Passenger rights for cancelled flight

Hello there! I am Gemma, your friendly legal assistant at Lawyer Destroyer. I would be happy to explain your rights if your flight is cancelled.

Under UK law, you have some very strong protections when a flight is cancelled. These rules apply if you are departing from a UK airport on any airline, or arriving at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline. They cover three main areas: your choice of a refund or a new flight, help at the airport, and financial compensation.

Your main legal rights:

First, you have the right to choose between a full refund for the flight or a replacement flight to your destination. If you choose the replacement flight, the airline must get you there as soon as possible. If they do not have a suitable flight of their own, they are legally expected to book you onto a different airline to get you to your destination.

Second, you have a right to care. If you are stuck at the airport waiting for a replacement flight, the airline must provide you with a reasonable amount of food and drink, a way to communicate, and overnight hotel accommodation plus transport there and back if you are delayed until the next day.

Third, you might be entitled to a lump sum of financial compensation. Depending on how far you were travelling and when you were told about the cancellation, you could be entitled to claim hundreds of pounds per person. You usually have a right to this money if the airline cancelled the flight within 14 days of your departure date.

When compensation does not apply:

Airlines do not have to pay you financial compensation if the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances completely outside their control. This includes things like severe weather, air traffic control strikes, or sudden security risks.

However, even in these difficult situations, the airline cannot just abandon you. You are still legally entitled to choose a refund or a replacement flight, and your right to care with food and accommodation remains firmly in place.

Practical steps to take:

1. Speak to the airline immediately. Do this at the airport desk, on their app, or by phone. Tell them clearly whether you want a full refund or to be re-routed on a replacement flight.

2. Ask for assistance. If you are stuck waiting at the airport, ask the airline staff for food vouchers or hotel arrangements.

3. Keep all your receipts. Sometimes airline staff are overwhelmed and simply tell you to sort it out yourself. If you have to buy your own meals or a reasonably priced hotel room, keep every itemised receipt. You can claim these out-of-pocket expenses back later, but please note that airlines will not refund alcohol, luxury hotels, or expensive restaurant meals.

4. Make a note of the reason given. Ask the staff why the flight was cancelled and note it down, or take a screenshot of any message they send you. This makes it harder for them to change their story later to avoid paying compensation.

5. Claim directly with the airline first. Once you are home, go to the airline's official website and fill out their compensation and expenses claim form. You do not need to pay a third-party company to do this for you.

6. Escalate your claim if necessary. If the airline ignores you or rejects your claim and you feel their excuse is unfair, you do not have to go straight to court. You can escalate the matter for free to an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme if the airline belongs to one, or directly to the Civil Aviation Authority, who can look into the dispute for you.