Flight Cancelled? What to Do at the Airport and Afterwards

The departure board flips to "Cancelled" and a queue forms at the transfer desk within seconds. What you do in the next half hour shapes how quickly you get home and how much money you can recover later. Here is a checklist that works almost anywhere, followed by a short comparison of the rules in Europe, the UK, the US and Canada.

At the airport: the first 30 minutes

1. Rebook through the airline's own app or website while you queue. Airlines often reprotect passengers automatically, and app rebooking is usually faster than the desk. Open the official app (or type the airline's address yourself into a browser) – don't search for a "help number" in a hurry. Fake airline helplines target exactly this moment; see our guide to fake airline customer service numbers.

2. Take a screenshot of everything. The departure board, the cancellation message, the email or text you received and the time you received it. If you later claim compensation, the airline's reason and the timing matter.

3. Ask why the flight was cancelled – and write the answer down. "Technical problem", "crew shortage" and "weather" lead to very different outcomes under European rules.

4. Don't accept the first offer without reading it. A rebooking two days later, a voucher, or a flight from a different airport may not be your only option. In the EU and UK you have the right to choose between a refund and rerouting; in the US, accepting the alternative usually means giving up a cash refund.

5. Ask about meals and a hotel. Under EU and UK rules the airline has to provide food, drink and, if you're stuck overnight, a hotel and transport to it. Desks often hand out meal vouchers only to people who ask.

Refund or rebooking: how to decide

In the EU and UK, the refund should arrive within seven days. In the US, refunds are due within 7 business days for card payments and 20 calendar days for other payment methods once you decline the alternatives. In all three, a voucher is optional, not compulsory.

If you book a replacement flight yourself without the airline's agreement, you may not get the cost back. Ask the airline first and get any agreement in writing.

Keep these receipts and records

• Booking confirmation and boarding pass
• Cancellation notice (email, text, app screenshot) with the time received
• Reason given for the cancellation
• Receipts for meals, drinks, hotel, taxis and phone costs
• Any new tickets you bought, and the airline's written approval if you had it
• Names of staff you spoke to and what they promised (not their personal details – just what was said and when)

Reasonable, proportionate expenses are what get reimbursed. A sandwich and a mid-range hotel near the airport are fine; a gourmet dinner usually isn't.

Afterwards: claiming what you're owed

Once you're home:

1. Claim the refund (if you chose it) and expenses from the airline, attaching receipts.
2. Check whether compensation applies. Under EU and UK rules, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice can be worth €250–€600 or £220–£520, unless it was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
3. Use the airline's official claim form. There is no fee and no need for an intermediary.
4. Escalate if refused – to the national enforcement body or ADR scheme in Europe, ADR or the CAA in the UK, or the DOT in the US.

How the rules compare

Canada has its own Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), enforced by the Canadian Transportation Agency. What you get depends on whether the disruption was within the airline's control and, for compensation, on the size of the airline. Amendments to these rules have been in preparation for several years, so check the CTA's own website for the version in force on your travel date.

Special cases

You booked through a travel agent or booking site. The airline that operates the flight is still responsible for care and compensation under EU and UK rules, but refunds are often routed through whoever sold you the ticket. Contact the agent through its own website or app, and keep the airline's cancellation notice as evidence.

You're on a package holiday. If the flight was part of a package (flight plus hotel sold together), the organiser usually has extra obligations to you, such as arranging alternatives or refunding the whole package. Start with the tour operator.

You booked separate tickets. If the cancelled flight was meant to connect with a different booking, the second airline is generally not obliged to wait or rebook you. Contact both: the first for a refund or rerouting, the second to ask what it can offer.

A few things people regret

• Leaving the airport before being rebooked, then finding the next flight with seats is days away.
• Accepting a voucher at the desk because it was offered first.
• Throwing away receipts, then having no proof of expenses.
• Calling a number found in a search ad, which turned out not to belong to the airline.

Last checked: 29 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.