A cancelled flight doesn't just ruin your plans — it triggers a specific set of passenger rights under EU261. Here's exactly what you're entitled to and how to get it.
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A cancellation is when the airline:
- Officially cancels your flight
- Cancels your booking but rebooks you on a flight departing more than 1 hour earlier than your original booking
- Cancels and rebooks you on a flight arriving more than 2 hours later than planned
This last point surprises many passengers — if your replacement flight is significantly later, you still have compensation rights.
You choose one:
| Option | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Full refund | Full ticket price, including taxes, returned within 7 days |
| Re-routing | Next available flight to your destination |
| Re-routing later | A later flight at your convenience (subject to availability) |
Key: The airline must offer all three options. They can't force you to take a voucher or a later flight.
If the cancellation was within 14 days of departure and wasn't caused by extraordinary circumstances:
| Flight Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |
While you wait for your replacement flight, the airline must provide:
| When Airline Tells You | Compensation |
|---|---|
| More than 14 days before | No compensation (refund/rebooking only) |
| 7–14 days before | Compensation if replacement flight arrives 2+ hours late |
| Less than 7 days before | Full compensation (regardless of replacement timing) |
Scenario A: 20 days notice, rebooked 1 hour later
→ No compensation. Refund or rebooking available.
Scenario B: 10 days notice, rebooked 3 hours later
→ Full compensation (€250/€400/€600) + refund if you choose not to travel.
Scenario C: 2 days notice, rebooked on time
→ Full compensation, even though the replacement was on schedule.
If your flight is cancelled at the airport:
Vouchers often have restrictions, expiry dates, and can't be used the same way as cash. You have the right to insist on cash compensation.
Airlines overuse this. Legitimate extraordinary circumstances include:
- Weather that makes flying impossible
- Air traffic control restrictions
- Security threats
- Political instability
NOT extraordinary circumstances:
- Technical defects
- Staff shortages
- Operational issues
- "Late incoming aircraft" from a previous flight
Only specific, severe weather at your departure or arrival airport qualifies. A thunderstorm 3 hours ago doesn't excuse a cancellation.
James's flight from Dublin to Berlin was cancelled 3 days before departure. The airline offered a voucher for €150. He was actually entitled to:
- Full refund (€220)
- Compensation (€400 — 1,500+ km)
- Rebooking on the next available flight
He got €620 instead of €150.
The Costa family (4 people) had their London → Tenerife flight cancelled at the gate. The airline rebooked them 8 hours later.
| Country | Time Limit |
|---|---|
| Germany | 3 years |
| France | 5 years |
| UK | 6 years |
| Spain | 5 years |
| Netherlands | 2 years |
Cancelled flights are stressful enough. ClaimPlane files your claim, handles airline pushback, and gets you the maximum compensation — with zero upfront cost.
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Don't let a cancelled flight cost you twice — once in ruined plans, once in unclaimed compensation.