What To Do If My Flight Is Cancelled? Compensation Explained

Nobody enjoys beginning and ending their hard-earned vacation by wasting hours at the airport waiting for a flight. While last year was the year that travel fully recovered, this year is the year that’s taking the brunt of last year’s full recovery. Especially with demands only getting higher, much faster, and supply falling short at the same time. This means more flight delays and cancellations at a higher cost for those who are affected.

Not forgetting the mental effects these disruptions have on people. A recent study conducted by SITA shows that flight delays and cancellations are the primary source of passenger anxieties during the booking process. The prevalence of anxieties surrounding flight delays and cancellations is due to two key factors; one being an overwhelming majority of flyers (approx. 56% of respondents) have encountered these issues regularly. Secondly, these disruptions impede their overall travel experiences. This comes as no surprise because knowing and seeing what has been unfolding lately; with geopolitical unrest, unpredictable weather conditions and natural disaster occurrences, travellers today are mindful of their future travel decisions.

In this post I will be sharing tips on what to do if your flight is cancelled, what to know about the compensation you’re entitled to and travel insurance options to consider in order to appease travel booking anxieties. Featuring travel insurances by Allianz, Chubb, SafetyWing, or World Nomads.

What is Qatar Airway’s flight cancellation compensation policy?

Note that I will be sharing tips based on my personal flight cancellation experience with Qatar Airways and their co-share partner; British Airways.

To give some context, the portion of my flight was disrupted for the Doha-London route (not an EU flight) and the reason for the flight cancellation was due to British Airways pilots going on strike in London. Therefore no flights to Doha from London and no flights going out of Doha to London on any British Airways flights that day.

Now keep in mind that my booking was made directly on the Qatar Airways website for several reasons; the main one being that I wanted to collect my Avios. While there were options to purchase flights without co-share partners, the timing and prices on offer did not quite match my travel needs at the time. However this co-share flight was well within my budget, it had the shortest flight hours and a comfortable 2-hour transit in Doha.

Despite my decision, I wasn’t looking forward to flying on a British Airways flight because one; it meant that my Qatar Airways experience was not going to be 100%, and two; in the past, I had a negative in-flight service experience with them. I already knew that the next leg of my trip was going to be sub-par and the possibility of a flight cancellation event by the airline was never far from my mind with British Airways.

As always, my instincts were right yet again.

In general, with any Qatar Airways flight cancellation you’ll be offered an alternative flight to your final destination or you can get a full refund if that’s what you prefer; provided you booked your tickets directly from the Qatar Airways website. Unfortunately for passengers who booked tickets through a travel agent, the alternative flight and refund do not apply and Qatar Airways will most likely encourage you to check with your travel agents instead.

In addition to the alternative flight or refund, Qatar will also provide food vouchers, lounge access at Hamad International Airport and hotel accommodation while you wait for your NEW next flight. This will also depend on the next available flight departure time. If the flight departs a day after your original flight, then these additional compensations will be offered.

What’s covered under the EU Air Passenger rights?

While Qatar Airways is not a European airline, it still has to comply with European Regulations whenever they fly in Europe. This is good news for passengers who are affected by last-minute flight cancellations and delays from a European departure as they could be eligible for a fair Qatar Airways compensation payout.

The Europe Air Passenger Rights under the EU Regulation 261/2004, also known as EC 261 regulation, is one of the most comprehensive covers in the world. The regulation is designed to ensure airlines like Qatar Airways take appropriate measures and care of their passengers by fairly compensating them when their journeys are disrupted by delays, cancellations and overbooking. Air passengers on any EU flights are entitled to a compensation of up to €600 for flight delays longer than 3 hours.

Claim Compass: The good news is, if you haven’t claimed your compensation for a European route flight delay or cancellation in the last 5 years, you can check your eligibility here.

Airhelp: If you don’t have the time and need guidance on how to submit, or if you are not sure what the essential documents needed for a claim compensation, Airhelp is a able to help.

Which Qatar Airways flights are covered by EC 261?

• Flights departing EU Airports – ✅ Covered by EC 261

• Flights arriving at EU Airports – 🚫 Not covered by EC 261

How much is Qatar Airways flight compensation?

If your flight is cancelled and you were notified less than 14 days before the scheduled date or denied boarding you are entitled to:

• Transport to your final destination using a comparable alternative transport means or
• a refund of your tickets or
• Transport free of charge to your initial departure point if you have connecting flights and
• Financial compensation €250 to €600 depending on the distance of your flight. If the airline offers you an alternative flight and you reach your final destination with a delay of 2, 3 or 4 hours with the length of the flight in consideration, the compensation may be reduced to 50% (check out the compensation table below).
• In cases of re-routing, passengers are entitled to care (drinks, meals, communications), and hotel accommodation, if necessary (including transfer) which will also depend on the length of the delay.

