Flight Cancelled? Here's Exactly What to Do

Your flight's been cancelled. The departure board just flipped to "CANCELLED," your phone buzzed with a notification, or you found out the night before when you checked in online. Whatever the scenario, you need a plan — and you have more rights than you probably think.

This step-by-step guide tells you exactly what to do when your flight is cancelled in Europe, covering your immediate actions at the airport, your legal rights under EU Regulation EC 261/2004, and how to claim the compensation you're owed.

Step 1: Don't Panic — Assess the Situation

First, take a breath. Flight cancellations are frustrating but extremely common, and EU law gives you strong protections. Here's what to figure out first:

When did you find out? At the airport? The night before? Weeks ago? The timing affects your compensation rights.
What has the airline offered? Check your email, the airline app, and the departure board for rebooking options.
Do you have travel insurance? Good to know, but your EU rights exist independently of any insurance policy.

The key question for compensation: Were you notified at least 14 days before departure? If yes, the airline avoids compensation (though you still get a refund or rebooking). If no, you're likely owed money.

Step 2: Know Your Three Rights Immediately

Under EC 261/2004, when your flight is cancelled, you have three immediate rights — regardless of why the cancellation happened:

Right 1: Rebooking or Refund (Your Choice)

The airline must offer you the choice between:

Full refund of your ticket within 7 days (for the unused portion of your journey)
Rebooking on the next available flight to your destination, under comparable conditions
Rebooking at a later date of your choosing (subject to seat availability)

This is your choice, not the airline's. If they try to rebook you without asking, you can still request a refund instead.

Pro tip: If the airline's rebooking options are poor (next day, bad times, different airport), and you find a reasonable alternative flight with another airline, book it and claim the cost back. EU courts have supported this approach when the original airline fails to provide adequate alternatives promptly.

Right 2: Care and Assistance

While you wait for your rebooked flight, the airline must provide:

Meals and drinks proportionate to the waiting time
Hotel accommodation if you need to stay overnight, plus transport to and from the hotel
Two phone calls, emails, or faxes

If the airline doesn't provide these, pay for reasonable expenses yourself and keep every receipt. You can claim reimbursement later.

Right 3: Compensation (Up to €600)

If the cancellation notification came fewer than 14 days before departure, you're entitled to financial compensation:

| Flight Distance | Compensation | |---|---| | Up to 1,500 km | €250 | | 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | | Over 3,500 km | €600 |

The airline can reduce this by 50% if they rebooked you on an alternative flight that arrived within certain time windows of your original schedule.

Important exception: Airlines don't have to pay compensation if the cancellation was caused by "extraordinary circumstances" — truly exceptional events outside the airline's control, like severe weather, political instability, or ATC strikes. Technical faults, staff shortages, and operational problems generally don't qualify.

Step 3: At the Airport — Your Immediate Actions

If you're at the airport when you learn about the cancellation, here's your action checklist:

Talk to the Airline's Staff — But Also Help Yourself

Join the queue at the service desk, but simultaneously:

Open the airline's app and check rebooking options online
Call the airline's customer service line (often faster than the physical queue)
Check alternative flights on Google Flights or Skyscanner

Airlines at the desk will try to rebook you on their own flights. You might find better options that they won't proactively offer.

Get Written Confirmation

Ask the airline for written confirmation of the cancellation and the reason. This is crucial evidence for your compensation claim later. If they won't provide it at the desk, note the names of staff you spoke with and the time.

Document Everything

Photograph the departure board showing the cancellation
Screenshot any notifications from the airline app
Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation
Save all receipts — every meal, taxi, hotel expense

Don't Sign Away Your Rights

Airlines sometimes offer immediate vouchers, upgrades, or small cash amounts in exchange for signing a waiver. Read anything before you sign it. Accepting a meal voucher is fine; signing a document that waives your compensation rights is not.

