Travel Refunds and Compensation: The Official Pages for the EU, UK, US and Australia

Start hereThe EU and UK pages both describe compensation for long flight delays. The US Department of Transportation's page is about refunds when a flight is cancelled or changed. So which page covers your trip, and who do you contact next?

Each region has its own rules for delayed and cancelled trips, and its own official page that explains them. This page points to those pages for the EU, the UK, the US and Australia. It says what each one covers and where it sends complaints.

We describe the pages. We don’t decide whether anyone is owed anything, and nothing here is legal advice.

011. Start with the company

All four regions’ official pages put the company first.

• The EU’s Your Europe page says you should always send your complaint to the airline first.
• The UK Civil Aviation Authority says you should first complain to your airline or airport.
• The US Department of Transportation says to give the airline a chance to resolve a problem before contacting the department.
• Australia’s consumer regulator, the ACCC, says the first step is to contact the travel service provider.

If you booked through an agent, check who you paid. The US refunds page says to contact the travel agent for a refund before contacting the airline. The ACCC says both the agent’s and the provider’s terms and conditions apply.

One habit is worth keeping wherever you are. Australia’s transport department suggests getting a reference number for your complaint and keeping a record of your correspondence.

022. The official pages at a glance

Region	Official page	Journeys it covers	Delays and cancellations	Where to go next
EU	Your Europe: air passenger rights	Flights within the EU, flights leaving the EU, and flights into the EU on an EU airline	Compensation for long delays and for cancellations notified late, unless extraordinary circumstances	The national authority where the incident took place
UK	CAA: flight delays	Flights leaving the UK, flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline, and flights into the EU on a UK airline	Compensation only when the airline is at fault	An approved ADR provider, or the CAA’s complaints team if the airline has none
US	DOT: refunds	Flights to, from or within the US	A refund if the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight and you choose not to travel	A complaint to the Department of Transportation
Australia	ACCC: travel delays and cancellations	Travel within Australia, departures from Australia, and trips to Australia booked on a provider’s Australian website	A replacement or refund if the service is not provided within a reasonable time	The Airline Customer Advocate for Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin; your state or territory consumer protection agency

033. Flights in the EU

EU rules cover flights within the EU and flights leaving the EU, on any airline. They also cover flights into the EU on an EU airline. The rules also apply to flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

What Your Europe’s air passenger rights page says about problems:

• If a flight is cancelled, it says passengers can choose between reimbursement, re-routing or return.
• It says compensation is not due if the airline can prove extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided.
• The page sets out the compensation amounts in tables, by distance and length of delay.
• For a missed connection, it says compensation depends on the flights being booked as part of a single reservation. It says there is none if you miss the connection because of delays at security checks.

Where to go next. If the airline doesn’t reply within two months, or the reply doesn’t satisfy you, the page says you can complain to the relevant national authority. That authority should give a non-binding legal opinion on how to proceed.

The Commission’s list of national enforcement bodies says to contact the body in the country where the incident took place.

The page lists other routes too, including going to court. Your Europe says alternative dispute resolution is only available to EU residents. If you live in the EU, Iceland or Norway, a European Consumer Centre can explain your rights. You contact the centre in the country where you live.

A revision is on the way

In June 2026 the Commission welcomed a political agreement to revise EU air passenger rights. It said the current standard level of protection is maintained. The revision was published as Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 on 2 October 2026. It applies from 23 October 2027.

Our reading: the regulation says the new rules apply from that date, so until then the rules described on the Your Europe page are the ones that apply. For a trip on or after 23 October 2027, check the official pages again.

044. Flights to and from the UK

The CAA says UK law gives passengers important legal rights on many flights to, from or within the UK. A flight is covered if it leaves a UK airport on any airline. It is also covered if it arrives in the UK on a UK or EU airline. Flights into the EU on a UK airline are covered too.

• The CAA says passengers may be entitled to compensation, but only when the airline is at fault.
• It says airlines do not have to pay compensation if they consider the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances.

Where to go next. If the airline’s final response doesn’t satisfy you, or it takes more than eight weeks, the CAA says you can escalate your claim. That goes to an ADR provider if the airline has signed up to one. If not, it goes to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team.

ADR gives an independent decision without going to court. The CAA says it is free to use. The CAA’s own team says it does not have the legal powers to impose a solution on an airline.

055. Flights in the US

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has a page on refunds.

• It says a passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, for any reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel. That applies when the passenger also turns down any credits or vouchers offered instead.
• The same applies to a significant delay or change, which the page defines.
• If you take the changed flight, or another flight the airline offers, the page says there is no refund under DOT rules.
• It says passengers may still get some expenses or amenities covered if the delay was due to something in the airline’s control and causes a long enough inconvenience. DOT’s dashboard shows which services each listed airline has committed to provide in those cases.

Booked through an agent? The page says the agent that is the “merchant of record” must refund the airfare. That applies when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from or within the US. The merchant of record is the business shown on your card statement.

Where to go next. If the airline does not resolve the issue, DOT says you may want to file a complaint with it. DOT directs the airline or ticket agent to respond to you. Except for civil rights complaints, it does not investigate every complaint it receives.

