Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Disruptions

Secure an alternative flight before anything else. Use the airline app or call the airline while you walk toward the service desk, so you are working two channels at once. Compensation, receipts and complaints can all be handled later, but seats on the next available flight disappear quickly.

No. We publish guides only. We are not an airline, travel agency, insurer or claims company, and we never take a share of anything you recover. Everything on this site is free to read and you act on it yourself.

It depends on your route, the airline, the length of the delay and the reason for it. Weather and air traffic control restrictions are usually treated as outside the airline's control, while technical and crew problems often are not. Our flight guides explain how to find out and what evidence to keep.

With a single booking reference the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination, including rebooking after a missed connection. With two separate tickets the second airline has no obligation to you, and you may need to buy a new ticket. It is the most important fact in most disruptions.

Report it before you leave the airport if at all possible, and in any case within the window stated by the airline, which is commonly 21 days for delayed baggage and much shorter for damage. Keep the reference number, it is the key to everything that follows.

Sometimes, but read the airline's policy first. Some carriers reimburse a reasonable alternative when they cannot rebook you in time; others refuse entirely if you did not get authorisation. If you do buy, keep every receipt and note who told you what.

Many policies do, above a minimum delay length and up to a limit, and they almost always require original receipts and written confirmation of the delay from the airline. Call the assistance number on your certificate before spending large amounts.

File a police report, contact your embassy or consulate immediately, and ask about an emergency travel document. Bring the police report, a photocopy or photo of the lost passport, identity evidence and passport photos to the appointment. Our document guide lists the full sequence.

In large international terminals it is common and generally safe if you stay in busy, well lit areas near staff, keep valuables on your body and set alarms. Some airports close overnight or clear landside areas, so check before you settle in.

We review guides on a schedule and whenever readers tell us something has changed. Rules and airline policies do change, so always confirm anything time critical with the airline or authority involved. If you spot something out of date, please tell us through the contact page.