What to do when a flight is disrupted

Stabilise the booking first

Confirm whether the flight is delayed, cancelled or moved to another time. Take a screenshot and check the operating airline, not only the seller. If the trip contains a connection on the same reservation, tell the airline that the final destination — not merely the next airport — must be protected.

Join the service queue, use the airline app and call or message support at the same time. Search the carrier’s own schedule for workable alternatives so you can ask for a specific option. Do not make a second non-refundable booking until you understand whether the first airline will re-route or reimburse it.

• Flight number, date and booking reference
• Final ticketed destination
• All passengers and accessibility needs
• A specific alternative you can accept

Choose between travel and refund

Rebooking and refund solve different problems. If you still need to travel, ask for the earliest reasonable route to the final destination and confirm whether checked baggage follows automatically. If the trip no longer works, ask what refund rules apply before accepting a voucher.

For flights to, from or within the United States, DOT rules may require a refund when the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight and the passenger declines the alternative. EU rules can provide a choice between reimbursement and re-routing for covered cancellations. Coverage depends on route, carrier and circumstances.

Ask for care, but know it is jurisdiction-specific

Ask the airline in writing whether meals, hotel, ground transport or communication costs are covered. In the United States, amenities during controllable disruption depend significantly on airline commitments; the DOT dashboard compares them. Under EU rules, covered passengers may have rights to care while waiting.

The cause matters. Weather, air-traffic restrictions, safety events and airline-controlled operational problems can lead to different compensation outcomes. A lack of cash compensation does not automatically remove rebooking, care or refund rights.

Document the event and spend reasonably

Save the cancellation or delay message, boarding passes, baggage receipts and chat transcripts. Note the actual arrival time and the reason staff gave. If you must buy food, transport or accommodation, choose reasonable options and keep itemised receipts.

Ask for a written decision before paying for an expensive replacement flight or hotel. Travel insurance and card benefits may require you to claim from the airline first and provide proof of what was denied.

• Screenshots with date and time
• Written explanation or disruption code
• Receipts for essential expenses
• Names or case numbers from support

Escalate after the journey

Submit a concise written claim to the responsible airline. State the itinerary, what happened, what remedy you requested and the exact amount supported by receipts. Keep emotion out of the chronology and separate reimbursement of expenses from statutory compensation.

If the airline rejects the claim, use the enforcement or alternative-dispute channel for the jurisdiction that covers the flight. Deadlines differ, so do not postpone the written complaint.