The first hour: do these in order
When a flight is delayed or cancelled, the first hour matters more than the first day. In order:
- Find out exactly what has changed: a new departure time, a cancellation or a re-routing. Take a screenshot or ask for it in writing.
- Check the airline's app or website before joining a long queue. Desks are often overwhelmed, and the app may offer rebooking options straight away.
- Keep every receipt and screenshot for meals, transport and accommodation. You may need them for a claim or an insurance policy.
- Tell the people who depend on your arrival time: your accommodation, an airport transfer, anyone meeting you.
- Read your travel insurance terms for delays and cancellations, including any steps the policy requires. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises getting insurance as soon as you book and checking that it fits your destinations, trip length and planned activities (FCDO foreign travel checklist).
What airlines may owe you: UK and EU
This is a summary, not legal advice. Rules depend on the route, the airline and the cause, and they change, so always check the official pages.
UK. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says rights come from UK261. Once a delay passes a threshold, the airline has to look after you: two hours for flights under 1,500 km, three hours for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km and four hours for longer flights. Care means food and drink in proportion to the wait, two phone calls or emails and, for an overnight delay, accommodation with transport. For a cancellation, the CAA says the airline must provide care whatever the cause, and you can choose a refund for the unused parts of your ticket or an alternative flight. Compensation is separate and not automatic. For delays it can apply if you reach your destination more than three hours late, and the CAA lists amounts from £220 to £520 depending on distance and lateness. It does not apply when the cause was an extraordinary circumstance. Claim from the airline first. See the CAA's pages on delays and cancellations.
EU. Regulation 261/2004 covers flights departing from an airport in an EU Member State, and flights arriving in the EU from outside it when the operating airline is an EU carrier, with some exceptions. The right to care for long delays starts at two hours for flights of 1,500 km or less. For cancellations, the regulation says compensation is not owed if the airline can prove the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Amounts depend on distance and are set out in the regulation itself.
Elsewhere. Rules differ widely. In the United States, the Department of Transportation publishes its own air consumer guidance. For other countries, look for your national consumer or aviation authority. Your card issuer and travel insurer may have separate terms.
When a closure, strike or weather change ruins a day
Not every change is a flight. A museum closes for a holiday, a strike stops the metro or rain cancels a boat trip. A few habits make these easier:
- Leave one flexible block in each day, such as an afternoon with nothing booked.
- Pair every outdoor plan with an indoor option in the same area, so a closure or storm does not send you across town.
- Check the venue's own website or the local tourism board before you set out. Opening hours change, and a guide cannot confirm them.
- Book flexible or refundable tickets for the things you cannot miss, and keep the rest loose.
- Cluster places by area. A closure then costs you one stop, not the whole day.
Our guide to the day-three problem and the older itinerary planning mistakes both cover building plans that bend.
Reading this for a trip of your own?
Tell Fig where you are in it. Your guide puts what matters at that point first.
If your arrival time changes
A late arrival has knock-on effects. Message your accommodation about late check-in, rebook any airport transfer, and check how you will get from the airport at the new time. Make sure your phone will work when you land. Our day-zero checklist covers the first hours after landing, and eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM helps you choose how to get connected. If you will arrive after dark, plan your route from the airport in advance.
Keep your key information within reach
When plans change abroad you need booking references, insurance details and contact numbers quickly, and you may need them on a phone with a low battery. Keep them in one place, with an offline copy. We cover how in how to keep your travel information in one place.
Where a travel guide helps, and where it cannot
A guide cannot rebook your flight, refund your hotel or confirm that a museum is open. FigFinder does not make bookings. What it can do is help you rework your days. Once your trip has started, the saved guide opens on today's plan and shows a local weather forecast for today and the next few days, with indoor ideas if rain lines up with an outdoor plan. With the complete guide, Ask Fig answers travel questions as you go and can bring in the destination's local time, the weather forecast and nearby places to eat. It cannot confirm opening hours, so check the venue. See the personalised travel guide page for what is included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if my flight is cancelled?
Find out what the airline is offering, keep a record of it, and check the airline's app or website before joining a queue. Keep all receipts. Then look at your options for a refund or an alternative flight and read your insurance terms.
Do airlines have to pay for meals and hotels?
It depends on the rules that apply to your flight. Under UK261, the UK Civil Aviation Authority says airlines must provide care, including food and drink and, for an overnight delay, accommodation, once a delay passes a threshold of two to four hours depending on distance. For cancellations the CAA says care applies whatever the cause. Other countries differ.
What if an attraction or tour I planned is closed?
Check the venue or operator for an official notice, then move to your backup for that area. Leaving one flexible block in each day and pairing outdoor plans with indoor ones makes this easier.
Can FigFinder rebook my flight or hotel?
No. FigFinder does not make bookings or confirm availability. It can help you rework your days and, with Ask Fig, answer questions such as the local forecast, but it cannot change a booking.
