You have packed your suitcases, booked a hotel, and started counting down the days until you’re on vacation. Then you get a surprising message: Your flight is cancelled. Suddenly, the weeks-long trip you had in mind has come to an end.
A cancelled flight can affect other than just your travels. Can cause problems with hotel reservations, transfers to and from the airport, connecting flights and advanced activities. However, sometimes a cancellation doesn’t mean you need to actually cancel your vacation before it begins.
The main thing to do is to understand what to do first, what your rights are as a passenger and the fact that you need to follow the remaining travel plans. Having a plan will help you prevent all the unnecessary stress that comes with it and you will know what to do next.
1. Check the Cancellation Details First
When a trip is cancelled, it can be pretty frustrating, especially if you have an event or long awaited vacation to attend. Check and confirm your options before booking any new deals.
Check the official airline website, mobile App, emails or text alerts. Make sure your flight has been cancelled and not delayed or rescheduled.
Keep the notice of cancellation and check to see if there’s an alternate flight offered by the airline. Write down your flight details, booking reference, departure and destination. This will be helpful for contacting Customer Service, or for future claims.
Keep Your Travel Documents Safe
Keep original airline booking confirmation and take a screen shot of any airline notifications. If an airline gives a reason for the cancellation, keep that information as well.
Technical problems, severe weather and air traffic control conditions can have various impacts on compensation eligibility. Written evidence can help you to see your options.
Wait and don’t buy a new ticket right away. The original airline may have responsibility for making alternative travel arrangements if there are rules. Don’t spend extra money on those options before you check them out first.
2. Contact the Airline and Explore Your Options
Once it’s confirmed that the flight has been cancelled, reach out to the official customer service of the airline. If the phone lines are busy, use the website, mobile app, live chat or official social media support.
Be sure to explain what is happening and the choices that are available. You can refer to any major time arrangements like a wedding, cruise or prepaid tour.
Depending on the rules, passengers have a right to be refunded or rerouted at the earliest opportunity or rerouted later if more convenient to the passenger if they are flying on a flight that is covered by the U.K. passenger-rights law.
Consider Taking an Alternative Flight
If traveling to the ultimate destination is your goal, ask the airline about other travel alternatives. Take into account the time of arrival, airport location, connections and other modes of transport.
If you have a flexible holiday, it may be possible to change to another flight on the same day. But, if you arrive the next morning it may be a prepaid excursion that you miss, or a night of hotel accommodation.
Ask whether there are other flights or other routes which can get you there quicker. Depending on the situation and the rules that apply, rerouting might involve flying with another airline.
Please be sure to verify the revised itinerary in writing before assuming.
Request a Refund When Necessary
Sometimes, travelling later is no longer practical. You might not have a long enough vacation to make up for the disruption or the event you wanted to go to might have passed.
When a flight is within the UK, you can usually claim a refund on unused portions of the ticket, rather than being redirected. However, if you choose not to go on the trip and get a refund, it can affect the support you receive after the trip.
Please note: A flight refund does not cover separate hotel and excursion/holiday costs. Please check these arrangements one by one.
3. Understand Your Flight Cancellation Compensation Rights
Not all cancelled flights are automatically entitled to financial compensation. There are various things to consider when determining eligibility, such as your route, airline, date of cancellation notice, alternative flight, and the reason for the disruption.
On many flights, under the rules in the UK, compensation could be available if the flight is cancelled within 14 days of departure and the conditions apply.
If you want to understand the eligibility requirements, compensation amounts, and claim process, this guide to flight cancellation compensation explains the subject in more detail.
How Much Compensation Could You Receive?
The standard compensation amounts under UK261 generally depend on flight distance.
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The figures are not guaranteed payments for all cancelled flights. The amount payable will vary depending on notice period, replacement flight and arrival delay. For some long-distance flights, a lowered compensation may be offered if the other flight has particular timing requirements.
For example, if your flight from the UK to Europe is cancelled five days before your flight date. If the legal conditions are fulfilled, you might be eligible for compensation.
But if the flight is cancelled due to extraordinary circumstance, compensation may not be paid even if the airline has taken all “reasonable measures” to avoid the cancellation.
Refunds and Compensation Are Different
A refund is a process of getting back the money paid for a ticket that was not used, if the ticket is not used under the rules for refunds. Compensation is a separate payment that might be offered for qualifying cancellations.
If you qualify, you may get a refund or be offered a different flight and compensation as well. It is important to review each entitlement individually, and not assume that it replaces another.
4. Protect Your Hotel and Holiday Bookings
Your flight is a part of your holiday. Other arrangements will need attention if it changes.
Include any bookings on your trip, including hotels, airport transfers, car hiring, guided tours, and restaurant reservations and attraction tickets. Contact respective providers as soon as possible.
Contact Your Hotel Before Check-In
In case of a late replacement flight, please inquire with the hotel if you may change the check in date.
There are various cancellation and modification policies among different accommodation providers. Some travel agencies may accept changes for no extra cost, while others may charge more for changes or possibly reject changes for non-refundable bookings.
If it’s a third party that booked your stay, ensure that you should contact the third party rather than the property itself.
Record in writing any agreed changes.
Review Transfers and Activities
Prepaid transfers and renting cars can get complicated if the timings are changed. Contact providers and ask to change your stay.
