A guide to your rights if something goes wrong before or during your trip.

Can you claim compensation for a holiday? 

If something went wrong with your holiday, you might be able to claim compensation from the company you booked with. What you can do will depend on how you booked your trip. 

Your rights usually depend on whether you: 

• booked a package holiday 
• made linked travel arrangements 
• booked everything yourself as an independent traveller 

A package holiday is when you book at least 2 parts of your trip together, like travel and a hotel. Linked travel arrangements are when you book parts of the same trip through different companies and pay each one separately. If you booked everything yourself, you are usually an independent traveller. 

✉️ Ask for compensation first 

Contact the company you booked with. If it was a package holiday, write to the tour operator. If you booked parts yourself, contact the hotel, airline or other provider. 

Include: 

• your booking reference 
• a clear explanation of what went wrong 
• copies of any evidence, such as photos 
• copies of receipts 
• how much compensation you’re asking for 

Keep copies of everything you send. If you post a letter, get proof of posting. If you send an email or use a form, save a copy. 

If the company offers too little money, you can ask them to look at it again. 

✈️ If your flight was delayed or cancelled 

You might not get compensation if the problem was caused by something the airline could not stop. This can include war, a serious disease outbreak, or very bad weather such as floods or earthquakes. 

• war 
• a serious disease outbreak 
• natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes or severe weather 

🕒 If your flight was delayed 

• leaving from the UK — it doesn’t matter which airline it was with 
• leaving from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland — it doesn’t matter which airline it was with 
• arriving in the UK and was with a UK or EU airline 
• arriving in the EU and was with a UK airline 

If your flight is delayed for long enough, the airline should give you: 

• food and drink 
• access to phone calls and emails 
• accommodation if you’re delayed overnight, and journeys between the airport and the hotel 

The airline might give you vouchers. If not, ask staff what help you can get. 

If you pay for food, travel or a hotel yourself, keep your receipts. Try to claim the money back later. 

How long you must wait before you get help depends on your journey. 

❌ If your flight was cancelled 

• a full refund, including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking, such as onward or return flights 
• a replacement flight to get you to your destination 

If you are already travelling and do not want another flight, you might be able to get a flight back to where you started. 

If you can, ask for a refund or a new flight at the airport. If not, you can usually claim from the airline later. 

You may also have the right to: 

• help with costs if the cancellation delays you by 2 or more hours 
• compensation if you’d be delayed by 2 or more hours by the replacement flight offered and you were given less than 2 weeks’ notice 

The amount you get depends on things like how far you were flying and when the airline told you. 

Read more on our website: 

citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation 

🆘 Where to get more help 

For more help with travel problems, visit citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer. 

You can also get help with: 

• Getting a refund for a cancelled or delayed train 
• Getting compensation for lost or damaged luggage 
• Claiming compensation if your flight was delayed or cancelled 

If you need advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 

You can also contact BRANCAB on 0808 250 5715 or come to an advice session at one of our local offices.  

If you think it might be a scam, get advice straight away. Call the Citizens Advice consumer service or report it by calling 0300 123 2040 or going to reportfraud.police.uk.