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If your flight is cancelled, first confirm the change with the airline or ticket agent, then choose whether to seek a refund or continue the trip. If the airline has stopped flying and you are stranded, contact other carriers, your insurer and any package organizer before committing to replacement costs where practicable. Your rights depend on the route, the operating carrier and how you booked; bankruptcy alone does not prove that your flight is cancelled.
What should you do first?
- Verify the status of your specific flight. Check the airline’s messages, app or booking and contact the airline or ticket agent before going to the airport. A bankruptcy filing can involve reorganization with flights continuing, or a cessation of service. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) advises travelers to check whether a flight remains scheduled and whether its timing changed.
- Save the documents and expenses tied to the disruption. Keep your booking confirmation, ticket, payment record, cancellation or schedule-change notice, proposed alternatives, messages, insurance documents and receipts for necessary replacement travel, meals, lodging and communications. If you arrange care yourself, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advises keeping every receipt and spending reasonably.
- Decide whether reaching the destination or recovering the fare is your priority. Refund and rerouting are different remedies, and accepting or taking an alternative can affect refund eligibility under some rules. Check the rules for your itinerary before accepting a voucher or replacement.
- If you are stranded, ask other airlines what they can actually provide. The DOT recommends asking carriers that serve your destination whether they will accept your ticket or offer confirmed or standby travel, or a discounted replacement. Ask whether a seat is confirmed and what it costs; do not assume another airline must honor the failed carrier’s ticket.
- Contact your insurer and booking company. If possible, ask your insurer about coverage before buying replacement travel. If the flight is part of a package, notify the package organizer promptly; UK government guidance says the organizer is responsible for managing other parts of the package.
- Make requests in writing and keep the replies. If you seek a refund or reimbursement, save the request, response and any case number. Depending on the circumstances, next contacts may include your card issuer, insurer, the relevant complaint body or regulator.
Which passenger-rights rules may apply?
There is no single worldwide cancellation rule. The route’s departure and arrival points, operating carrier, reservation structure and package status can matter; nationality alone does not determine coverage. The examples below summarize official U.S., UK and EU guidance, not the rules of every country.
| Regime | What the guidance provides | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| United States | For a cancellation, a ticket refund if the passenger chooses not to travel or accept an offered alternative; the DOT’s rules do not require an airline to rebook the passenger. | Taking an offered alternative can affect refund eligibility. Refund timing and qualifying significant changes are addressed by the current DOT rule. |
| United Kingdom | For covered flights, a choice between reimbursement and rerouting under comparable conditions; care may be available while waiting. | Coverage depends on the route and carrier. Compensation is separate and depends on notice and the cause of cancellation. |
| European Union | For a cancelled flight, a choice among reimbursement, rerouting at the earliest opportunity, or rerouting later at a convenient date subject to seat availability; assistance may also be due. | Compensation is a separate question, affected by notice and circumstances, including extraordinary circumstances. Check the current applicable rules. |
United States: refund or alternative travel
The DOT says a passenger is entitled to a ticket refund when an airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, if the passenger chooses not to travel or accept a voucher, credit or other offered compensation. Its current refund page sets deadlines of seven business days for credit-card purchases and 20 business days for other payment methods in the circumstances it describes. The same page explains which significant changes may qualify for refunds, including certain arrival delays, airport changes, additional connections and involuntary downgrades. Check the DOT’s current refund guidance for the exact conditions that apply to your itinerary.
If you accept and take a significantly changed flight or another offered flight, you generally are not entitled to a ticket refund under the DOT rule. Meals, hotel rooms and other amenities during a disruption are not guaranteed for every cancellation: airline commitments vary, and the DOT’s airline dashboard compares stated commitments.
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United Kingdom: rerouting, care and package bookings
CAA guidance generally covers flights departing a UK airport on any airline, arriving at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline, and arriving at an EU airport on a UK airline. For a covered cancellation, a traveler may choose a refund or rerouting under comparable conditions; rerouting may use another airline or another mode of transport.