When selecting a car hire company, check their late-collection policy. Some will have reservations for a short time; others need notification.
See reviews of tours and attraction tickets too. Some activities may only be available on specific dates – confirm with the provider prior to your visit and ask for rescheduling or a refund if you need to visit another date.
Always book time sensitive, high-value or difficult to book reservations first.
5. Know Your Rights to Meals and Overnight Accommodation
When a flight to a destination is cancelled, sometimes passengers think they should have to cover all extra costs after the flight has been cancelled. But, if there are relevant UK passenger rights rules, then an airline may owe care and assistance.
This may comprise meals, refreshments, communication facilities, overnight accommodation and transport from and to the airport and hotel according to the situation and waiting time.
The obligations may remain even if there is no financial compensation for cancellation.
What If You Need to Stay Overnight?
If the replacement flight is an overnight flight, request the airline to provide appropriate lodging and transportation.
If there’s a significant delay, airlines may not be able to help you as soon as you need it. If you have to make your own decisions, make sure you remember your receipts and are choosing wisely.
A small hotel near the airport is more justifiable than a big luxury hotel. Maintain documentation of your request for assistance and explain the justification for public funding.
Not all expenses will be covered automatically. This is a matter of entitlement, which is dependent on rules and circumstances.
6. Check Your Travel Insurance
Travel insurance may also offer extra cover in case of a flight cancellation that impacts your holiday. But policies vary, so be sure to pay close attention to the policy language before believing in a specific benefit.
If you have a cover, you may be able to claim some non-refundable expenses, extra accommodation or any loss of other assets that occurred during an insured event.
There are certain conditions involved in severe weather, strikes, airline cancellations, and other alternative transportation that are included with some policies. Others have specific situations they’ll not consider or they require you to contact the airline first.
Prepare Your Insurance Claim
Check out the trip cancel and travel delay section, missed departures and travel disruption. See exclusions, excess, maximum payout and evidence.
Insurers may request booking confirmation, cancellation notice, receipts, change of travel plans and receipts of any refunds received.
Prepare these documents in advance of submitting your claim. Describe any payments you have received from the airline or travel provider so your claim is as accurate as possible of your losses.
Don’t take it for granted that all the activities or nights at the hotel are covered. What you can claim is defined by the policy wording.
7. Understand the Difference Between Package and Independent Holidays
There are a variety of ways to approach a holiday cancellation, depending on the type of holiday you’ve booked.
If your flight is part of a package holiday, you must let the organiser know as soon as he or she can. The organiser might have to organise a number of aspects of your journey, such as travel and accommodation.
If there is a failure to deliver a package as agreed, the following may also come into effect under the relevant package travel regulation in the UK. These can be other arrangements or a refund, depending on the circumstances.
8. Protect Connecting Flights and International Travel Plans
With multiple airlines or connecting flights, one cancelled flight may affect your travel multiple times.
In a case of a single booking, notify the airline of the changes’ effect on the entire trip. Make a request for an alternate way to your destination. Check if the bags will be transferred and if there are any changes of terminals/airports.
If the two tickets were bought separately, then the second airline may consider you to be a no-show if you fail to make your connection. Protection provided varies according to terms of booking and relevant legislation.
Contact the second airline immediately but don’t expect a free ticket to be issued.
Check Visa and Transit Requirements
There may be an alternative route (other country or airport). Please make sure you have a transit visa or other travel documents if required prior to accepting it.
It is particularly relevant if you were to be on the aircraft but the alternate route will involve passing through immigration.
If you are making a future reservation, please verify any new restrictions or changes in their luggage handling, airport transfers and/or other connections.
9. Make a Backup Plan Without Spending Unnecessarily
When a flight has been cancelled, it might be easy to book any flight right away. With a little planning, however, there are ways to avoid making costly mistakes.
Step 1 – Set your priorities.
Is there a specific event that you must show up for or is it possible to make the trip a day or two later?
Does your place stay flexible for your accommodations? Is there another airport that would be convenient?
Once you’ve identified your needs, check the options.
10. How to Make a Compensation Claim
Once you’ve settled your immediate travel requirements, check and see if you’re entitled to compensation as a result of your cancellation.
Begin the claims process with the airline’s website. Indicate your flights, booking, travel date, and warning of cancellation along with what alternative flights were made available.
Give your reasons for qualification and give supporting documents.
For further instructions on the claims process, AirHelp offers information that can guide travellers to understand their flight cancellation compensation options and eligibility.
Keep Evidence of Your Cancellation
Prepare a folder containing:
- Your original booking confirmation and ticket information.
- Notice of cancellation and the reason for the cancellation.
- The offer of replacement flight and new itinerary.
- Receipts for extra reasonable costs.
- Copies of communications with the airline.
All relevant insurance or package holiday documents.
If the airline is denying your claim, ask them to write you a response to explain their decision. Look at the ruling in light of the laws governing passenger rights.
Depending on the circumstances and the airline, you might have the option to move the complaint to the relevant complaints body or an alternative dispute resolution provider.
Read the airline’s complaints procedure before making your decision and the guidance of the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s.
Final Thoughts
A cancelled flight can spoil your holiday but it doesn’t have to ruin entire expenses. Review travel options, protect travel arrangements, be aware of passenger rights, and maintain records of key decisions. By following a sensible back up and having the right information, you can save unnecessary costs and ensure your holiday stays on track.
