Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled?

Yes. You can choose a refund for all unused parts of the ticket, or to be re-routed at no extra cost.

When is compensation due for a cancelled flight?

Only if you got less than 14 days' notice and the cause was within the airline's control. The amount depends on the notice, the distance and how late the replacement flight gets you there.

Do I still get a refund if the cancellation was caused by bad weather?

Yes. Extraordinary circumstances remove the right to compensation, but not your right to a refund or re-routing.

Guides › Flights › Flight Cancelled? Refund, Re-Routing and Compensation

Flight Cancelled? Refund, Re-Routing and Compensation

If an airline cancels your flight you can choose a refund for the unused parts of your ticket or to be re-routed at no extra cost. Fixed compensation of £110 to £520 per passenger may also be due if you were told less than 14 days before departure and the cause was within the airline’s control.

Rules checked with our Flights guide General information, not legal advice

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At A Glance

Your choicea refund or re-routing, whatever the cause

14 daysnotice or less before compensation can be due

£110 to £520per passenger, depending on notice, distance and delay

Your Rights

What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.

Refund, Re-Routing and Care

Refund or Re-Routing
Cancellations: you can choose a refund for all unused parts of the ticket (for example the return leg) or to be re-routed at no extra cost, at a time that suits you. Care and assistance also applies until you are flown, whatever the cause. source
Care and Assistance
Care and assistance for long delays, whatever the cause: once the delay reaches 2 hours (under 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500 to 3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km) you should get food and drink suited to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel and transport if the delay is overnight. source

Cancellation Compensation

When Compensation Is Due
Cancellation compensation is only due if you got less than 14 days' notice and the cause was within the airline's control. With 7 to 14 days' notice you may get £110, £175 or £260 (depending on distance) if the replacement flight gets you there less than 2, 3 or 4 hours late, and the full £220, £350 or £520 if it is later than that. With under 7 days' notice the full amount applies unless the replacement left no more than 1 hour earlier and arrived less than 2 hours later. source
Extraordinary Circumstances
No compensation is due if the cause was extraordinary circumstances, for example extreme weather or airport or air traffic control strikes. Your rights to care, a refund or re-routing still apply. source
Connecting Flights
Connecting flights on a single booking are judged by the distance between your first and last airports. Separate bookings (self-transfer) have no statutory right to care, compensation or onward transport for the missed connection. source

Time Limits to Know

Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.

14 days
Compensation for a cancellationOnly if you were told less than 14 days before departure
2 to 4 hours
Care and assistance for a delayFrom 2 hours (under 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500 to 3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km)
8 weeks
Airline should reply to your complaintWithin 8 weeks, then you can escalate to ADR or the CAA
6 years
Legal claim for compensationGenerally 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland (the CAA page does not state a limit, so check before you wait)

Steps to Take

Step 1 of 5

Keep the cancellation message, your booking reference and receipts for any meals, hotels or transport.

Step 2 of 5

Decide whether you want a refund or to be re-routed, and tell the airline in writing.

Step 3 of 5

Note the date you were told about the cancellation. It decides whether compensation is due.

Step 4 of 5

Claim any compensation and costs in writing. Use the ready-to-use letter further down this page.

Step 5 of 5

If the airline refuses, or has not replied within 8 weeks, go to its ADR scheme, or to the Civil Aviation Authority if it is not in one. If you paid by card and were not refunded, ask your card provider.

(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)

Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right

Your options, in order, and when each one applies.

Airline's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Provider

You are unhappy with the airline's final response, or it has taken more than 8 weeks to reply, and the airline belongs to an ADR scheme.

Civil Aviation Authority: Passenger Advice and Complaints Team

The airline is not in an ADR scheme, after you have complained to the airline first.

Card Provider: Section 75 or Chargeback

You paid by card and the airline has not refunded a cancelled flight.

Small Claims Court

The airline refuses and you want to claim the fixed compensation. Check the time limit first.

Good to Know

Small things that make your complaint stronger.

Extraordinary circumstances, such as extreme weather, remove the right to compensation but not your right to a refund or re-routing.

A refund covers all unused parts of the ticket, for example the return leg.

Keep receipts for anything you had to pay for while waiting.

Ready-to-Use Letter

Copy this, fill in the square brackets and send it in writing. Keep a copy and proof of sending.

Subject: Cancelled flight [flight number] on [date]: refund or re-routing and compensation

Dear [airline] customer relations,

My flight [flight number] from [departure airport] to [arrival airport] on [date] (booking reference [reference]) was cancelled. I was told on [date I was told].

Please: (1) [refund the unused parts of my ticket / re-route me at no extra cost], and (2) pay any compensation due under UK261 for the [number] passengers on this booking, or explain in writing why none is due.

I also ask you to reimburse the following reasonable costs, receipts attached: [list].

Please reply within 14 days.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]

More free letter templates

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Lead reviewer

Luke Marley

Founder and Lead Reviewer

Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.

Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.

Last checked: 12 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.

Sources and official links

caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations Checked 12 October 2026
caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/delays Checked 12 October 2026
caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/how-to-claim-compensation Checked 12 October 2026
citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/getting-your-money-back-if-you-paid-by-card-or-paypal Checked 8 October 2026
gov.uk/make-a-court-claim-for-money Checked 8 October 2026