Your flight was cancelled
The one thing to know
A cancellation entitles you to a full refund of the unused portion if you decline the alternative — regardless of the reason, weather included. It must be automatic, and in the original form of payment. A voucher is something you may accept, never something you can be required to take.
In order
- Get in two queues at once. Stand in the gate line and call the airline at the same time. Whichever answers first, take it.
- Decide before you reach the desk: rebook or refund. Accepting a rebooking ends the refund entitlement. If the new flight is a day later and you no longer need the trip, say you are declining and want the refund.
- Ask whether the cancellation is controllable. If it is a crew or maintenance issue rather than weather, the airline's own published commitments on meals and hotels apply. Ask for them by name.
- Get it in writing. A refund promised verbally at a gate is not evidence. An email or app message is.
- If refused, file with the DOT. The Aviation Consumer Protection complaint is free, and airlines respond to it.
What you are not owed
A cancellation does not entitle you to a seat on another airline, to a cash payment on top of the refund, or to reimbursement for a hotel you booked yourself before asking. It also does not entitle you to compensation under EU rules unless the flight departed the EU or arrived there on an EU carrier.
Cancellation rates, by airline
Federal on-time record, February 2025 – July 2026.
| Airline | Cancelled | Flights | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norse Atlantic Airways | 100% | 1 | — |
| Kuwait Airways | 10.56% | 2,311 | F |
| PSA Airlines | 6.89% | 20,871 | F |
| Gulf Air | 5.78% | 2,926 | D |
| Aurigny | 4.39% | 16,308 | F |
| Finnair | 4.19% | 7,943 | D |
| Blue Islands | 3.94% | 10,108 | F |
| Qatar Airways | 3.92% | 15,390 | D |
| easyJet Europe | 3.72% | 25,906 | F |
| Republic Airways | 3.57% | 30,929 | C |
This page explains published rules and is not legal advice. Confirm current thresholds with the US Department of Transportation before relying on them.