Cancelled flight compensation: your refund and payout rights
A cancelled flight gives you two separate rights, and you can claim both. First, a full refund of the unused ticket or re-routing to your destination. Second, compensation of 250 to 600 euro per passenger if the airline cancelled with less than 14 days notice and cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance. Airlines often mention only the refund or hand out a voucher, so the compensation is easy to miss. Check what you are owed for free with Compensair. Rules verified August 9, 2026.
People search for a "cancelled flight refund" and a "cancelled flight compensation" as if they were the same thing. They are not. Under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and its UK261 twin, a refund gives you your money back, while compensation is an extra payment for the disruption. Mixing them up is how travelers end up accepting a voucher and walking away from hundreds of euro.
Two rights, side by side
When compensation is due
The 250 to 600 euro compensation turns on how much notice the airline gave:
- 14 days or more: no compensation.
- 7 to 13 days: due, unless re-routing had you leave no more than 2 hours early and arrive under 4 hours late.
- Under 7 days: due, unless re-routing had you leave no more than 1 hour early and arrive under 2 hours late.
On top of that, the cancellation must not be caused by an extraordinary circumstance, and the flight must depart the EU or UK or be an EU or UK airline arriving there. The amount follows the usual distance bands: 250 euro up to 1,500 km, 400 euro for 1,500 to 3,500 km or any flight between two EU airports, and 600 euro over 3,500 km leaving or entering the EU. See the full EC 261/2004 rules for the detail.
The refund: your money back
Separate from any compensation, a cancellation entitles you to a full refund of the part of the ticket you did not use, paid within 7 days by your original payment method, or re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity. A voucher is optional; you can insist on cash. The refund stands even when an extraordinary circumstance rules out the compensation, so never let a "weather cancellation" talk you out of getting your money back.
The choice you make in the first hour
A cancellation puts one decision in front of you, and the airline app usually presents only half of it. You may take a refund of the unused ticket, or you may take re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity. That choice is yours, not the airline's, and it matters because the two paths lead to very different trips. Take the refund and you are on your own for a new booking, at whatever last-minute fares are left. Take re-routing and the airline owes you a seat, which on a busy day may be on a different carrier. Neither option cancels your right to compensation where the notice rules above make it due, so do not let an agent frame the refund as a settlement of everything.
A voucher is a third thing, and it is optional. It is offered because it keeps your money inside the airline, and accepting one can be treated as agreeing to a different remedy than the cash you are owed. If you did not ask for a voucher, you do not have to take one.
What to do before you leave the airport
- Say out loud which option you are choosing, refund or re-routing, and get it confirmed in writing or in the app.
- Ask for the cancellation reason in writing. Verbal explanations change later, and the reason decides whether compensation is due.
- Screenshot the cancellation notice with its timestamp, which is what proves how much notice you were given.
- Keep boarding passes and the booking reference, including for a replacement flight, since the arrival time on the new flight can matter.
- If you are stuck overnight, ask about meals and accommodation before paying for them yourself, and keep every receipt if you do.
Those care obligations sit in a separate article from compensation, so they can apply even when a cancellation is ruled extraordinary. Our EU flight compensation hub explains how the articles fit together.
Claim the compensation: our pick
Our pick to claim: Compensair
No-win-no-fee EU261 / UK261 claim service
No win, no fee
The refund for a cancelled flight is easy to request yourself; the compensation is where airlines push back, often claiming an extraordinary circumstance or that enough notice was given. Compensair checks your flight for free and, if the compensation is due, pursues it on a no-win-no-fee basis, keeping a success fee of 35 percent of the amount recovered (plus 10 percent only if legal action is needed). It handles the compensation claim, not the ticket refund, which you can ask the airline for directly. Checked August 9, 2026.
Pros
- Free check of whether compensation is owed on top of your refund
- No upfront cost; handles airline paperwork and escalation
- Claims up to 600 euro per passenger where eligible
- Rated about 4.5/5 on Trustpilot (attributed, see above)
Cons
- Success fee of 35 percent (plus 10 percent if legal action is needed)
- Covers the compensation claim, not the separate ticket refund
- No compensation if the airline gave 14 or more days notice
Best for: Passengers whose flight was cancelled on short notice and who were offered only a refund or a voucher, not the compensation they may also be owed.
Want an estimate first? Try the flight compensation calculator, read about denied boarding, or start at the EU flight compensation hub.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get both a refund and compensation for a cancelled flight?
Yes, they are separate rights. The refund returns the money for the flight you did not take, or you can take re-routing instead. The compensation of 250 to 600 euro is a payment for the disruption itself, due when the airline cancelled with under 14 days notice and cannot show an extraordinary circumstance. You can receive both for the same cancelled flight.
How much notice removes the right to cancellation compensation?
If the airline told you 14 days or more before departure, no compensation is due. Between 7 and 13 days, it is due unless you were re-routed to leave no more than 2 hours early and arrive under 4 hours late. Under 7 days, it is due unless re-routing left no more than 1 hour early and arrived under 2 hours late.
How long does a cancelled flight refund take?
Under EU261 and UK261 the airline must refund the full cost of the unused ticket within 7 days of your request, by the original payment method. A travel voucher is only valid if you actively choose it; you are entitled to insist on your money back in cash rather than accept credit.
Should I take the refund or the re-routing?
It depends on whether you still need to travel. Re-routing puts the airline on the hook for getting you there at the earliest opportunity, sometimes on another carrier, which is usually better on a busy day. A refund suits you if the trip no longer makes sense, but it leaves you buying any replacement yourself at last-minute prices. The choice is yours to make, not the airline’s.
Does an extraordinary circumstance stop a refund too?
No. An extraordinary circumstance such as severe weather can remove the compensation, but never the refund or re-routing. Whatever caused the cancellation, you still get your money back or a new flight to your destination. Only the 250 to 600 euro compensation depends on the cause and the notice given.
This guide explains the rules in plain terms and is not legal advice; eligibility depends on your specific flight. Rules and amounts were verified on August 9, 2026 against EU sources.
If the airline refuses, our flight delay compensation lawyers guide compares your three routes to a payout, and our Compensair review covers what a no-win-no-fee service costs.