Cancelled Flight Compensation — Your UK261 Rights
A cancelled flight gives you two separate sets of rights: the practical one — a refund or a replacement flight — and the financial one, compensation of up to £520 per passenger. The catch that decides the compensation is how much notice the airline gave you. Get this wrong and you may accept a refund while leaving hundreds of pounds of compensation on the table.
This guide explains the notice rules, your refund-or-rerouting choice, and how to claim. Check your likely amount with the compensation calculator.
When a Cancellation Is Compensable
It Comes Down to Notice
The amount of warning the airline gave is decisive:
- 14 or more days’ notice — no compensation
- 7 to 13 days’ notice — compensation unless rerouting kept you close to schedule
- Under 7 days’ notice — compensation unless rerouting was very close to your original times
- And the cancellation must not be due to extraordinary circumstances
Compensation Amounts
How Much for a Cancellation
If compensable, the amounts mirror delay compensation:
- £220 — short-haul, up to 1,500 km
- £350 — medium-haul, 1,500 to 3,500 km
- £520 — long-haul, over 3,500 km
- This is on top of your refund or replacement flight — not instead of it
Your Refund or Rerouting Choice
What the Airline Must Offer
Separately from compensation, you can choose:
- A full refund of the ticket (within 7 days), including unused onward legs
- Rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity, at no extra cost
- Later rerouting at your convenience, subject to seats
- Plus care — food, drink and accommodation if delayed overnight
Common Questions About Cancellations
The airline gave me a voucher. Is that the compensation?
No — and don’t accept a voucher as a substitute for what you’re owed. UK261 compensation is payable in cash. A voucher offered in place of a cash refund or compensation can be declined; you’re entitled to the money. Vouchers are often worth less and come with restrictions, so they’re rarely in your interest.
They cancelled 10 days before and rerouted me. Can I still claim?
Possibly. With 7 to 13 days’ notice, compensation is payable unless the rerouting they offered got you away no more than two hours early and to your destination less than four hours late versus your original schedule. If the replacement flight fell outside those limits, you may still be owed compensation despite the rerouting.
I took the refund. Have I given up my compensation?
Not necessarily. The refund and the compensation are separate rights — taking a refund for the cancelled flight doesn’t automatically waive your compensation claim, provided the cancellation was compensable on notice and cause. Be careful only if you signed something explicitly accepting the refund in “full and final settlement.”
The airline says the cancellation was due to weather. Is that the end of it?
Not automatically. Genuine severe weather is an extraordinary circumstance and would remove compensation — but airlines over-use the excuse. Ask for the specific evidence, check whether other airlines flew, and challenge it if it looks weak. Even in genuine bad weather, your right to a refund or rerouting and to care still applies.
Related Guides
Delayed Overnight — Hotel & Care Rights
Flight Delay Compensation Calculator
Am I Eligible for Flight Delay Compensation?
Extraordinary Circumstances Explained
How to Claim Flight Delay Compensation
Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Delayed Flight
If your flight was delayed by 3 hours or more, you may be entitled to compensation. Start a free flight delay claim check in minutes — no upfront cost. No win, no fee if your claim is accepted.
