Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Flight cancellations: what are your rights, from refunds to missed work?

Flight cancellations: what are your rights, from refunds to missed work?

Your rights if you are one of the thousands of people caught up in recent travel chaos

Thousands of Britons are stuck abroad after about 200 flights were cancelled over the weekend, including 80 by easyJet on Sunday. But what are your rights if you are one of those affected?

What if I have to stay the night?


If your return journey is cancelled you should contact the airline to find the next available flight. You have the right to choose between being refunded or rerouted on a new flight, either with the same airline or a different carrier.

The airline is supposed to give you the chance to fly home on the same day, but if the departure is on a later date the carrier should help you find accommodation and cover the cost. It should also pay for expenses such as food, drinks and hotel transfers.

Am I entitled to any other compensation?


You can claim compensation if the flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure. How much depends on the type of flight, on whether you take a refund or have the airline arrange a return trip, and on how much later your new departure and arrival are than your original plan.

You can get up to £220 for flights of less than 1,500km, up to £350 for journeys between 1,500km and 3,500km and a maximum of £520 for long-haul flights above 3,500km, according to Citizens Advice. Contact your airline for the full rules and to make a claim.

Jan-Frederik Arnold, the chief executive of Flightright, said: “You are entitled to compensation independently of the refund and hotel and dinner and so on. Airlines sometimes try to only accept one or the other because consumers don’t know their rights.”

If you are forced to buy a new flight with a rival carrier, you can claim the cost of the replacement ticket. If your original flight was more expensive, however, you would be better off requesting a full refund.

What if the airline doesn’t offer to pay?


If there is nobody to discuss compensation with – for example, if there is no one at the desk at the airport – you can make a claim later. Keep receipts for all the extra expenses you incur, including accommodation, food, drink and hotel transfers.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines are unlikely to reimburse you for luxury hotels or alcohol, so keep your spending to a reasonable limit.

What if my flight was part of a package holiday?


In this case, your accommodation, food and transfer costs should be covered by the tour operator rather than the airline. Get in touch with the company as soon as possible. If you can’t contact them you should keep a record of additional costs to claim a refund.

What if I’m due to return to work?


Let your employer know as soon as possible if flight cancellations mean you will be unable to make it to your next shift. You may be able to take an extra day of annual leave or work remotely to avoid missing out on pay.

Shazia Shah, an employment lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, says: “Those that have access to the work systems might be able to work from abroad but care is required to ensure no rules are breached, for example, in terms of tax or social security.

“Another option is to negotiate a compromise such as unpaid leave, or asking to make up the time later in order to not lose any pay.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×