A traveler waiting for an alternative may be entitled to reasonable food and drink, communication, overnight accommodation when needed, and transport to that accommodation. If the airline cannot arrange care, the CAA says the passenger may arrange reasonable care and claim the cost later. Luxury hotels and alcohol are examples of unreasonable expenses. Compensation is separate: eligibility depends on notice and cause, and extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather or air-traffic-control disruption may rule it out.
For a UK package holiday, contact the package organizer immediately. If a qualifying ATOL-protected organizer fails, travelers who have not departed may be able to apply to the CAA for a refund, while travelers already abroad may receive help returning to the UK. The government guide also says a credit-card purchase over £100 without ATOL protection may have Consumer Credit Act protection. Check the booking documents and any ATOL certificate rather than assuming protection applies; an airline ticket by itself is not automatically an ATOL-protected package.
European Union: check the rule version
The European Commission’s Your Europe guidance describes the cancellation choices and assistance shown in the table. For trips involving multiple carriers or bookings, review the exact reservation and official guidance rather than assuming that a rule applies identically to each segment.
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As of 7 October 2026, the Commission’s 28 July 2026 update said revised EU air-passenger rules had been adopted and were expected to enter into force the following summer; it also said the existing rules remain applicable until the new rules enter into force. Because commencement and implementing guidance can change, verify the applicable version for your travel date.
What if the airline has stopped operating?
If you have not left home
Ask the airline or ticket agent for the flight’s status and the refund process. If the airline will not refund you, contact your payment-card issuer and insurer promptly. If you bought the flight as part of a package, check the package documents and contact the organizer rather than treating the ticket as a standalone purchase.
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If you are away from home
Ask other airlines serving your destination about confirmed, standby or discounted replacement options. Contact your insurer before making alternative arrangements if practicable, and keep written records of what each company offers. You may also need to contact the ticket agent if it sold the ticket; who took payment can affect the route for seeking a refund.
If the carrier filed for bankruptcy
A filing does not by itself mean the airline has ceased flying or that a particular flight is cancelled. If a bankrupt or defunct airline refuses a refund, the DOT says a passenger who paid by credit card may be entitled to a credit under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Ask the card issuer what documentation and deadlines it requires. Some debit-card issuers may voluntarily reimburse an unprovided service, but protections vary.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Travel insurance may help depending on the policy. A passenger may also file a proof of claim in bankruptcy, but the DOT cautions that other creditors may have priority and an unsecured passenger may receive only a small fraction of what is owed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do refund, rerouting, care and compensation differ?
- Refund: Return of the ticket price when the applicable rule and your choice allow it. In the United States, taking an offered alternative can affect whether you may obtain a refund.
- Rerouting: A replacement journey to your destination. UK and EU guidance describe rerouting choices for covered cancellations; the DOT refund rule does not require U.S. airlines to rebook passengers.
- Care: Support such as meals, communication, accommodation or transport while waiting, where the applicable law or an airline commitment provides it.
- Compensation: Additional payment that may be available under some regimes, depending on factors such as notice, arrival impact and cause. A refund does not automatically establish a right to compensation.
How should you compare recovery options?
Before paying for a replacement or giving up on the original booking, compare the options that are actually available:
- Whether you need to reach the destination or would rather recover the fare.
- Whether the original carrier is still operating and whether a proposed replacement seat is confirmed.
- Arrival time, total cost, connections, baggage arrangements and any onward travel you could miss.
- Which country’s rules cover the itinerary and whether the journey is on one reservation.
- Whether you booked directly, through a ticket agent or as part of a package, and whether your card issuer or insurer may help.
- Whether your insurer asks you to contact it before incurring replacement costs.
These choices can involve separate claims: for example, pursuing a ticket refund is not the same as asking an insurer to cover additional expenses. Keep the relevant records for each request and follow the conditions set by the airline, card issuer, insurer or protection scheme.
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