What to do at the airport when your flight is delayed or cancelled
The best evidence is created while you are still at the airport. A few calm steps can make the difference between a vague story and a neat request later.
Main guide for this topic
Air passenger rights
This article is a detailed subtopic. Start with the main guide if you want the full picture on eligibility, amounts, exceptions and next steps.
Solve the trip first, then the request
When a flight is delayed or canceled, the first goal is not to immediately write a complaint. First, a practical problem needs to be solved: how to get to the destination, where to wait, whether you need a hotel, food, transfer or a new ticket.
Ask the airline what options it offers and ask them to confirm them in writing, via email, SMS or app. A verbal promise at the counter may help in the moment, but is difficult to prove later.
If you are traveling with children, elderly people or have an important event, write down those circumstances as well. They do not automatically create a right to a fixed fee, but may be important in assessing the costs and urgency of diversion.
Ask for a specific reason
Ask the staff what the official reason for the delay or cancellation is. It is not the same if the reason is a technical failure, late rotation of the aircraft, weather conditions, flight control decision or lack of crew.
If you receive only a verbal explanation, immediately write down the exact wording, time, counter and who told you. If the explanation changes throughout the day, save each version.
You don't have to argue at the airport. The goal is to collect a clue, not to prove the right on the spot. Later, it is checked whether the explanation actually relieves the airline of liability.
Take a picture of anything that changes the timeline
Take a photo of the flight board, gate notification, in-app messages, counter queue, voucher, new ticket and any time change notification. That may seem like too much, but later it's often those images that fill in the holes.
In case of delays, the planned and actual time of arrival is important. When you cancel, it is important when you are informed and what you are offered. With the connection, it is important when the first flight arrived and when the next flight left.
If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, ask for written confirmation. If you don't get it, write down the details and save evidence that you were checked in and at the gate on time.
Ask for care while you wait
During a long wait, the airline in many situations has to provide basic care: meals, refreshments and communication. If the wait extends to the next day, a hotel and transfer may be required.
If no one offers to help you, ask directly what is provided. If you have to pay for food, hotel or transportation yourself, keep the receipts and write down why the expense was incurred.
Care while waiting is not the same as fixed compensation. You may be entitled to one, the other, both or neither, depending on the circumstances.
Don't sign a vague waiver
If they offer you a voucher, miles, hotel accommodation or a replacement flight, read if you sign that the case is completely closed. Some offers are useful, but some can close a larger claim.
If you don't have time to study the terms, take a photo of the document before signing or ask for it to be emailed to you. Pay particular attention to the wording no further claims, full and final settlement or similar expressions.
When you return, make a short note
While the details are fresh, write a simple timeline: when you were supposed to take off, what happened, what was said, what you got, what you paid, and when you arrived.
Add documents to that chronology and enter the case for review. A good claim does not depend on a long emotional description, but on clear facts and supporting evidence.
If you traveled with a family or group, write down the names of all passengers and who incurred what expenses. With group reservations, it is easy to lose the information that each person had the same disorder, but different bills or documents.
It is best to finish everything on the same day or the next day. After a few weeks, the details start to get mixed up, and airline apps often don't show all the messages anymore.
Don't leave the airport without a plan
If the staff tells you to call back later or to buy the ticket yourself, ask for confirmation in writing. Leaving the airport without proof can make it difficult to get a refund later or to prove that the airline did not offer real assistance.
If you are waiting at night, ask specifically about the hotel and transfer. If you get a response that nothing is available, make a note of it and save the bill for reasonable accommodation.
If the trip no longer serves a purpose, ask for a refund and return to the starting point if relevant. With complex trips, the right is not just to arrive at any time, but to get a meaningful solution for a disrupted trip.