A cancellation creates several separate rights. The choice between reimbursement and rerouting is not the same as the additional right to fixed compensation.
Legal conditions
The notice date and the replacement itinerary are decisive. Fixed compensation is generally excluded where cancellation was notified at least fourteen days before departure. Shorter notice periods use specific departure and arrival windows for the rerouting offered. Flymoney compares the original booking with the journey actually proposed and performed.
Evidence for the specific flight
Keep the first cancellation message with its timestamp, the original itinerary, every rerouting proposal, actual arrival times and all expenses paid personally. Confirm telephone promises in writing without delay.
Common airline defences
Even where extraordinary circumstances exist, reimbursement, rerouting and care generally remain due. The exception mainly concerns fixed compensation. A generic notice without a flight specific cause does not establish the exemption under Article 5(3).
Other rights beyond fixed compensation
Subject to the Regulation, passengers may choose reimbursement or rerouting to the final destination at the earliest opportunity or at a later convenient date. Waiting time may trigger care. A voucher is an option only and must not replace money without free and informed agreement.
Next steps without losing evidence
Do not make an unclear choice under pressure. Record which options were offered, whether they were workable and why self arranged travel was necessary. Assess each legal right separately afterwards.
Detailed legal assessment
For Flight cancellation: compensation, reimbursement and rerouting, territorial scope, the responsible operating carrier, the timeline, the cause and the specific legal consequence must be established separately. An airline’s internal status code is not decisive; verifiable facts are. For a cancellation, the notice time, the rerouting offered and the actual arrival of the replacement flight must be assessed separately. The review must also distinguish fixed compensation, reimbursement, rerouting, care and proven additional loss.
Decision matrix for the claim review
This matrix prevents separate legal bases from being mixed together.
| Review question | Required evidence | Legal significance |
|---|---|---|
| When was cancellation communicated? | email, text or app timestamp | Affects entitlement to compensation. |
| What rerouting was offered? | rebooking and actual times | Determines reasonableness and timing thresholds. |
| Was reimbursement chosen? | declaration and payment evidence | Fixes the selected legal consequence. |
| Was there an extraordinary cause? | specific evidence and measures | May affect compensation, not automatically care and reimbursement. |
Evidence checklist for the file
A robust file contains more than a booking confirmation. For Flight cancellation: compensation, reimbursement and rerouting, the following material should in particular be preserved:
- original booking and flight confirmation
- cancellation notice with date and time
- rerouting offer and timings
- proof of self-booked alternative transport
- receipts for meals, hotel and transfer
Case law and practical significance
The judgment in Sousa Rodríguez, case C-83/10 is particularly relevant to this subject. The Court clarified that cancellation and its remedies cannot be reduced to a simple refund and that additional loss may require a separate assessment. The judgment does not replace an individual review, but it identifies the legally decisive facts and prevents unsupported airline assertions from being accepted at face value.
Strategic order of assessment
A reliable assessment follows a fixed order:
- Preserve the date, time and method of the first cancellation notice.
- Compare the original journey with the proposed alternative departure and arrival.
- Document the passenger’s choice between reimbursement and rerouting.
- Record care, hotel, transfer and self purchased replacement travel with receipts.
- Only then assess fixed compensation and any defence separately.
Related assessment routes
This assessment often connects with other subjects:
Check my cancelled flight · Legal review and editorial responsibility
Frequently asked questions
When is a flight legally cancelled?
A cancellation occurs when a previously planned flight on which at least one place was reserved is not operated. A major advancement or substantial operational change may also be legally relevant.
Which notice periods matter for cancellation?
Notice at least two weeks before departure may exclude fixed compensation. With shorter notice, the departure and arrival times of the rerouting offered are also decisive.
Must I accept the replacement flight offered?
In principle, you may choose between reimbursement and rerouting under comparable conditions. The right choice depends on the purpose of the trip, timing and actual availability.
May I book a new flight myself?
Where no timely and reasonable alternative is offered, self-booking may be recoverable. First preserve contact attempts, available options, prices and the reason for your choice.
Are hotel and meals still due in extraordinary circumstances?
Yes. Care may remain due even where an extraordinary cause excludes fixed compensation. Necessity and reasonableness must be evidenced.