the day after, if there is room.
If that is not possible, you should be given the option of a flight with a different airline to your destination, if there’s space.
If you end up paying for this separately you should be able to claim any extra money paid back – if you can prove no other suitable option was given by the original airline.
Feeling floored: Delayed and cancelled flights can cause huge distress to travellers
Your refund rights if your flight is cancelled
If a replacement flight is not possible, or you just do not want it, the next step is to get a refund or a voucher.
Rules from the Civil Aviation Authority regulator say that refunds should be given as cash, but if you do not ask for this then your airline may offer a voucher instead.
Your compensation rights if your flight is cancelled
You may also be able to get compensation for a cancelled flight, on top of any refund.
If you were given more than 14 days’ notice about the cancellation, you will only be entitled to a new flight or a refund for your original flight. But if you were given 14 or fewer days’ notice, you might be able to claim compensation on top of a refund or alternative flight.
The amount of compensation of offer differs depending on when you were told about the cancellation, the length of the flight, and how long you had to wait for a new flight.
The cancellation also needs to have been something which could have been avoided by the airline so you won’t be able to claim for reasons such as a crew strike or extreme weather conditions.
How do I get this compensation?
You have to contact your airline directly for compensation for cancellations.
| Trip distance | Replacement flight criteria | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Leaving at least one hour before original flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arriving up to two hours after original flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arriving at least two hours later than original flight | £220 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Leaving at least one hour before original flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving up to three hours after original flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving at least three hours later than original flight | £350 |
| More than 3,500km | Leaving at least one hour before original flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving up to four hours after original flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving at least four hours later than original flight | £520 |
| Source: CAA rules | ||
| Trip distance | Replacement flight criteria | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Leaving at least two hours before original flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arriving up to two hours after original flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arriving at least two hours earlier than original flight | £220 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arriving at least two hours later than original flight | £220 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Leaving up to two hours before original flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving up to three hours after original flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Leaving up to two hours earlier than original flight | £350 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving three to hour hours later than original flight | £350 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arriving at least four hours later than original flight | £350 |
| More than 3,500km | Leaving up to two hours before original flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving up to four hours after original flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arriving at least four hours later than original flight | £520 |
| Source: CAA rules | ||
What are my refund rights if I cancel a flight?
If you cancel a flight yourself then your airline has no obligation to refund you unless you bought a refundable ticket, also known as ‘flexible booking’.
Airlines offering this include British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair.
However, you may pay extra for this flexibility, and the exact terms vary according to the airline.
For example, British Airways lets you cancel a flight and get a full refund within 24 hours of booking.
Cancelling after that point means you may have to pay a fee.
Does travel insurance pay out for cancelled flights?
Yes, but only for some situations.
Most travel insurance policies include cancellation cover, meaning they will pay claims if you need to abort a holiday due to something genuinely unpredictable such as in injury that prevents you travelling.
Other examples where travel insurance will pay out include your home being badly damaged and needing urgent attention, your passport being stolen and being called up for jury duty.
If you just change your mind about the holiday, insurance will not pay out.
However, before an insurer pays out they will want you to first check with your airline or tour operators to discuss if they might be able to pay you.
Only after that point does insurance kick in.
Louise Clark, policy adviser at the Association of British Insurers trade body, said: ‘If your flight or accommodation is cancelled, refunds should be sought from the airline, accommodation provider or tour operator in the first instance. Any bookings made through a credit card may also have recoverable costs.’
What about ATOL and ABTA?
ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence. ATOL protection covers people taking a package holiday with a flight involved.
The ATOL scheme was set up back in 1973 to cover people flying abroad from being cut off if their holiday firm failed. It promises holidaymakers a refund or replacement trip if a holiday tour firm fails before their trip starts.
If a package holiday company goes bust during a trip, ATOL protection pays for accommodation and can handle refunds for things like car hire and flights home.
ABTA is a similar scheme, but it only covers holidays that do not involve a flight.
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