Flight delayed or cancelled? Check your compensation rights

What to do at the airport, right away

Before you leave the desk, ask the airline or its ground agent why the flight is delayed or cancelled, and ask for the reason in writing — an email or text message from the airline counts. The reason usually decides whether compensation may be due.

Photograph the departures board, keep your boarding pass and note when you actually landed and when the doors opened. If the delay forces you to buy food, transport or a hotel night, keep every receipt.

• Boarding pass and booking confirmation
• The airline's reason for the disruption, in writing
• Receipts for meals, transport and accommodation
• Screenshots of airline notifications

EU261: when it covers flights to and from Israel

EU Regulation 261/2004 covers every flight departing from an EU airport, whatever the airline, and flights arriving in the EU when they are operated by an EU airline. So a flight from Rome to Tel Aviv may be covered on any carrier, and Tel Aviv to Paris only if an EU airline operates it. A flight from Tel Aviv to Europe on a non-EU airline generally falls outside EU261, although Israeli law may still apply.

Under EU261, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, arriving 3 hours or more late, or being denied boarding may entitle you to fixed compensation of €250 to €600, depending on flight distance. Nothing is payable when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather, security risks or air traffic control strikes.

Israel's Aviation Services Law

The Israeli Aviation Services Law (Compensation and Assistance for Flight Cancellation or Change of Conditions), 2012, applies to flights departing from or landing in Israel. As a delay gets longer, the airline must provide assistance: food and drink, a way to communicate and, where needed, overnight accommodation and transport to it.

A cancellation may entitle you to a refund or an alternative ticket, plus monetary compensation set according to flight distance, and a delay of 8 hours or more is treated like a cancellation. There are exceptions, for example circumstances beyond the airline's control such as weather or the security situation, or cancellations announced far enough in advance, so each case has to be looked at individually.

Refund, rebooking and compensation are different things

A refund gives you back the price of your ticket. Rebooking gets you to your destination on another flight. Compensation is a separate payment for the disruption itself, and whether it is due depends on the circumstances. Accepting a refund or a new flight does not necessarily cancel a compensation claim, but read anything you sign, including vouchers, carefully.

Costs such as a prepaid hotel at your destination or a missed onward connection may also be covered by your travel insurance, depending on the policy wording.

Claim it yourself or use a claim service?

You can claim directly from the airline through its online form or by email, attaching your documents. If you'd rather not deal with it, or the airline turns you down, a claim service such as AirHelp can assess the case and pursue it for you. These services usually take a fee or a share of the compensation only if the claim succeeds — check the exact fee on the partner's site before you sign up.

We are not lawyers and this is general information, not legal advice. Claim deadlines exist and vary by country, so it is worth acting sooner rather than later.