Flight cancelled or delayed? What are the differences? - We've got your back!

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. When that happens, the travel world can be challenging. This needs to change, because people have the right to get support, and to be treated with respect. No worries, we are here to help!

Welcome back to our blog series: We’ve got your back! Here we will answer very common questions that we have been asked frequently by our customers.  If you have any questions you'd like us to answer directly or in a blog post, do not wait a second longer and send us an email to info@flight-delayed.co.uk. We'll get back to you ASAP!

Hello and thank you for your question. It's not the first time we've received this one. The main difference between a cancellation and a delay is that a cancelled flight will not be operated by the airline anymore. This means that passengers will have to take a flight, or other means of transport, to reach their final destination. It often happens that the replacement flight consist of the same flight number, with the same route, but it is operated the following day. On the contrary, a delayed flight will be operated by the airline but outside the previously established schedule. In theory, passengers will use the contracted service in order to reach their final destination.

Can I claim compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight?

That's right! Your rights as a passenger are equally protected. The Sturgeon ruling defined that flights delayed more than three hours must be compensated by the airlines in the same way as flights cancelled and as established in Regulation EC 261/2004. Therefore, regardless of whether your flight has been cancelled or delayed, you can claim compensation for both.

For both cases, the total amount of your compensation will be determined by the distance of your route:

When can I claim compensation for my cancelled or delayed flight?

Although the amount are exactly the same for a flight cancellation or delay, the conditions under which you may receive compensation vary according to the event. In both cases, your delay or cancellation must not have been caused by what is considered an extraordinary circumstance. In other words, the reason why your flight has had problems must fall under the responsibility of the airline.

When am I entitled to compensation for a cancelled flight?

The airline is not obliged to pay compensation for a cancellation when:

• They informed you of your flight’s cancellation 14 days in advance

• They informed you of your flight’s cancellation between 7 and 14 days in advance but they offered you an alternative flight that would let you reach your final destination with a delay lesser than 4 hours when compared to the original ticket. This flight should not depart more than 2 hours earlier than the time established in the original booking

• They informed you of your flight’s cancellation within 7 days of the departure but they were able to offer you an alternative flight that would let you reach your final destination with a delay lesser than 2 hours when compared to the original ticket. This flight should not depart more than 1 hour earlier than the time established in the original booking.

When am I entitled to compensation for a delayed flight?

• Your total delay was more than 3 hours at the time of arrival at your final destination based on your original booking.

If your flight has been delayed and you have missed your connecting flight, you are also entitled to compensation. Of course, as long as you have arrived at your final destination more than three hours late.

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