When is a cancellation "short notice"?
Under EU261, cancellation rights are tied to how much notice the airline gives you before departure:
- Less than 7 days' notice — the most comprehensive protection applies
- 7 to 14 days' notice — partial protection, depending on the alternative flight offered
- More than 14 days' notice — no compensation entitlement, though a refund of the ticket is still required
Most "short notice" situations that passengers experience — gate announcements, same-day cancellations, cancellations the night before — fall into the less-than-7-days category.
Your immediate choices
When a flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a choice:
Option 1: Full refund
You can request a full refund of your ticket for the unused portion of the journey. If you have a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can claim a refund for the entire booking. The refund should be issued within 7 days.
Option 2: Re-routing as soon as possible
The airline should offer to rebook you on the earliest available alternative, including on other airlines if necessary.
Option 3: Re-routing at a later date of your choosing
If you prefer, you can request rebooking for a later date that suits you, subject to availability.
These are your choices — the airline cannot simply rebook you without offering the option of a refund.
Compensation entitlements
If the cancellation was notified to you less than 14 days before departure, you may be entitled to fixed compensation under EU261:
| Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km / within Europe | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |
These amounts may be reduced by 50% if the airline offers an alternative flight that gets you to your destination within a certain timeframe of the original.
Compensation is not owed if the airline can prove the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances — for example, severe weather, a security alert, or an air traffic control strike.
Duty of care during the wait
If you choose to be re-routed, the airline must provide while you wait:
- Meals and refreshments proportionate to the delay
- Hotel accommodation if overnight becomes necessary
- Transport between the airport and the accommodation
Again: keep receipts for anything you pay yourself.
What to document
- The original booking confirmation
- Any message or notification from the airline about the cancellation and its reason
- Times: when you arrived at the airport, when you found out, when the alternative flight departed
- Receipts for meals, transport, accommodation if you paid out of pocket
- Any written communications with airline staff
If the airline claims extraordinary circumstances
Ask for this in writing. The airline bears the burden of demonstrating that the circumstances were extraordinary and unavoidable. A technical fault that is part of the normal operation of aircraft (as opposed to a hidden manufacturing defect) is generally not accepted as extraordinary.
Steps to take after you return home
- Request confirmation of the cancellation in writing from the airline, if you do not already have it.
- Calculate the notice period: how many days before departure were you informed?
- Calculate the distance of your route (point-to-point, in km as the crow flies).
- Gather your documents and submit a claim to the airline. Reference EU261/2004.
- If the airline rejects or ignores the claim, escalate to the national enforcement body or an alternative dispute resolution scheme.
Getting help with your claim
Claim management services can handle the process on your behalf, typically for a percentage of the compensation. This option suits passengers who do not want to manage the correspondence themselves or who have already tried and been unsuccessful.
This guide provides general information for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Your specific entitlements will depend on the details of your journey and the circumstances of the cancellation.