What to do after a delayed or cancelled flight

Stabilise the journey first

Check the airline's app, messages and airport screens, but join the service queue or contact line at the same time. If a flight is cancelled, ask clearly what choices are available between rerouting and refund. Do not cancel the booking yourself until you understand how that may affect your rights.

If you booked connecting flights together, tell the airline about the final destination. Separate self-transfer tickets can carry different protections, so contact the next airline as soon as a missed connection becomes likely.

Ask for care and keep evidence

Where UK261 applies, the airline's duty of care can include reasonable food and drink after the qualifying delay, communication, and accommodation plus transport when an overnight stay is necessary. The thresholds vary by flight distance. If the airline cannot organise care, keep itemised receipts for reasonable arrangements and follow its expense-claim process.

Write down the actual arrival time at the final destination and photograph the departure board if useful. Save every airline message and ask for the disruption reason in writing, because cause and arrival delay can affect a later compensation claim.

Understand refund and compensation as separate questions

Under current UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance, a qualifying delay of at least five hours can give you the choice not to travel and to receive a refund for unused flights. Compensation is different: it depends on the applicable law, the length and impact of the disruption, and whether the airline was responsible rather than facing extraordinary circumstances.

Rules differ outside the UK and by route and carrier. Always check the official regulator or consumer authority that covers your journey before relying on a calculator or claims company.

Make the claim methodically

Submit the claim to the operating airline using its official form and keep a copy. Include the booking reference, flight details, passenger names, actual arrival time, a concise timeline and supporting receipts. If the airline rejects the claim, read the reason carefully and check the escalation path identified by the regulator.

• Use a specialist only after reading its fee, assignment and cancellation terms.
• Do not submit duplicate claims through several companies.
• Keep travel-insurance documents: the policy may cover costs outside airline liability.