Flights Cancelled Due to Weather: Your Guide to Compensation

Has your flight been canceled due to inclement weather causing undue delays and unwanted hassles? If your canceled flight was supposed to take off within the EU or land in the EU with an EU airline, you could be entitled to receive benefits and compensation. Good news, AirHelp can help you find out if you are eligible and take care of the claim process, making the whole thing stress-free.

Air passengers around the globe are protected by EU Regulation EC 261 when taking off from an EU airport or landing in the EU on an EU-based airline. EC 261 was established to protect air passengers and allow them to be able to claim compensation for flight cancellations for which the airline was responsible. So is the airline responsible for bad weather? Weather is a tricky one. Some delays or cancellations caused by weather conditions are considered to be extraordinary circumstances. That means the event in question was outside of the airline's control, making the airline exempt from paying compensation.

However, we can see many weather patterns in advance and if the airline could have taken measures to prevent the problem, you may be eligible for compensation. For example, if your airline failed to ensure they had enough deicer before winter started, it could be held responsible for the cancellation, especially if flights operated by other airlines were able to depart on time. Short version flights canceled by weather operate on a case-by-case basis. The easiest way to find out if you are eligible is with AirHelp's free Compensation Calcuator.

AirHelp is the world's largest air passenger rights organization, here to help air travelers secure compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights.

We make claiming compensation easy and stress-free. Whether you are unsure of your rights, lack the time, or simply want an expert to handle your entire claim for you, AirHelp can help you get what you are rightfully owed.

We operate on a no win, no fee basis, so you can check your compensation risk-free.

How do you know when you should claim compensation for a delayed or canceled flight? Though the law can be complicated, we're here to break it down for you:

Delayed flights: you may be able to claim compensation if your flight arrived 3 hours or more late.
Canceled flights: you may be eligible for compensation if your flight was canceled less than 14 days before it was due to depart.
Overbookings: you are owed compensation any time you are denied boarding through no fault of your own — so long as you didn't voluntarily give up your seat.

We should note that if extraordinary circumstances were involved, arirlines are under no obligation to pay compensation. Examples of extraordinary circumstances include bad weather, travel restrictions, and air traffic control strikes. Though these situations cause delays and cancellations, the airline isn't at fault, so can't be expected to offer compensation.

Remember these are European flight regulations and so only apply to flights departing from an EU airport, or flights landing in the EU with a European airline. The table below makes it clear which flights are covered:

Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261

In some circumstances the compensation amount may differ from the standard amounts shown above. The easiest way to find out what you’re owed is to use our Compensation Calculator.

If you experience a flight delay or cancellation, here's what you should do:

• Hold onto your boarding pass and other travel documents.

• Ask why the flight was delayed or canceled.

• Request food, drinks, and if necessary, free transport and hotel accommodation.

• If you had a canceled flight, ask for an alternative flight or a refund.

• Keep all receipts of any extra expenses you may have had, including necessary food, clothing, etc.

• Be careful not to sign any waivers or accept vouchers that will require you to waive your right to compensation.