Cancelled or delayed flight: refund and complaint evidence

Last reviewed 9 Oct 2026

If an airline cancels or badly delays your flight and will not refund you, keep your booking confirmation, proof of payment, boarding pass, every notice the airline sent (with the time you received it), your chats and emails with the airline, and receipts for costs you had. Then complain to the airline in writing, citing the rule that applies where your flight operated: UK261 or EU261 for flights in or out of the UK and EU, the DGCA's passenger rules and the AirSewa portal in India, or the US Department of Transportation's automatic refund rule for flights to, from or within the United States.

Evidence checklist

Step by step

1. Save the booking and payment proof. Keep the e-ticket or booking confirmation, the booking reference, the fare and fee breakdown, and the card or bank statement line. If you booked through a travel agent, keep that too.
2. Capture every notice with its time. Screenshot app notifications, emails and texts about the cancellation or delay, showing the time they arrived. App notices can be replaced when the airline changes the flight status.
3. Keep your boarding pass and airport records. Save the boarding pass or photo of it, photos of the departures board, and anything handed to you, such as a form or voucher.
4. Record what the airline offered. Note what you were offered (rebooking, voucher, refund), what you accepted or refused, and the date, time and name of the person who said it. Do not accept a voucher if you want a refund without knowing the terms.
5. Keep receipts for extra costs. Meals, hotel, transport and replacement flights, with itemised receipts. Airlines usually ask for them.
6. Prove your actual arrival. If you flew on a later flight, keep the new boarding pass and a screenshot of the actual arrival time, since compensation rules often depend on how late you arrived.
7. Complain in writing and set a date. Write to the airline with a short timeline, the rule you rely on and what you want, with the documents numbered. Keep proof of sending and any reference number, then escalate if there is no resolution.

UK and EU: UK261 and EU261

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, known as EU261, sets passenger rights in the EU. The UK kept a version of it as UK261, which the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) explains for UK passengers. The two sets of rules are similar but separate, and which applies depends on the route and the airline.

• Which flights: the EU says its rules cover flights within the EU on any airline, flights arriving in the EU from outside on EU airlines, and flights departing the EU on any airline. The CAA says UK261 covers flights departing a UK airport on any airline and some flights arriving in the UK on UK or EU airlines. Check the CAA page for your route.
• Cancellation: you can choose a refund, paid within 7 days, or re-routing. You may also be owed compensation if the airline told you less than 14 days before departure, depending on the notice and on the alternative flight offered, unless the airline shows extraordinary circumstances.
• Delay: compensation may be due if you arrive more than 3 hours late at your final destination, again unless there were extraordinary circumstances. The CAA says that if a delay exceeds 5 hours you can refuse to travel and claim a refund of unused flights.
• Compensation amounts (UK261): £220 for flights of 1,500 km or less, £350 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and £520 for longer flights, with reductions in some cases, such as some long-haul delays of 3 to 4 hours.
• Compensation amounts (EU261): €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less, €400 for longer flights within the EU and for other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for flights over 3,500 km.
• Care: food and drink related to the waiting time, and a hotel and transport if you are delayed overnight, whatever the cause of a cancellation.
• Extraordinary circumstances: the CAA's examples of events outside the airline's control include bad weather, natural disasters, some air traffic control decisions, bird strikes and political instability. The airline must show them; keep the notice that says why your flight was affected.
• Complaining: contact the airline first. The CAA says that if you are unhappy after 8 weeks you can go to an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider or the CAA's passenger advice and complaints team. Time limits for court claims vary, so check yours.

India: DGCA rules and AirSewa

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, on facilities for passengers in case of denied boarding, cancellation and delay. The edition we checked is Revision 4 of 25 January 2023, effective 15 February 2023. It applies to scheduled and non-scheduled operators. For foreign carriers, compensation is as set by their home country's regulations or the amounts in this CAR. Check the DGCA site for the current version. Points that matter for evidence:

• Cancellation: the airline should tell you at least two weeks before departure and arrange an alternate flight or a refund acceptable to you. If you are told less than two weeks before and up to 24 hours before, it should offer an alternate flight or a refund. If you were not informed as required, you can get an alternate flight or compensation in addition to a full refund: INR 5,000 or the booked one-way basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is less, for flights up to 1 hour block time; INR 7,500 for more than 1 and up to 2 hours; INR 10,000 for more than 2 hours, on the same "whichever is less" basis.
• Delay: meals and refreshments after delays of 2, 3 or 4 hours or more depending on the flight's block time. For a domestic delay of more than 6 hours from the published or previously revised time, the airline should offer an alternate flight within 6 hours or a full refund. Hotel accommodation is due for a delay of more than 24 hours, or more than 6 hours for flights scheduled between 2000 and 0300. The burden of proving whether and when you were told of a delay rests with the airline, which is why you should save the notices.
• Extraordinary circumstances: no compensation if cancellations or delays are caused by events beyond the airline's control such as natural disaster, strikes, air traffic control or weather.
• Redress: you may complain directly to the airline, file a grievance on the AirSewa app or portal, and, if you are not satisfied, go to a statutory body or court set up under applicable laws. Airlines must give a unique reference number for complaints.

A complaint about deficient airline service may also be possible before a Consumer Commission; see How to file a consumer complaint in India.

United States: DOT automatic refund rule

In April 2024 the US Department of Transportation issued a final rule on refunds for flights to, from or within the United States. According to DOT, you are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight for any reason and does not rebook you, or you do not accept the rebooking or other compensation. You are also entitled to a refund if the flight is "significantly changed" and you do not accept the changed itinerary or other compensation. A significant change includes a domestic flight departing 3 or more hours earlier or arriving 3 or more hours later, an international flight departing or arriving 6 or more hours earlier or later, a change of origin or destination airport, more connections, a downgrade to a lower class, and connections that are less accessible for a person with a disability.

• Refunds must be automatic, so you should not need to ask.
• Airlines and ticket agents must pay within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
• Refunds must be in cash or the original form of payment, for the full ticket price minus any part already used, including taxes and fees. A voucher is allowed only if you choose it, and it must be valid for at least five years.
• You may also be owed refunds of checked bag fees for significantly delayed bags and of fees for extra services that were not provided.

DOT says to give the airline a chance to resolve the problem first. Airlines must acknowledge a complaint within 30 days and send a written response within 60 days. If you are not satisfied you can file a complaint with DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division. If the airline still does not refund a card payment, see the chargeback and card dispute evidence checklist. Rules may have changed since this review; check DOT's current page.

Deadlines to watch

• Refund windows: 7 days (UK261/EU261 cancellations), 7 business days or 20 calendar days (US), and the time limits for card disputes, which are often counted in months.
• Airline complaint windows: some airlines set their own time limits for claims. Complain as soon as you can.
• Court and regulator time limits vary by country. Do not leave it late.