Flight rescheduled by airline: compensation and refunds

If your flight is rescheduled by the airline, you can turn down the new time and get your ticket price back within 7 days whenever the change counts as a cancellation; and if you were told less than 14 days before departure, you may also be owed compensation of €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. Here is how to read the schedule change email, when you can ask for a refund and what to reply to the airline.

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

Flight rescheduled by the airline: what the email really means

Change emails arrive with subject lines such as «Change to your itinerary», «Schedule update» or «Your flight has been rescheduled» and usually offer three buttons: accept the new time, pick another flight or request a refund. Under EU Regulation 261/2004 the airline's wording does not matter; how much and how the flight changes does:

Earlier departures have their own rules, explained in our guide on flights rescheduled earlier. Being moved to another flight or to the next day is covered in our guide on a flight cancelled and moved to the next day.

Schedule change and refund: when you can say no

When the change counts as a cancellation, the choice is yours, not the airline's. You have three options:

• A refund within 7 days at the price you paid, taxes included. It covers flights not yet taken and also those already flown if the trip no longer makes sense: if the return leg of a weekend in Lisbon is pushed back so far that you would miss a day at work, you can ask for the whole booking to be refunded and, if you are already away, for a flight home as soon as possible.
• Another flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity, even at a different time from the one offered, if seats are available.
• A flight on a later date of your choice, again subject to availability.

The refund must be paid in money, by bank transfer or back to the card you paid with. A voucher or credit only applies if you accept it in writing: if the email nudges you towards a voucher, read our guide to flight vouchers and credits first.

For smaller changes, such as being moved an hour later, the regulation does not require the airline to refund you. Some airlines still offer a free change or a refund: check the options in the email before you decide.

With or without 14 days' notice: compensation

Compensation is money on top of the refund, and it depends on when you were told:

• 14 days or more before departure: no compensation. You still keep the refund or another flight if the change counts as a cancellation.
• 7 to 14 days before: compensation is due if the new flight leaves more than 2 hours earlier or gets you there 4 hours or more after the original time.
• Less than 7 days before: it is due if the new flight leaves more than 1 hour earlier or gets you there 2 hours or more later.

Two examples. Your 9:00 Dublin–Amsterdam is moved to 14:30 and the email arrives 10 days before: you land five and a half hours later, so each passenger is owed €250. Your 7:00 Dublin–Tenerife moves to 8:30 with 5 days' notice: you land an hour and a half later, under the 2-hour mark, so there is no compensation.

The amounts depend on distance: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km and for flights within the EU over 3,500 km, €600 over 3,500 km outside the EU. No compensation is due if the change is caused by extraordinary circumstances. Notice counts from when you received it, and it is for the airline to prove it told you.

Schedule changes at the last minute

If the change reaches you the day before or at the airport, on top of the refund or alternative flight you are entitled to care while you wait: meals, drinks and, if you have to stay overnight, a hotel and transfer. In these cases compensation is almost always due, unless there are extraordinary circumstances: follow the steps in our guide on a flight cancelled at the last minute.

A new schedule can have knock-on effects: a hotel night already paid for, a transfer or an onward flight on a separate ticket. These costs are not covered by the fixed compensation, but you can claim them separately if they are a direct result of the change. Keep every receipt.

What to do when the schedule change email arrives

1. Save the email with the date and time you received it, or take a screenshot: it proves the notice period.
2. Compare the old and new flight: departure time, arrival time, flight number and date.
3. Make your choice in writing: new time, another flight or refund. Do not simply fail to show up.
4. If you want a refund, ask for money and note the date: the airline has 7 days to pay.
5. Check connections, hotels and transfers and keep receipts for any extra costs.

How to claim compensation for a schedule change

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

Frequently asked questions about rescheduled flights

The airline changed my flight time: can I get a refund?

Yes, if the change counts as a cancellation: moved more than 1 hour earlier, or moved to another flight or another day. If it is moved 5 hours or more later, a refund is due in any case.

I accepted the new time: can I still claim compensation?

Yes. Accepting is not giving up your rights: compensation depends only on the notice and on how far the new flight is from the original times.

My flight was moved an hour later: am I entitled to anything?

Not under the regulation. But if on the day you arrive 3 hours or more late, compensation may be due.

How quickly must the airline refund my ticket?

Within 7 days of your request, in money, unless you accept a voucher in writing.

I was told three weeks in advance: am I owed anything?

No compensation, but if the change counts as a cancellation you can always choose between a full refund and another flight.

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 31/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.