Flight cancelled and moved to next day: your rights

If your flight is cancelled and moved to the next day, or to any other flight, EU Regulation 261/2004 treats it as a cancellation: you can choose between a refund and the new flight and, if you were told less than 14 days before, claim €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. What decides it is how much notice you got and how far the new times are from the original ones. Here is how to read the airline's email and work out what you are owed.

Free 2-minute check · Nothing to pay upfront · You only pay 25% + VAT if you get compensated

Cancelled or rescheduled: what is the difference?

Airlines rarely say "cancelled". They write "schedule change", "your booking has been updated" or "your flight has been retimed". The law does not care about the wording, only about what happened to your flight:

• It is a cancellation when the original flight is no longer operated and you are moved to another scheduled flight: a different flight number, another day, often a different time.
• Bringing the departure forward by more than 1 hour is also a cancellation, even if the flight number stays the same.
• It is not a cancellation if the departure is pushed back by less than 3 hours and nothing else changes.
• Grey area: a flight so delayed that it leaves the next day with the same number plus a letter (for example AB1234A) may count as a delay. In practice it makes little difference: if you arrive 3 hours or more late, the compensation is the same.

Flight cancelled and moved to next day: refund and compensation

A refund or an alternative flight is always owed, however much notice you were given. Compensation depends on when you were told and on the times of the new flight (Article 5 of the Regulation). Example: a Dublin–London flight due to leave at 10:00 and land at 11:20.

A flight moved to the next day always goes beyond these limits: if you were told less than 14 days before, compensation is owed unless there were extraordinary circumstances. The choice is yours: you can take the new flight and still claim, or take a refund and still claim. The two add up, as the guide on refund or compensation explains.

Amounts are per passenger and depend on distance: €250 up to 1,500 km (Dublin–London), €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km (Dublin–Tenerife), €600 over 3,500 km outside the EU (Dublin–Boston).

Notice: when does the clock start?

Notice runs from the day you were told, not from when the airline decided the change. It is up to the airline to prove whether and when it informed you. Two common cases:

• You booked through a travel agent or an online agency: if the airline told the agent and the agent did not pass it on in time, the airline still owes compensation.
• The email went to spam or never arrived: what counts is when you actually found out, for example at online check-in.

Flight moved to the next day: what else you are entitled to

On top of compensation, when your flight is moved to the next day you are entitled to:

• Choose between a refund, the flight offered or another flight on a date that suits you, subject to availability.
• A hotel and transport to it if the change catches you already travelling, for example on your return flight, and you have to stay an extra night. If the airline does not arrange it, book somewhere reasonable yourself and keep the receipts.
• Meals and drinks while you wait at the airport.

If you lose a prepaid hotel night or transfer at your destination, keep the receipts: that is additional damage you can claim separately. And if the airline only offers a voucher, remember that a refund must be paid in money: read the guide on flight vouchers and credits.

What to do when you get the schedule change email

1. Save the email with the date and time you received it, or take a screenshot: it proves how much notice you got.
2. Compare the old and new times and flight numbers with the table above.
3. Take your time choosing between the new flight, another date and a refund: accepting the new flight does not mean giving up compensation.
4. Ask for the reason for the change: if the airline blames weather or strikes, read the guide on extraordinary circumstances.
5. Keep boarding passes and receipts for meals, hotels and transport.

If the cancellation happens at the airport or on the day, follow the steps in the guide on a flight cancelled at the last minute.

How to claim compensation

With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether your rescheduled flight qualifies: enter your details on the cancelled flight compensation page and we handle the claim, the reminders and, if needed, court action. Nothing to pay upfront, and you only pay 25% + VAT if you get compensated.

Frequently asked questions about cancelled and rescheduled flights

My flight was moved to the next day: is that a cancellation?

Usually yes, if the original flight is not operated and you are put on another one. If you were told less than 14 days before, compensation is owed unless there were extraordinary circumstances.

I accepted the new flight: can I still claim?

Yes. Accepting an alternative flight is not a waiver: compensation depends only on the notice given and the times of the new flight.

I was told 20 days before: am I owed anything?

No compensation, but you can always choose between the new flight, another date or a full refund of your ticket.

My flight was pushed back by 2 hours: do I get anything?

A change of less than 3 hours with nothing else changed is not a cancellation. What matters is your arrival: if on the day you land 3 hours or more late, compensation may be owed.

I booked through an agent and was never told: what happens?

Notice runs from when you found out. If the agent did not pass on the airline's message in time, compensation is still owed.

Find out more

• Air passenger rights
• Delayed flight: when you can claim compensation
• Cancelled flight: refund and compensation
• Overbooking: what you are owed
• What our service costs

Article updated on 27/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.