What counts as a cancelled flight
A cancelled flight is one that does not operate and on which you did not travel. It also counts as a cancellation when the airline changes your flight so drastically — a different flight number, a much earlier or later departure — that it is, in practice, a new flight.
When your flight is cancelled you always have two separate rights: the right to choose between a refund or a re-routing to your destination, and — in many cases — the right to financial compensation of between €250 and €600 on top. The two are not exclusive: a refund does not cancel the compensation.
Your rights when a flight is cancelled
By law, the airline must offer you a clear choice — do not let it push only one option on you:
You can always choose
- A full refund of the ticket within 7 days, or
- Re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity, or on a later date that suits you.
And, while you wait
- Food and drink, and two calls or messages.
- Hotel and transport if you have to stay overnight.
If the airline offers you a voucher instead of the cash refund, you do not have to accept it. Learn the process in how to claim.
How much compensation for a cancelled flight
On top of the refund or re-routing, you may be owed compensation based on the distance:
You are owed this compensation when the airline told you about the cancellation with less than 14 days' notice and the cause was not extraordinary. See the full rules in flight compensation.
When a cancellation is not paid
Compensation may not be due in two situations:
- Enough notice. If the airline told you 14 days or more before departure, there is normally no compensation (but you still choose refund or re-routing).
- Extraordinary circumstances. Severe weather, an air traffic control strike, political instability or a security risk can remove the compensation — though never your right to a refund or care.
Between 7 and 13 days' notice, or under 7 days, compensation can still be reduced or removed only if the re-routing offered kept your arrival close to the original schedule. If in doubt, check — airlines often refuse cases they should pay.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
- Choose in writing between the refund and re-routing, and keep a copy of your choice.
- Keep every document: the cancellation email or text, your booking, and any new boarding passes.
- Ask for care — meals, and a hotel if you are kept overnight — and keep the receipts if you pay yourself.
- Do not accept a voucher as a substitute for your cash rights without checking what you are owed.
- Check your compensation here once you know the details, then start a claim if you qualify.
Cancellation vs delay: what changes
The compensation bands are the same, but a cancellation gives you one extra right a delay does not: the choice of a refund. With a pure delay the flight still operates, so you are compensated only if you arrive 3 hours or more late; you can ask for a refund only if the delay reaches 5 hours. See our companion guide to delayed flights for the delay side.
Check your cancelled flight with Quiescence.eu
We track disruptions live and apply the EU261 rules so you know, in plain words, whether your cancelled flight means a refund, compensation, or both. Checking is free, and if you claim with us we work no win, no fee.
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Check my flightFrequently asked questions about cancelled flights
Do I get a refund and compensation, or just one?
Both can apply. The refund (or re-routing) is for the ticket you did not use; the compensation is a separate penalty for the disruption. One does not cancel the other.
The airline only offered me a voucher. Do I have to accept it?
No. You are entitled to a refund in money to your original payment method within 7 days. A voucher is optional and only if you prefer it.
They cancelled with more than two weeks' notice. Can I still claim?
If you were told 14 days or more before departure, compensation is normally not due, but you still choose between a refund and a re-routing at no extra cost.
My flight was cancelled because of a strike. Am I owed anything?
It depends on the strike. A strike by the airline's own staff usually still means compensation; an air traffic control or airport strike is often extraordinary. You always keep the refund and care rights, so it is worth checking.
How long do I have to claim for a cancelled flight?
The time limit depends on the country of the flight and typically ranges from about 2 to 6 years. Check even older cancellations — you may still be in time.