What is Cancellation?

A cancellation is the withdrawal of a scheduled flight; a diversion or substantial rescheduling can legally count as one too.

Also called: Cancelled flight.

How it works#

After a cancellation the passenger chooses between a refund of the fare and re-routing to the final destination, the choice belongs to the passenger, not the airline. Compensation and duty of care may apply on top. A flight brought forward at short notice is treated as a cancellation, because it can make travel just as impossible.

Not to be confused with#

A cancellation is not the same as a delay: with a delay the same flight departs later, with a cancellation it does not operate at all.

In German#

The German term is Annullierung. German version of this term

Related terms#

• Re-routing: Re-routing is the airline’s obligation after disruption to get the passenger to the booked final destination, if necessary by another route.
• Flight compensation: Flight compensation is a flat statutory payment owed by the airline for cancellation, long delay or denied boarding, scaled by flight distance.
• Refund: A refund is the repayment of the fare when a flight is cancelled or the passenger no longer wants to travel after a disruption.

Articles that use this term#

• What do US airlines owe you when your flight is cancelled?
• What do you do first when your flight is cancelled?
• When do you get money back for a flight you didn’t take?
• What does your card’s travel insurance actually cover?
• How do you get into an airport lounge without a business class ticket?
• When airline elite status gets you nothing