066. Travel in Australia

Australia’s rules come from consumer law, so they cover more than flights. The ACCC says these consumer guarantees apply whether you book directly, through a travel agent, or through a booking platform.

• If a replacement service is not within a reasonable time, the ACCC says the provider must give a choice of another replacement or a refund.
• There is no one set definition of a reasonable time. The ACCC says deciding it is the role of a court or tribunal.
• The ACCC says an airline’s own compensation policy is on top of these rights and can’t take them away.
• The ACCC says providers don’t have to give a replacement or refund under the guarantees if you change your mind or miss the service for reasons unrelated to it. The same applies if a third party’s actions stop the provider supplying it. In those cases, the ACCC says the right to a refund or replacement will generally depend on the booking’s terms and conditions.

Where to go next. The ACCC does not resolve individual complaints about delayed or cancelled travel. Its page on taking a problem further lists where to get help, including dispute resolution and legal services.

The transport department’s complaint page names the Airline Customer Advocate first, for complaints about Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin. Its next item is your state or territory consumer protection agency. For a travel agent accredited by the Australian Travel Industry Association, the page points to that association’s complaints process.

An Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme is expected to begin in 2026/2027, once its law is passed. Until then, the interim ombudsperson has no formal powers to investigate or resolve complaints.

077. EU trains, buses and ferries

Your Europe has a page for each, and each has its own scope.

• Trains. EU rail rules apply to rail travel within the EU, though EU countries can exempt some services.
• Buses and coaches. The rules mainly apply to regular long-distance services that start or finish in an EU country.
• Ferries. The rules usually apply on most ferries and cruise ships sailing from an EU port. They also usually apply to sailings into an EU port from outside the EU on a service run by an EU company.

One rail detail matters for anyone joining cheap tickets together. Your Europe says rights for a missed connection apply if you have a through-ticket. On individual tickets, the page says these rights do not apply. You should be told before you buy whether your ticket is a through-ticket.

Each page sends complaints to the company first, then to a national authority.

088. UK package holidays: ATOL

ATOL is financial protection when you book a package trip that includes a flight, and it is not travel insurance.

• When you buy an ATOL-protected trip, you should be given an ATOL Certificate.
• If your travel company fails while you are abroad, ATOL says it will help you continue your trip, including flights home depending on the circumstances.
• ATOL says a flight bought from an airline or travel company with a valid e-ticket is not covered.
• The CAA’s Check an ATOL tool shows whether a business holds an ATOL.
• ATOL publishes a list of websites that have falsely claimed to hold an ATOL.

099. US hotel and holiday-rental fees: the FTC rule

The FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on 12 May 2025. It covers businesses that offer, display or advertise live-event tickets or short-term lodging. That includes platforms, resellers and travel agents.

• A business that shows a price must show the total price up front, including the fees it knows about and can calculate.
• Taxes, shipping and optional extras can be shown later, but before you are asked to pay.

Our reading: the FTC names live-event tickets and short-term lodging. Airfares and car hire are not on that list. The FTC also notes that its answers are staff’s view and not binding on the Commission.

1010. EU car hire

• Your Europe says car hire is not covered by EU rules on a 14-day cooling-off period.
• It says booking online or by phone doesn’t automatically give a right to cancel for a refund, though the company’s terms may allow it.

1111. A scam checklist from the official warnings

Before you pay:

1. Be wary of prices far below other sites, which Scamwatch lists as a warning sign.
2. The FTC lists this sign of a scam: being told the only way to pay for a vacation rental is by wire transfer, gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency.
3. The FTC says not to buy if someone pressures you to decide right away.
4. Get a copy of the cancellation and refund policies before you pay.
5. Check that a rental is also listed on the rental company’s own website. Scamwatch says never to pay for a rental property you cannot inspect.

If something goes wrong:

• Scamwatch says to contact your bank or card provider immediately and ask them to stop any transactions.
• In the US, the FTC asks people to report travel scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to their state attorney general.
• In the UK, ATOL asks people to tell it about websites with false ATOL claims.

1212. Where to go next

• For where to look for deals before you book, see our directory of travel deal sites, alerts and discount cards.
• Our SIFT method gives four quick moves for checking a website or a post before you trust it.
• Our cybersecurity crash course covers phishing, stronger passwords, and what to do if you have been hacked or scammed.

13Quick answers

14Use this

15Quick quiz

How we checked this · Last checked October 2026

• We read every official page ourselves on 19 October 2026. Six sites block scripts, so we read them in a browser: the US Department of Transportation, the FTC, the ACCC, Australia's transport department, Scamwatch and EUR-Lex.
• We don't copy compensation amounts or cut-offs. They sit in the official tables, which can change.
• The EU revision is described from the Commission's news item, the European Parliament's procedure file and the regulation itself.
• The US refunds page gives its refund deadlines in two different ways, so we left them out.
• This page describes official pages. It does not decide whether anyone is owed anything, and it is not legal advice.

How we check every article →

16Sources