{"id":37679,"date":"2025-09-21T05:12:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T05:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.godj.com\/news\/what-are-my-rights-if-my-flight-is-cancelled-or-delayed\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T05:12:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T05:12:55","slug":"what-are-my-rights-if-my-flight-is-cancelled-or-delayed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.godj.com\/news\/what-are-my-rights-if-my-flight-is-cancelled-or-delayed\/","title":{"rendered":"What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Heathrow was among several European airports hit by a cyber-attack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system.<\/p>\n

A number of flights were delayed at the airport on Saturday<\/a> as a “technical issue” impacted software provided to several airlines.<\/p>\n

What are your rights if your journey has been affected, and can you get your money back?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What do airlines have to offer passengers?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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When flights are delayed or cancelled, airlines have a duty to look after you.<\/p>\n

That includes providing meals and accommodation, if necessary, and getting you to your destination. The airline should organise putting you on an alternative flight, at no extra cost.<\/p>\n

Additional losses – such as unused accommodation – might require a claim to a credit card provider, if that was the payment option used.<\/p>\n

After that, a claim may need to go to your travel insurance provider. But there is no standard definition of what is covered.<\/p>\n

While 94% of policies cover travel abandonment as standard, only 30% include wider travel disruption as standard, according to analysts Defaqto.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If my flight is cancelled, can I get a refund or another flight?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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If your flight is covered by UK law, your airline must let you choose between either getting a refund or being booked on to an alternative flight.<\/p>\n

That’s regardless of how far in advance the cancellation was made.<\/p>\n

You can get your money back for any part of the ticket you have not used.<\/p>\n

So, if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.<\/p>\n

If you still want to travel, your airline must find you an alternative flight.<\/p>\n

If another airline is flying to your destination significantly sooner, or there are other suitable modes of transport, then you have a right to be booked on to that alternative transport instead.<\/p>\n

If your flight was coming into the UK on a non-UK airline, then you should check the terms and conditions of your booking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Can I claim extra compensation for disruption?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Disruption caused by things like a fire, bad weather, strikes by airport or air traffic control staff, or other “extraordinary circumstances” does not entitle you to extra compensation.<\/p>\n

However, in other circumstances – when it is considered to be the airline’s fault – you have a number of rights under UK law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These apply as long as you are flying from a UK airport on any airline, arriving at a UK airport on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.<\/p>\n

What you are entitled to depends on what caused the cancellation and how much notice you are given.<\/p>\n

If your flight is cancelled with less than two weeks’ notice, you may be able to claim compensation based on the timings of the alternative flight you are offered.<\/p>\n

The amount you are entitled to also depends on how far you were travelling:<\/p>\n