Step 4: If You're Notified Before the Airport

If the airline emails or texts you about the cancellation before you travel:

Check the rebooking offer carefully. Does the new flight work for your schedule? You don't have to accept it.
If the rebooking is unacceptable, request a full refund. Do this in writing — email the airline and keep a copy.
Note the exact date and time you were notified. This determines your compensation eligibility.
If you were notified fewer than 14 days out, start preparing your compensation claim. You can file it after travel (or after the original departure date if you got a refund).

Step 5: Understanding the 14-Day Rule

The notification timeline is critical for compensation:

| When You Were Notified | Compensation? | |---|---| | 14+ days before departure | No compensation (but refund/rebooking still applies) | | 7–13 days, with acceptable rebooking | No compensation if rebooking departs ≤2h early, arrives ≤4h late | | Less than 7 days, with acceptable rebooking | No compensation if rebooking departs ≤1h early, arrives ≤2h late | | Less than 14 days, no acceptable rebooking offered | Full compensation |

"Acceptable rebooking" means the airline offered an alternative that met the time thresholds above. If their alternative was worse than these limits, you get full compensation regardless.

Step 6: File Your Compensation Claim

Once you've either completed your rebooked journey or received your refund, it's time to claim compensation.

Gather Your Evidence

Booking confirmation and e-tickets
Boarding passes (even if unused)
Cancellation notification (email, SMS, or app screenshot)
Any written confirmation from the airline
Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses
Photos from the airport

File with the Airline

Submit a claim through the airline's website or customer service. Be specific:

State the flight number, date, and route
Confirm the cancellation and when you were notified
Reference EC 261/2004 explicitly
State the compensation amount you're claiming
Include your bank details for payment

If the Airline Rejects or Ignores Your Claim

This happens more often than it should. Your escalation options:

National Enforcement Body (NEB): File a complaint with the aviation authority in the country of departure. They can investigate and pressure the airline.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Some countries have mediation or arbitration services for aviation disputes.
Small claims court: For EU flights, you can often file in your home country's small claims court — the process is designed to be accessible without a lawyer.
Claims service: Let FlightOwed handle it. We deal with the airline, escalate when needed, and you only pay if we win.

Step 7: Special Situations

Your Connecting Flight Was Cancelled

If one leg of a multi-flight journey was cancelled and it was all on the same booking, compensation is based on the delay at your final destination. If you had separate bookings, only the cancelled flight itself is covered.

The Airline Offers a Different Airport

If the airline rebooks you to or from a different airport than originally planned, they must cover your transport costs to get to your original airport or destination. Don't let them leave you stranded at an inconvenient airport.

You Were on a Package Holiday

EC 261 still applies to the flight portion. Your tour operator may also have obligations under the Package Travel Directive. You can claim from both — but you can't be compensated twice for the same loss.

The Airline Went Bust

If the airline has ceased operations, EC 261 claims become significantly harder. Check if you're covered by travel insurance, credit card protection (Section 75 in the UK), or a national guarantee fund.

Step 8: Prevent Future Headaches

While you can't prevent cancellations, you can minimize their impact:

Book direct with the airline when possible — it simplifies rebooking and refund processes
Use a credit card for the booking (better consumer protection than debit cards)
Download the airline's app and enable notifications
Check your flight status the evening before departure
Have a backup plan for time-critical travel (know the next flight options)
Keep digital copies of all travel documents accessible offline

Know Your Rights, Use Your Rights

EU cancelled flight rights are among the strongest passenger protections in the world. Airlines know this — but they also know that many passengers don't claim, give up after the first rejection, or accept less than they're owed.

Don't be that passenger. Document everything, know your entitlements, and follow through on your claim. Whether you handle it yourself or use FlightOwed to do the heavy lifting, the outcome is the same: the compensation you're legally entitled to.

Check if your cancelled flight qualifies →

For more detailed information, visit our FAQ or explore our airline-specific guides for carrier-by-carrier advice.

Flight Cancelled? Here's Exactly What to Do (Step-by-Step Guide)