Your flight rights in 2026, country by country, and what airlines really owe

What an airline owes you after a delay, cancellation or bumping depends on two things: where your flight departs from, and whether the cause was within the airline’s control. Europe and the UK pay fixed cash, up to €600 or £520. Canada pays up to CAD 1,000. The United States pays nothing for a delay but forces a cash refund when a flight is cancelled or badly delayed. Australia has no fixed payout at all. Everywhere, being bumped against your will pays the most. This guide sets out each system and links to our full guide on every situation.

The rules country by country

Europe and the UK pay the most predictable amounts; the US pays nothing for delays but is strict on refunds. EU Regulation 261/2004 covers every flight departing the EU and flights into the EU on EU airlines, with €250, €400 or €600 by distance when you arrive three hours or more late for a reason within the airline’s control. A reform of the rules, approved by the European Parliament by 646 votes to 12 and given final clearance by the Council of the EU on 13 July 2026, keeps the three-hour threshold and those amounts. It applies 12 months and 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal, so the current rules govern flights until then. The UK kept the same rules after Brexit, in pounds. Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations pay CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 on a large airline for delays of three to six, six to nine and nine hours or more. In the US, the Department of Transportation requires an automatic cash refund when a flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you choose not to travel, but no cash for the delay itself. Australia has none of these: the Australian Consumer Law gives a refund or a replacement when the service fails, with no set sum.

Strikes, storms and whose fault it was

The question that decides cash in Europe and Canada is whether the airline could have prevented it. Storms and air traffic control strikes are extraordinary circumstances, so no cash is owed, though care still is; see what airlines owe after an air traffic control failure. A strike by the airline’s own staff over pay is different: the EU’s Court of Justice ruled in 2021 that it is not extraordinary. Our strike coverage applies that to real dates, from easyJet’s Italy strike on 16 October to the French crew strike of 17–21 October, where the target is a government reform and the answer is less certain.

Cancelled, bumped or rebooked

When a flight is cancelled you choose between a refund and a new flight, and in Europe the new flight can be on another airline. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says rerouting “at the earliest opportunity” can mean a rival carrier if it gets you there significantly sooner; in the US no federal rule forces that, so the airline’s own commitments decide. How to ask, and what to say, is in getting rebooked after a cancellation. Being bumped from an oversold flight is the best-paid disruption of all, as long as you do not volunteer too quickly: what airlines must pay when you are bumped.

Long-haul connections, including to Nepal

One booking from a European airport is protected end to end, even on a non-European airline’s connecting flight. That makes a single ticket from London or Paris to Kathmandu via the Gulf worth up to £520 or €600 if you arrive three hours late. The flight home on a non-European airline is not covered. The full reasoning, with the court cases, is in when EU261 covers a flight to Kathmandu.

Lost bags, insurance and how to claim

The airline owes you first for a lost or delayed bag; insurance pays what the airline does not. Our guide to baggage cover explains the order of claims and the proof each needs. Insurance bought after a strike or storm has been announced will not cover it, as known-event exclusions make clear. To claim compensation, keep the delay or cancellation notice with its stated reason, note your real arrival time, keep every receipt, and write to the airline that operated the flight. Claim directly; it costs nothing.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; European Commission, Your Europe air passenger rights; Council of the EU, “Council gives final clearance for stronger air passenger rights”, 13 July 2026, and European Parliament press service on the July 2026 plenary vote; UK Civil Aviation Authority, delays and cancellations guidance; Canadian Transportation Agency, Air Passenger Protection Regulations; US Department of Transportation, 14 CFR Parts 250 and 260; ACCC, travel delays and cancellations; Court of Justice of the EU, case C-28/20 (2021); as read for the linked guides between 24 September and 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Photos via Pexels: Simberto Brauserich (cover), Myburgh Roux, Brett Sayles, Braeson Holland, Denniz Futalan, Asad Photo Maldives.