Compensation for cancellations or re-routing within the EU

Compensation for cancellations or re-routing between an EU airport and a non-EU airport

Flight cancellation and delay compensation from travel insurance

In a previous article on this site, I’ve advocated the stance that if you can’t afford travel insurance then perhaps you really can’t afford to travel. The same goes for vaccinations. However, despite the number of terrible stories and alarming reports of things going wrong due to flight cancellations, delays, and sickness on the road, some people still don’t purchase travel insurance.

Here I will share with you four travel insurance that can cover you in the event of flight cancellation and delays.

Allianz – Allianz Travel Insurance is a top option for frequent travellers, offering flexible and comprehensive coverage. For travel delays (due to reschedules, rerouting and cancellation), the compensation is up to RM 2,000 (RM 300 per 6-hour delay). Additionally, passengers are entitled to claim for travel overbook, missed departure, missed travel connection and luggage delays.

Chubb – Similar to Allianz Travel Insurance, Chubb Travel Insure also provides cover for individuals and families for travel inconveniences such as flight cancellations, delays, overbooking, missed departure, and missed travel connections. Depending on the plan, passengers can claim up to RM 15,000.

SafetyWing – SafetyWing provides affordable global travel medical insurance, making it the go-to option for long-term travellers and digital nomads who seek peace of mind while exploring the world and working from anywhere.

World Nomads – World Nomads travel insurance has been designed by travellers for travellers, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled?

Much of what you need to do next could make the difference between a successful claim for compensation or a refund and a long night sleeping on an uncomfortable airport bench knowing that you’ve incurred financial loss due to these travel inconveniences.

I’ve put together some information and steps to take if you ever find yourself in a flight delayed or cancellation situation with some added tips.

Step 1 ~ Make sure to find out the reason for the flight delay or cancellation

If you know the delay could be more than 12 hours, it’s worth getting some information about the cause of the delay or cancellation. The information can help when you need to submit a claim from the insurance company or a claim for compensation or a refund from the airline.

Traveller tip: If you missed your flight just because you were late, that is not considered an insured event. However, if you missed an ONWARD flight due to delays or cancellations caused by your carrier, then that could be considered as an insured event by some insurance companies. Typically this insured event falls under travel inconvenience benefits. Always check your policy wording for the full description of what exactly is covered, including terms, conditions and exclusions that apply to you.

Step 2 ~ Get it in writing

Ask for an official letter from the carrier stating the reasons for delay or cancellation as this can be used as evidence when you submit your claim and for the claim to be successful. If for example, the reason is due to bad weather or labour strike, request the carrier to put that as a reason in the letter.

When my flight was cancelled, I received the official letter for the flight cancellation on the spot. Since my onward flight was supposed to be operated by British Airways (co-share partner of Qatar Airways), the letterhead was under the British Airways brand. If the service desk is unable to get the letter to you on the spot, I recommend initiating contact with the customer service or complaint number yourself immediately.

Step 3 ~ Get a refund or get the carrier to reschedule you to the next available flight

If you’ve been left out of pocket and incurred expenses due to the delay or cancellation, your first call to action must always be to seek compensation from the airline first. The carrier must rearrange or reschedule you to the next available flight or ask for a refund from the airline or the travel provider for not providing you with the service promised.

Airlines will typically provide you with the next available flight option (along with hotel accommodation if necessary and or lounge access) rather than a refund. But I’d like to point out that even if the airline rescheduled your flight, you can still submit a claim for the hours delayed from your insurance company; but make sure they provide you with the new flight itinerary preferably via email so you can use it to submit your claim from the insurance company as soon as your trip is over.

Should you decide to claim for the expenses incurred because you did not get a refund, make sure to get evidence that you’ve tried to ask for a refund and failed first.

Traveller tip: If you haven’t claimed compensation for a flight delay or cancellation from a European flight/route in the last 5 years, you can claim at Claim Compass

If you don’t have the time to claim for your compensation or if you’re feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things you need to furnish before submitting a claim, consider using Airhelp.

Step 4 ~ Make sure to keep your documentation

If you still find yourself out of pocket after attempts at getting compensated by your airline, travel provider, or accommodation provider, keep all your documentation and proof that you’ve had to incur additional expenses so you can use them to claim your travel insurance company.

Insurance companies will typically consider all the information available to decide on your claims. The more documentation you have to show that you’ve incurred expenses for an insured event, the quicker and easier for the insurance company to determine your claim.

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