1. Reimbursement
Best when the trip no longer serves its purpose. For covered journeys, unused ticket portions are normally reimbursed; connection rules can also matter if you are already part-way through the itinerary.
Cancelled flight · choose before you click refund
Rebooking and Rerouting Rights After a Cancelled Flight
If you still need to travel, a refund may be the wrong first move. Depending on the passenger-rights rules covering your flight, you may be able to choose rerouting at the earliest opportunity or rebooking for a later date instead.
Quick answerFor many flights covered by EU261 or UK passenger-rights rules, cancellation gives you a choice: reimbursement, rerouting to your final destination as soon as possible, or travel at a later date under comparable conditions, subject to availability. Once you commit to one option, you generally cannot also demand the alternatives. Compensation is a separate question.
01 · Decision first
Refund, earliest rerouting or later rebooking?
Choose according to whether you still need the journey—not according to which button is easiest to find in the airline app.
2. Earliest rerouting
Best when you still need to reach the destination as soon as reasonably possible. Ask the airline for the earliest suitable route under comparable transport conditions.
3. Later rebooking
Best when you still want the trip but not immediately. EU and UK rules provide for rerouting at a later date convenient to you under comparable conditions, subject to seat availability.
Do not casually accept a refund if you still need to travel. Under EU and UK guidance, choosing reimbursement generally ends your right to demand rerouting for the same cancellation.
02 · Earliest opportunity
“Rerouting” can mean more than the airline's next flight
The practical question is whether a significantly earlier reasonable alternative exists—not simply whether your original carrier has a seat tomorrow.
Ask about another airline
UK CAA guidance says that where another airline can get you there significantly sooner, you may have the right to be booked onto that alternative. EU rules require rerouting at the earliest opportunity under comparable transport conditions.
Ask about another suitable route
A connection, nearby airport or suitable alternative transport can sometimes solve the disruption faster. Confirm transfer arrangements and any extra ground-transport cost before agreeing.
Keep screenshots of the airline's proposed alternatives and of materially earlier options you found. They can help explain why you asked for a different route.
03 · Replacement ticket
Before buying your own replacement flight
Self-booking can become necessary, but evidence and proportionality matter.
1
Ask the airline to reroute you first.
Use the app, desk, chat or phone and save the response. Make clear that you still want rerouting rather than a refund.
2
Record the alternatives.
Save available flight times, prices and the airline's offered itinerary, especially if its option is substantially later.
3
Keep the replacement reasonable.
Choose comparable transport rather than an unnecessary upgrade, and keep itemised receipts and booking confirmations.
4
Claim the documented cost.
EU guidance says an airline that fails to meet its rerouting obligation must reimburse flight costs; UK CAA guidance likewise expects reimbursement of reasonable self-arranged alternatives when suitable rerouting is not offered.
Do not treat self-booking as an automatic blank cheque. The exact right depends on the law covering your flight and the facts showing what the airline did—or failed to do.
04 · While you wait
Rerouting and care rights can run together
If you choose to continue travelling and must wait, meals, refreshments, communication and sometimes hotel/transport assistance may be due under the applicable regime.
Meals & refreshments
Reasonable assistance should reflect the length of the wait. If the airline cannot provide it directly, keep itemised receipts for reasonable spending.
Hotel & transport
If rerouting requires an overnight stay, covered passengers may be entitled to accommodation and transport between the airport and accommodation.
Compensation is separate
Taking rerouting does not automatically erase a possible fixed-compensation claim. Eligibility depends on notice, cause, timing and the passenger-rights framework.
For the broader cancellation-eligibility question, see Flight Cancellation Compensation. For evidence and out-of-pocket costs, see Flight Delay & Cancellation Expenses. For the payment distinction, see Refund vs Compensation.
05 · Booking structure
Connections, return legs and vouchers change the decision
Look at the whole booking before accepting a one-click solution.
One reservation with a connection
If a cancellation makes the journey pointless after you have already travelled part of it, EU/UK rules can include a return to the original departure point when you choose reimbursement rather than continuing.
Separate tickets
Separate bookings can be treated separately. A cancellation on one ticket does not automatically make another airline responsible for the separate onward ticket.
Voucher instead of cash
Do not assume a voucher is the same as reimbursement. Check whether acceptance is voluntary, what restrictions apply and whether taking it changes your available remedy.
Codeshare flight
Identify the operating carrier, not just the flight-number brand. Our codeshare guide explains how to find it.
06 · At the airport
A five-minute cancellation checklist
1
Screenshot the cancellation notice and original itinerary.
2
Decide whether you still need to travel before choosing refund.
3
If yes, ask for earliest rerouting and check materially earlier alternatives.
4
Save chats, offered routes, prices and itemised care receipts.
5
After travel, assess replacement costs and any separate compensation claim.
07 · FAQ
Common rebooking and rerouting questions
Can I insist on another airline after a cancellation?
Not in every situation, but an alternative carrier can be relevant to the “earliest opportunity” requirement. UK CAA guidance expressly says another airline may need to be used when it can carry you significantly sooner. Ask your airline before self-booking and document the available options.
If I accept a refund, can I later ask the airline to rebook me?
Usually not under the EU/UK choice structure. Once you choose reimbursement, you generally lose the alternative rerouting options for that cancellation. Consider whether you still need the journey before accepting refund.
Can I choose a later date instead of the next available flight?
Under EU and UK rules, rerouting at a later date convenient to the passenger is an option under comparable transport conditions, subject to seat availability.
Does rerouting stop me claiming cancellation compensation?
No, not automatically. Rerouting/reimbursement and fixed compensation are different rights. Compensation depends on factors such as notice, cause and arrival timing under the applicable framework.
Which passenger-rights law applies to my flight?
Route and operating carrier matter. Use our route-first passenger-rights guide before applying EU, UK or Turkish rules to your case.
08 · Official basis
Sources used for this guide
Current passenger guidance checked against Your Europe — Air passenger rights, UK Civil Aviation Authority — Cancellations, and Türkiye's SHGM passenger-rights information. The exact remedy depends on which framework applies and the facts of the disruption.
Still need to travel? Choose the route before the refund.
First preserve the cancellation notice, ask the airline for suitable rerouting and keep evidence of the alternatives. Then assess any separate reimbursement or compensation claim after the journey is stabilised.
