Air travel: flight canceled

Verified 01 March 2024 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister), Ministry of Transport

Your flight is canceled and you want to know what your airline's obligations are? They have to take care of you and compensate you. We'll tell you what you need to know.

Affected flights

The flight must comply with certain conditions.

They vary according to the country from which the plane takes off and the nationality of the airline.

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Departure from France

The flight is concerned, regardless of the company.

Compensation applies even in the event of a stopover or connection.

Flights between the mainland and Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte or the French part of the island of Saint Martin are concerned.

Arrival in France

Departure of a country from the European Union, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland

If you come from a European country (European Union, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland), the flight is concerned, whatever the company.

Compensation applies even in the event of a stopover or connection.

Flights between the mainland and Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte or the French part of the island of Saint Martin are concerned.

Departure from another country

Conditions vary depending on the country from which the aircraft takes off and the nationality of the airline.

Flight with a European airline to an airport in the European Union, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland

The flight is concerned if you complete the 2 conditions following:

  • You are traveling with a the European Union
  • Your flight is to an airport located in the European Union, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland.

Assistance shall apply even if the aircraft is called or has a connection in another country.

Example :

If you take off from the United Kingdom, you are covered by compensation on the dual condition of using a European carrier and landing in a European Union country.

Other situation

Your flight is not concerned.

However, you can demand a refund of your ticket in the event of a canceled flight without a proposal for re-routing.

If you suffer damage as a result of canceling your flight, you can claim compensation to the airline.

FYI  

You have to justify your harm.

The obligation is on the airline that flies the flight.

This is the case if she sold your ticket directly to you.

This is also the case if you bought it from an intermediary (travel agency for example).

FYI  

Specific rules apply if you're on a tour (also called package trip).

Time limits for informing the airline

You are not entitled to compensation if the company notifies you of the cancelation under the following conditions:

  • At least 2 weeks before departure
  • Between 7 days and 2 weeks before departure, offering a replacement flight starting no earlier than 2 hours before the scheduled departure time and arriving less than 4 hours later than scheduled
  • Less than 7 days prior to departure by offering you a replacement flight departing no earlier than 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure time and arriving less than 2 hours later than scheduled

Cases of force majeure

The company may invoke a case of force majeure to refuse to compensate you. This is an unpredictable and unavoidable incident (e.g., a snowstorm).

Compensation may also be refused in strike situation personnel outside the company (e.g. air traffic controllers).

The airline must offer you a new flight to your final destination as soon as possible, under comparable conditions (same class, etc.) and without additional payment.

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You want to wait for the next flight

If you are entitled to assistance, the company must take care of for free pending the next flight, the following services:

  • Refreshments
  • Restore
  • 2 communications (phone calls, SMS, emails)
  • Hotel and airport transfer fees if departure cannot take place before the following day

You do not want or cannot wait for the next flight

The company must refund your ticket within 7 free days.

Your company must offer you this refund.

You don't have to go any further.

Payment can be made in cash, by electronic bank transfer, by bank transfer or by check, at the choice of the company.

If the company offers you a voucher, you can refuse it.

The airline owes you compensation, even if it has refunded your ticket.

It's an additional allowance.

The amount of compensation depends on the length of the flight.

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Up to 1,500 km

€250

1,500 to 3,500 km

€400

More than 3,500 km

Journey in the European Union (EU) : €400

Travel between the EU and a non-EU country: €600

Compensation may be halved if the company offers you another flight.

Depending on your destination, the arrival time of the new flight must not exceed the scheduled arrival time of the canceled flight by more than the following duration:

  • 2 hours for a flight of 1,500 km or less
  • 3 hours for a flight of more than 1,500 km in the European Union (EU) or for a flight of 1,500 to 3,500 km outside the EU
  • 4 hours for a flight of more than 3,500 km (outside EU)

The airline has to give you a document that tells you how to claim compensation.

You must address your complaint (by mail RAR: titleContent) to the airline's customer service department.

The contact information is provided in the document that has been provided to you.

You can use the following letter template:

Seeking compensation in the event of denied boarding

If the airline has signed the Mediation Charter, you can to refer to the Ombudsman Tourism and Travel Signatories of the Charter Mediation Tourism and Travelin the following cases:

  • Refusal to compensate you
  • No response within 2 months

You can check if the company has signed the charter and referred the matter to the mediator:

Contact the Ombudsman Tourism and Travel

If the company refuses to compensate you, or if you find that this compensation is insufficient, you can to bring proceedings before the court of justice.

Who shall I contact

You can also make a signaling to the Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGCA):

Report to the DGAC a dispute following denied boarding, flight delay or cancelation

FYI  

You must attach a copy of your supporting documents.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For general information

    0809 540 550 DGCCRF - ResponseConso

    Having trouble following a purchase? Do you have a question about a point of law before buying or ordering?

    You can get an answer from a DGCCRF: titleContent by calling the 0809 540 550.

    Opening hours of the service:

    No surtax number

    • Monday and Tuesday: from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:15 pm to 5:15 pm
    • Wednesday: 13:15 to 17:15
    • Thursday: from 8:30 to 12:30
    • Friday: from 8:30 am to 4 pm
  • European Consumer Center France

  • Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

    By mail

    Directorate-General for Civil Aviation

    50 Henry Farman Street

    75720 Paris Cedex 15

    By telephone

    01 58 09 43 21