What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled

Flights are delayed and cancelled more often than anyone likes, and the first hour decides how smooth the rest is. You usually have more options than the airline's first message suggests. This guide is a short checklist, not legal advice: the exact rules and what you are owed depend on the airline, the fare and the country, and they change, so always check the airline's current policy.

First, find out what has actually changed

Check the airline's app or website and the message it sent to the email and mobile number on your booking. Note the new departure time, or whether the flight is cancelled outright. A small delay may need nothing from you. A long delay or a cancellation means you must choose what to do next.

Ask for the options in writing

For a cancelled flight, airlines usually offer a seat on a later flight, a refund, or sometimes a credit for later. Ask which of these the airline offers for your fare, and ask for the answer by message or email. If you accept a new flight, make sure the new booking appears under the same ticket or booking reference.

Keep proof of everything

• Screenshots of the delay or cancellation notice, with the time shown.
• Your booking code, the airline's booking reference (PNR) and the ticket number.
• Receipts for meals, a taxi or a hotel you had to pay for because of the delay.
• Names of staff you spoke to, and when.

Think about the rest of the trip

A late arrival can mean a missed hotel check-in, a missed connection on a separate ticket, or a day of a prepaid tour lost. Tell the hotel you will arrive late so the room is not given away. Tickets booked separately are not protected from each other, so allow extra time between them.

If you booked through Tripzoy

Keep your Tripzoy booking code ready and contact us on the phone or email at the bottom of the page. We can help you with the airline, but the airline decides about rebooking and refunds, and what it refunds depends on the fare rules. Our own convenience fee is not refunded on a cancellation, as our refund policy says.