How do i check if my flight is cancelled?

Hearing that your flight has been cancelled is one of the worst things that can happen to you especially if you are due to fly very soon. It has not been unheard of that an airline will cancel a flight on the day of the flight or even after you have checked in.

Why was my flight cancelled?

Flights can be cancelled for a variety of reasons. Some of the more recent reasons we have noticed include:

• An airline goes bust (Thomas Cook, Monarch)
• Industrial action from pilots, baggage handlers, airline staff (British Airways, Ryanair)
• Lack of staff to operate the flight
• Technical issues with the plane
• Manufacturer defects grounding the entire fleet
• Late incoming flights that have a knock on effect to the schedule
• Extreme weather including volcanoes, rain, wind, snow and ice

Finding out if your flight is cancelled

Finding out if your flight is cancelled should be as easy as sitting at home and waiting for the airline to contact you. Most airlines request your email address and telephone number for the specific purpose of informing you if your flight is cancelled.

Notifications are usually via a smartphone app, SMS, email and even via the airlines call centre if the cancellation is last minute. Other methods for finding out if your flight is cancelled include:

• Monitoring the airline's social media feed
• Checking the airport's departure boards online
• Visit our recent delays page for the latest updates

What to do if you find your flight has been cancelled

Firstly don't panic - flights are cancelled all the time and airlines have procedures in place for dealing with cancelled flights. The first thing to do is to contact your airline. Airlines are legally obliged to help you get to your destination. They may offer you an alternative flight on the same day with their own or another airline. If you decide that you no longer wish to travel you are entitled to a full refund of your flight cost.

If the replacement flight is the next day then the airline is legally obliged to offer you an overnight stay in a hotel with transfers to and from the hotel. If the replacement flight is the same day then they have to provide you with food vouchers appropriate to the length of the delay.

If the replacement flight you are offered gets you to your destination over 3 hours after the scheduled arrival then you are also entitled to flight delay compensation of up to 600 euros depending on the length of the delay and distance travelled. If you want to see how much your flight cancellation might be worth have a look at our flight delay compensation calculator