If the airline cancelled your flight, you’re owed a choice: a full refund within 7 days or rerouting to your destination. And here’s what most passengers miss — a flight cancellation refund and EU 261 compensation are two separate things. You may be owed both, with compensation of €250 to €600 on top of your money back.

That distinction is where a lot of people lose out. They accept a refund, assume that’s the end of it, and never claim the compensation they were also entitled to.

Want to know if you’re owed compensation as well as a refund? Check Your Compensation in a couple of minutes.

Your refund rights when the airline cancels

Under EU Regulation 261/2004 and UK 261, when the airline cancels your flight you get to choose one of the following:

• A full refund of the unused ticket, paid within 7 days
• Rerouting to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, or
• Rerouting at a later date that suits you, subject to seat availability

The choice is yours, not the airline’s. If you no longer need to travel, take the refund. If you still need to get there, choose rerouting — and you can still be owed compensation separately.

A note on rerouting: it means being taken to your final destination, not just any airport near it. If the airline offers a flight to a different city and expects you to make your own way onward, that’s not proper rerouting — reasonable onward transport costs should be covered. And if the only rerouting on offer is days away, the refund option may serve you better.

You’re also entitled to care while you wait: meals, drinks, communications, and a hotel with transfers if you’re stranded overnight. Understanding your full set of rights when your flight cancelled puts you in a much stronger position with the airline.

Refund vs compensation (you might get both)

This is the single most important thing to understand, so it’s worth being blunt about it.

• A refund gives you back the money you paid for a flight that didn’t happen. It’s not a reward — it’s simply your own money returned.
• Compensation is a separate, fixed sum the law requires the airline to pay for the disruption itself.

You can receive both. Taking a refund does not cancel your right to compensation.

Whether compensation is due depends mainly on how much notice you were given:

The compensation amounts mirror the delay tiers:

Compensation is per passenger. It won’t be due if the cancellation was caused by genuine extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, security risks) — but routine technical faults and airline staff strikes do not count, so in those cases compensation usually stands. If you want the detail on how amounts are set, our guide to flight cancelled compensation breaks it down.

How to request your flight cancellation refund step by step

Getting your money back is usually straightforward if you’re methodical.

1. Confirm the cancellation in writing. Save the email, text or app notification. This is your evidence.
2. State that you want a refund, not a voucher. Be explicit — airlines often push vouchers by default.
3. Submit the refund request through the airline’s official channel (website form, app, or customer service).
4. Keep a record of the date you requested it. The 7-day clock starts here.
5. Chase after 7 days if the money hasn’t landed, quoting your right to a refund within seven days.
6. Escalate if the airline stalls — see the final section.

Keep every receipt for costs the cancellation forced on you (food, transport, a hotel). These can be reclaimed on top of your refund and compensation.

One practical tip: send your refund request in writing, even if you also phone. An email or a submitted online form gives you a timestamp and a paper trail. If the airline later disputes when you asked, that record settles the argument — and it’s what a specialist will want to see if the claim has to be escalated.

Vouchers — should you accept?

Airlines love to offer a voucher instead of cash. You are not obliged to accept one.

A voucher ties your money to a single airline, often with an expiry date and conditions. Cash doesn’t. Unless the voucher is worth clearly more than your refund and you’re certain you’ll use it, cash is almost always the safer choice.

Accepting a voucher can also muddy your compensation claim, so if in doubt, take the refund and keep your options open.

There’s also the question of who paid. If you booked through a travel agent or an online booking site, your refund may have to be processed through them rather than the airline directly. That can add a step, so ask early who is handling the money — and keep chasing whoever holds it until the cash lands in your account.

Airline-specific policies (KLM, Transavia, Luxair)

Every airline handles cancellations within the same legal framework, but their processes and forms differ.

KLM. KLM offers refunds and rerouting through its online channels, and compensation may apply where notice was short and the cause wasn’t extraordinary. See the specifics of klm flight cancellation compensation to check your case.

Transavia. As a low-cost carrier, Transavia’s refund and rebooking steps run mostly through its app and website. The rules on compensation are the same as any EU carrier — details on the transavia cancellation policy are worth a look before you accept anything.

Luxair. Luxair passengers have the same core rights to a refund or rerouting plus care. If your flight was scrapped, the guidance on a luxair flight cancellation explains how to pursue both your money back and any compensation.

What if the airline stalls

Delays and dodges are common. If the airline drags its feet past the 7-day refund window, ignores you, or wrongly claims “extraordinary circumstances”, you have options.

Remember that the burden of proof is on the airline to show a valid reason for withholding compensation. It’s not on you to disprove them.

You can escalate to the relevant national enforcement body or take the claim further. A no win, no fee specialist can handle the paperwork and, if needed, court representation — you pay nothing unless money is recovered. To start, upload your ticket and passport, add an e-signature, and let the team chase both the refund and the compensation.

How to protect your claim from the start

A little organisation early makes the whole process smoother. From the moment you learn of the cancellation, save the notification and note the time you received it — the notice period decides whether compensation is due. Screenshot the airline’s app, keep your boarding pass and booking reference, and log any costs you have to cover.

If the airline offers you a reason for the cancellation, get it in writing. “Operational reasons” is vague and often hides a cause that does entitle you to compensation, such as a technical fault or staffing shortage. The clearer your records, the harder it is for the airline to fob you off later.

Don’t let a stalling airline keep what’s yours. Check Your Compensation and see exactly what you can claim back.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an airline have to refund a cancelled flight?

Under EU 261 and UK 261, the airline must pay a full refund within 7 days of your request when it cancels your flight. The refund should be in the original form of payment — cash back to your card, not a voucher, unless you agree otherwise. If seven days pass with no refund, chase the airline in writing and escalate if it continues to stall.

Can I get a refund and compensation for a cancelled flight?

Yes — they’re separate entitlements. The refund returns the money you paid for the flight; compensation (€250–€600, or £220–£520 under UK 261) is an additional, fixed sum for the disruption. Taking a refund does not waive your right to compensation. Compensation is generally due when you were given less than 14 days’ notice and the cancellation wasn’t caused by extraordinary circumstances.

Do I have to accept a voucher instead of a refund?

No. You are entitled to a cash refund and cannot be forced to take a voucher. Airlines often present vouchers as the default, but you can insist on your money back to your original payment method. Vouchers usually tie you to one airline, may expire, and can complicate a compensation claim — so unless the voucher’s terms genuinely suit you, take the cash.