Flight Cancellation Compensation Claim
*If your flight has been cancelled due to government restrictions, this does qualify as a valid claim.
Get Started
Claim for Cancelled Flights
A flight cancellation involves the airline and the passenger. The airline defines a flight as cancelled if it never leaves the airport tarmac. EC Regulation 261 and the UK equivalent state you can claim for compensation in the following circumstances:
You have a confirmed reservation for the cancelled flight with your name and flight number clearly stated.
The airline gives you notification of the flight cancellation less than 14 days before the flight is scheduled to take place.
The airline is responsible for the flight cancellation; for example, due to technical difficulties or operational issues.
The flight should have departed from an EU country or the UK or be operated by an EU / UK airline.
Claim compensation for cancelled flights
A flight cancellation entitles you to claim compensation on flights covered by EU Regulation 261 and UK equivalent, unless the airline reroutes you, when the following conditions are satisfied:
If the airline gives the passenger between 7 and 14 days’ notice of a cancellation and offers an alternative flight that leaves not more than 2 hours earlier, and arrives less than 4 hours later than your scheduled flight.
If the airline gives the passenger less than 7 days’ notice of a cancellation and offers an alternative flight that leaves not more than one hour earlier, and arrives less than 2 hours later than your scheduled flight.
What are you eligible for if your flight is cancelled?
In the event of a cancellation, you are entitled to full or part refund of your ticket and a free return ticket to your point of origin. You are to be afforded an alternative flight to your ultimate destination and, should you choose, a new ticket to this destination at another date, although this is subject to availability.
Rerouting or reimbursement
EU Regulation 261 and the UK equivalent state that if a flight is cancelled, passengers should be allowed 2 options. Within 7 days, the passenger will receive the full ticket cost at the price it was originally purchased for and, if circumstances dictate, be afforded a return flight to where they departed from. Alternatively, the airline will offer to reroute the passenger via comparable conditions of transportation, such as departure and arrival times, to their ultimate destination at the first opportunity, or at a later time of their choosing.
Compensation
You would only be entitled to compensation if your rerouted flight landed more than 3 hours later than your original flight. If the airline offers you an alternative flight which would allow you to arrive with a delay of under 3 hours and you decline this, you are abandoning travel and no compensation is due.
How much compensation you are eligible to receive depends on the distance your cancelled flight should of travelled.
If your flight was 1,500km or under and cancelled, you are entitled to up to €250 compensation
If your flight was internal to the EU and UK and over 1,500km and cancelled, you are entitled to up to €400 compensation
If your flight was not internal to the EU and UK and between 1,500km and 3,500km and cancelled, you are entitled to up to €400 compensation
If your flight was not internal to the EU and UK over 3,500km and cancelled, you are entitled to up to €600 compensation
Additional Rights
EU Regulation 261 and UK equivalent state passengers experiencing a cancellation are eligible for accommodation, food and refreshments depending on the details of your cancelled flight. Passengers are also afforded the right to internet usage to send emails and 2 telephone calls. Should it be necessary, overnight lodging in a hotel must be delivered by the obligated airline, as well as travel costs both to and from the airport.
If the airline offers you an alternative flight and you benefit from an upgrade in ticket, the airline can’t charge you extra for this. However if your ticket happens be downgraded on the new flight, you can be refunded for a percentage of the original ticket price you paid.
Filing your claim for a cancelled flight
If you discover that your flight has been cancelled, taking the following simple steps will ensure you receive any compensation due:
Be sure to keep all your travel documentation, in particular your boarding pass and ask the airline why your flight was cancelled.
Collect evidence of the cancellation like photographs of the display board for departure and any messages from the airline which confirms cancellation.
If the cancelled flight costs you any additional money, don’t bin your receipts.
Flight Patrol is here to help
While you can try to claim compensation for your cancelled flight by yourself, exactly who to contact to further your claim is not always obvious. If you manage to contact the airline company and they receive your claim, there is a chance they may refuse it and choose not to pay you.
Claiming compensation can be simplified with a little help from us. From the form filling, through recovering your compensation until the successful conclusion of your case, we will fight for you and your claim.
Fill in our online application with the nature of your cancellation. If we think you have a case, we’ll take charge of your claim for cancelled flight compensation, contacting the airline company and making sure you receive exactly what is owed to you. If your claim is successful, we will charge a service fee of 25% plus VAT of the compensation value, plus an additional admin fee of £25 per passenger.