What to do if your holiday or flight is cancelled or delayed: rights, refunds and next steps

Sometimes your trip is cancelled for unfortunate operational reasons:

• airline staff off sick and not replaced in time
• late crew or pilots
• strikes at the airline
• under-booking
• bad weather that might be unsurprising for the area
• technical faults, plane wear and tear.

At other times, your holiday or flight provider might have to cancel your trip because of things beyond their control, including

• war or conflict
• political problems
• disease or health restrictions
• disasters (earthquakes, volcanic ash, floods)
• bad weather (like unexpected serious storms, snow or fog)
• strikes by air traffic controllers, airport staff and baggage handlers
• air traffic management decisions, security or safety issues.

This second list is known as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and this can make a difference when you need to make a claim..

The UK government publishes advice to help you understand risks in different countries. It’s important to read this as travel insurance usually doesn’t cover you if you visit somewhere the government advises against.

Keep checking as it’s updated regularly. The situation can change between your booking and departure, or if you’re caught up in something while away.

See the latest guidance for locations worldwideOpens in a new window on GOV.UK and sign up for their email alertsOpens in a new window 

Normally, when a flight is cancelled, the airline must get you to your destination on an alternative flight or give you a refund.

If it’s from the UK, whether it was booked directly with the airline or via a third party, then by law your airline must offer you three choices:

• a refund
• an alternative flight (‘re-routing’) as soon as possible
• an alternative flight on a later date that works for you, if one is available.

You must pick one of these options. 

For more guidance go to the Civil Aviation AuthorityOpens in a new window (CAA), the UK’s airline regulator.

As soon as you get the news, get in touch with the airline. During major disruption, phone lines can be very busy, to try live chat, email and social media too.

If you booked with a UK travel company, you're usually entitled to a cash refund when they cancel - you don't have to accept a voucher or rebook. But for firms based outside the UK, a cash refund is not guaranteed.

If your holiday company refuses a refund and tells you to claim on your travel insurance or with your credit card instead, make sure you get that in writing. You’ll need to show this to your insurer or credit card provider if you make a claim with them.

As well as the option to arrange an alternative flight or holiday, you might be offered vouchers or a credit note. This can be risky.  You cannot use vouchers or a credit note elsewhere if your travel company goes bust. Accepting vouchers may also affect a claim with your credit card provider or your travel insurance. A cash refund is usually the safest option, and you may have to push strongly for it.  

If your flight arrives more than three hours late, you may be entitled to compensation of up to £520.

If you’re delayed more than two hours, the airline might need to give you food and somewhere to stay overnight under your ‘right to care’. This will depend on how long the delay is and where you’re travelling to.

For any cancellation expenses, keep evidence. Companies expect receipts as proof for claims.

For compensation, a delay means more than three hours.

Even though we’re no longer in the EU, the UK has adopted the EU261 regulation into UK law. This means we’re protected when:

• departing the UK
• arriving in the UK with an EU or UK carrier (eg airline, ferry, rail or coach operator)
• arriving in the EU with a UK carrier.

The compensation under these rules is meant to make up for the inconvenience of being held up. It’s not a refund for the cost of your flight ticket. What you get depends on how long you were delayed and how far you were travelling.

For delays, what counts is when you arrive, not when your flight leaves.

• If your flight arrives three hours or more later than scheduled, you’ll get compensation.
• If the delay is over five hours, you can choose to receive a refund instead of travelling.

See the CAAOpens in a new window for all the details.

You can usually claim compensation where the delay is considered within the airline’s control. You can’t if it’s ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Travel insurance often has conditions like this too.

Start by asking your travel provider for a refund before trying to claim on your insurance or contacting your credit card company.  You’re expected to have tried to get a refund from your travel firm first. It’s usually the quickest way and should take less effort and proof than other claims.

See the guidance from Citizen's Advice on compensation for cancellations and delaysOpens in a new window

If package holiday organisers cancel your holiday you can get a full cash refund within 14 days of the cancellation date.

If one bit of your trip is cancelled and it wasn’t booked as a package holiday, it’s possible that only the provider of the cancelled part will offer you a refund.

For example, if your airline has cancelled your flight, but your hotel booking is still available, you’ll only get a refund for the cancelled flight.

But it’s worth contacting the provider of the parts that are still booked for you to see if they’ll offer you a refund before making a claim on your travel insurance policy.

If you’re supposed to be going on a package holiday, you must claim your refund within 14 days, so get things moving as soon as you can.

Find more help from Which? about making a claim for a cancelled holiday if you booked it as a package holidayOpens in a new window

If you paid by credit card (between £100 and £30,000 – doesn't have to be the full amount of the holiday, just a part), you may be able to claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

This means that your credit card provider is jointly responsible if something goes wrong. It can cover cancelled flights, cancelled holidays and companies go out of business.

The cost of your flights if they’re cancelled or the airline goes bust and the cost of your holiday if it’s cancelled or the company goes under.

Anything you did not have to spend, so no luxuries.

You might still be able to get a refund under the ‘chargeback’ scheme.

For help on making your claim, see our guide How chargeback and section 75 protection work for your credit and debit card.

Travel insurance varies and what companies pay out depends on your policy. But most will cover you if you’ve lost money after your holiday has been cancelled, including in exceptional situations such as a pandemic.

You might have to pay an excess though. For example, if your holiday cost £500 and you agreed a £100 excess, you’ll be refunded £400.

Check our guides on travel insurance and holiday cancellations and what good cover looks like.

If you book a package holiday with a UK-based firm (where you buy multiple parts of a holiday, for example, flights and hotel, from one company or website, in one go) then you won’t lose any money as long as the company was ATOL-protected.

ATOL is run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This covers money paid to a travel company for any holiday package that includes a flight. Usually, flights booked directly with an airline and some flight-only bookings with your tour operator are not protected.

Find out more from the CAA about making an ATOL protected claimOpens in a new window

Then you’ll need to contact your credit card or debit card provider if you paid that way, or your insurer. Check too if the company was a member of ABTAOpens in a new window, the UK travel industry association.

• Pay with a credit card if you can 
• check government travel adviceOpens in a new window before booking and travelling
• buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday, shop around and pay attention to the ‘add ons’ and excess rates
• check if the company is ATOLOpens in a new window or ABTAOpens in a new window protected
• consider a flexible booking where you can make changes (these may cost more).

This comes under exceptions, so it’s very unlikely, unless your travel insurance specifically covers this. Most don’t.

This is why ATOL and ABTA protection matters.

ATOL covers the money you paid to a travel company for any holiday package that includes a flight, but not usually packages without flights.

ABTA covers travel without flights like cruises or coach trips.

Find out more from the CAA about making an ATOL protected claimOpens in a new window or claiming from ABTAOpens in a new window where a company fails.

If you booked a DIY holiday, or it’s not a UK-based company, you probably won’t have ATOL protection.

Unfortunately, your travel insurance policy may not cover you if your holiday company goes bust, but it’s still worth checking the terms of your policy.

However, if you paid for your holiday by credit card then you may be able to get your money back from your card provider.