---
title: "What is Cancellation? | Benefit Systems"
description: "A cancellation is the withdrawal of a scheduled flight; a diversion or substantial rescheduling can legally count as one too."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# 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](/de/glossar/annullierung)

## Related terms #

- [Re-routing](/en/glossary/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](/en/glossary/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](/en/glossary/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?](/en/knowledge/us-cancellation-rights)
- [What do you do first when your flight is cancelled?](/en/knowledge/flight-cancelled-what-to-do)
- [When do you get money back for a flight you didn’t take?](/en/knowledge/refunds-for-unused-flights)
- [What does your card’s travel insurance actually cover?](/en/knowledge/card-travel-insurance)
- [How do you get into an airport lounge without a business class ticket?](/en/knowledge/lounge-access)
- [When airline elite status gets you nothing](/en/knowledge/when-status-gets-you-nothing)