What to do if your flight gets cancelled | Explainer

In some circles, it’s known as ‘the text message from hell’, that little alert on your phone ringing out to let you know that the flight you believed you’d be taking (and have paid handsomely for) has been cancelled. 

If, like me, you’ve had a fair few of these texts in recent months, you’ll understand that once the confusion, anger, and annoyance has died down, you’ll most likely need to take action.

What does said action look like? Typically, it all comes down to your airline. 

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My flight has been cancelled, so now what?

As a general rule, passengers are entitled to either a refund or a travel credit if the airline cancels the flight and a suitable alternative has not been found.

Some airlines, such as Jetstar, will automatically rebook you onto the next available flight and send you a text and/or email alerting you of the change. Other airlines (Virgin Australia, for example), will even look to move you onto another airline to the same destination if another VA flight is not available). 

Regardless of the airline you’ve booked with, if you find you are bumped into a flight that doesn’t work, it’s best to contact the airline immediately to see if they can offer you either another option, whether that be a different time or another mode of transport. Failing that, it’s time to talk refunds and credit options available to you (again, this will vary depending on your airline as they have differing policies).

What do I do about the additional costs of being bumped?

When your original flight has been cancelled, it’s not unusual to run up a vast range of costs associated with transport, meals, and accommodation while you wait for your new flight.

To that end, it’s worth remembering that while passengers who are left out of pocket are usually entitled to airport transfers, accommodation, and meal vouchers provided by the airline, the entitlements vary between airlines (you will also need to pay for these items, keep the receipts and then make a claim with the airline after the fact. 

In terms of what various local airlines offer stranded passengers delayed overnight, they are as follows:

• Virgin Australia will pay for accommodation up to the value of $220 per room per night and for meals up to $50 per passenger per night (and this only comes into play if you are not at your home port). They will also cover the ‘reasonable’ cost of airport transfers such as taxis, Uber, train, ferry or bus and look at any other cost incurred for reasonable personal items (again, if you are not at your home port). 
• Jetstar offers a $150 reimbursement per room for overnight accommodation costs, as well as a $30 per person reimbursement for meals (this is, of course, if the airline hasn’t organised the accommodation and meals themselves) and reimbursement of ‘reasonable’ costs related to transfers. 
• Qantas passengers delayed overnight in an away from home airport will receive accommodation (or reimbursement) of up to $200, as well as a meal voucher or reimbursement to the tune of $30. 

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Can I get a refund?

In some cases, yes. Qantas, for example, will give you a refund if you have to cancel your trip completely because of a delay, if they can’t find a suitable alternative arrangement for a cancelled or delayed flight, or if the delay causes you to miss a connecting Qantas flight). It’s always a good idea to read through your airline’s Compensations and Refunds Policy page to understand what you’re entitled to, even before you book your flight. 

What do I do if I’m still not happy? 

Be sure to read through the terms and conditions of your flight booking (often we agree to terms we’re not fully aware of) and retain records of all contact with the airline, be it notes from your phone conversations, noting the full name of the person you spoke with, emails and/or text messages. If you’ve not had much luck with your airline, contact your travel insurance provider to see if and how they can assist. 

You can also make a complaint to your state’s consumer protection agency, or with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Just note that  when you purchase a flight.

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