When an airline cancels a flight, getting your money back can become more complicated if you booked through a travel agent or an online booking site. You may be left wondering whether to contact the airline or the company that took your payment, and how long you should have to wait. New EU rules are intended to make that process clearer and give passengers a better idea of who is responsible for returning their money.
What are the new EU flight refund rules?
The wider EU air passenger-rights changes are due to apply from 23rd October 2027. A separate set of rules would give clearer deadlines for refunds when you book through a travel agent or booking website. Parliament approved those rules on 20th October 2026, but the EU Council must still formally approve them before they become law.
How the EU flight refund rules work
If an airline cancels your flight, you can usually choose between getting your money back or taking another flight. The new refund process deals with bookings where you paid a travel agent or booking website instead of paying the airline yourself.
For some bookings, the refund has two steps. First, the airline has seven days from your refund request to pay the travel agent or website. Then the agent has up to seven days after receiving the money to pay you. These deadlines only apply to the types of booking covered by the new rules.
The planned rules generally cover the ticket price and any eligible booking fee. Some very small travel businesses may qualify for an exception if they explain it clearly when you book. Package holidays follow separate rules, so contact your holiday organiser if your flight is part of a package.
How the two-stage refund deadline works
Stage 1
Up to 7 days
The airline sends the money to the travel agent or booking website.
Stage 2
Up to 7 more days
The travel agent or booking website sends the money to you.
Important: this will not apply to every booking. Some very small travel businesses may be exempt, and package holidays can follow different rules.
Does every refund have to arrive within 14 days?
No. The 14-day process only covers certain bookings. If the airline has not been told within 14 days that you have been refunded, it must contact you by the next day. It can then pay you directly within seven days of receiving the details it needs.
Refunds are not the same as compensation
REFUND
Your ticket money back
Returns the ticket price and any booking fee covered by the rules.
COMPENSATION
A separate payment
May be payable only if the disruption and circumstances meet the relevant legal conditions.
A refund is the money you paid for your ticket, returned to you. Compensation is extra money you may be entitled to in some circumstances. You do not automatically get compensation just because your flight was cancelled or your refund was delayed.
The wider EU changes keep your choice of a refund or another flight if your flight is cancelled. Compensation may also be available in some cases, such as certain long delays, cancellations announced less than 14 days before departure, or when you are refused boarding. The rules depend on what happened.
What other air passenger rights are changing?
The wider EU passenger-rights changes also cover ticket-price information and some protections for children and passengers who need assistance. These are separate from the refund deadlines explained in this guide.
Will the EU flight refund rules apply to UK travellers?
Travelling from the UK? Check the route and operating airline
The EU rules will not cover every flight taken by someone from the UK. What matters is where your flight starts and ends, and which airline operates it. UK rules already protect passengers on many journeys.
Check the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s cancellation guidance →
Your route and airline matter more than your home address.
Check the route
Look at where the flight departs and the rules that cover that journey.
Check the airline
The operating airline and applicable passenger-rights regime can affect your rights.
Do not assume
EU rules do not automatically become UK law for every flight.
If your flight leaves from an EU airport, EU passenger rights may apply even if you are British. Flights leaving the UK may be covered by UK rules instead. Booking through a UK website does not decide which rules apply.
If your flight is cancelled, check the airline’s offer and the passenger-rights guidance for your route. Keep your booking and refund records in case you need to challenge a delay.
What should you do if a refund is late?
When does the 14-day deadline start?
For eligible bookings, the usual process gives the airline up to seven days to pay the travel agent, then gives the agent up to seven more days to pay you.
This does not mean every cancelled flight must be refunded within 14 days. You need to ask for a refund, and the rules only cover certain bookings.
If the airline has not been told within 14 days that you have been paid, the planned rules say it must contact you by the next day.
It must ask for the details it needs to pay you directly, then send the refund within seven days of receiving those details. So, in this situation, it could take longer than 14 days.
Who should you contact?
Your practical checklist
Contact the airline or booking website for a written update. Keep a note of when you asked for a refund and how much you are owed. If you booked through an agent, ask whether it has received the money from the airline and when it will pay you.
If the company does not resolve the issue, consult the official passenger-rights guidance for the flight’s jurisdiction and check which national enforcement body handles complaints. Travel insurance or a payment provider may offer other routes in some circumstances, but those are separate from the airline’s legal refund obligations.
Frequently asked questions
When are the new flight refund rules due to start?
The wider EU flight passenger-rights changes are due to apply from 23rd October 2027. The separate rules for refunds paid through travel agents were approved by the European Parliament in October 2026, but still need formal approval by the Council and official publication. Until then, the new refund deadlines should be treated as planned, not as rules already in force.
Do the rules apply to a flight booked through a travel agent?
These planned refund rules are specifically about eligible bookings made through a travel agent or online booking platform. They are due to apply from 23rd October 2027, if formally approved by the EU Council. Whether they cover your journey depends on the applicable passenger-rights rules and your flight details.
Will I get compensation as well as a refund?
Not automatically. A refund and compensation are different rights. Compensation depends on the circumstances of the cancellation or delay and whether the applicable legal conditions are met.
Do the new EU rules automatically cover flights from Scotland or elsewhere in the UK?
No. EU rules do not automatically amend UK law. The rules depend on your route and airline. Check which rules cover your flight.
If your refund is still unresolved
First, complain in writing to the airline, travel agent or package organiser responsible for your booking. Keep your booking confirmation, cancellation notice, refund request and all replies. If the company does not resolve the issue, check which aviation regulator or approved dispute-resolution route handles your flight.
CAA: cancelled flights and passenger rights →
Citizens Advice Scotland: holiday cancellations and compensation →
Official information and sources
Information checked on 24th October 2026. The wider EU air passenger-rights regulation is due to apply from 23rd October 2027. Parliament approved the separate travel-agent refund rules on 20th October 2026, but the EU Council must still formally approve them before they become law. The 14-day refund process is planned for the same date, but is not yet in force.
The official text of Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, including the revised EU air passenger-rights rules and its application date.Read the regulation on EUR-Lex →
A summary of the EU legislative process and the measures concerning air passenger rights.Read the Parliament’s legislative summary →
The Council’s announcement explains the agreement on measures intended to make passenger rights easier to enforce.Read the Council announcement →
Official UK guidance about passenger rights, flight delays, cancellations and complaints.Read the CAA passenger guidance →
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