First Steps After Cancellation
- Contact your employer/supervisor immediately
- Go to the airline counter for rebooking options
- Document everything (photos, emails, notifications)
- Keep all receipts for additional expenses
- Request written confirmation of cancellation from airline
Your Rights as a Business Traveler
When your business flight is cancelled, you have the same rights as leisure travelers. The fact that your employer paid for the ticket doesn't change your passenger rights under EU Regulation 261/2004.
According to EU law, the airline must offer you:
- • Meals and refreshments
- • Hotel accommodation (if needed)
- • Transport to/from hotel
- • Two phone calls or emails
- • Rebooking to earliest available flight
- • Rebooking at later convenient date
- • Full refund of ticket price
- • Return flight to departure point (if applicable)
When Are You Entitled to Compensation?
In addition to assistance and rebooking, you may be entitled to financial compensationfrom €250 to €600, depending on:
Compensation Conditions
Less than 14 days notice
Airline informed you of cancellation less than 14 days before departure
Not extraordinary circumstances
Cancellation wasn't caused by events beyond airline's control (e.g., severe weather, security threats)
EU flight
Flight departing from EU airport OR arriving in EU on EU carrier
Compensation Amounts
E.g., Warsaw–London, Berlin–Paris
E.g., Warsaw–Lisbon, Berlin–Istanbul
E.g., Warsaw–New York, Paris–Dubai
Business Trip Specifics
Contact your supervisor immediately when you learn about the cancellation. Explain:
- • Flight has been cancelled
- • Available rebooking options (times, dates)
- • Whether overnight stay will be necessary
- • New estimated arrival time
- • Impact on planned meetings/events
Cancellation may generate additional expenses that should be covered by your employer:
- • Hotel accommodation – if overnight stay becomes necessary
- • Meals – extended stay at destination or during wait
- • Local transport – additional taxi/rental car costs
- • Communication – phone calls coordinating situation
- • Rescheduled meetings – potential costs of changing reservations
Compensation belongs to the passenger – meaning you, the employee who was supposed to fly. The fact that your employer paid for the ticket doesn't change this.
However, some companies have internal policies requiring compensation to be transferred to the company. Check your employment contract and company travel policy.
Step-by-Step Action Plan
- • Go to airline counter as soon as possible
- • Ask about rebooking options (earliest available flight)
- • Request written confirmation of cancellation
- • Ask about reason for cancellation
- • Take photos of information boards showing cancellation
- • Call supervisor/manager
- • Inform about cancellation and new travel plans
- • Discuss impact on planned meetings/events
- • Agree on additional cost coverage procedure
- • Confirm changes via email
- • Keep boarding pass and booking confirmation
- • Collect all documents from airline (rebooking confirmations, etc.)
- • Save all receipts (meals, accommodation, transport)
- • Take photos/screenshots of communications with airline
- • Note names of airline staff you spoke with
- • Prepare detailed report for employer
- • Submit expense report with receipts
- • File compensation claim with airline
- • Consider professional help if airline denies claim
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact HR department or other available manager. Send email with situation details. In urgent situations, make reasonable decisions yourself (e.g., accept rebooking) and inform employer as soon as possible.
Yes, but it's best to agree with employer first. Airline may offer flight ticket refund, and you can use that amount for alternative transport. Keep all receipts to settle with employer.
You have the right to care (hotel, meals) for the entire wait period. Contact your employer to decide if it's worth waiting or if you should seek alternative solutions (different airline, other transport).
In most EU countries, you have 3 years from flight date. However, the sooner you file, the easier it is to prove circumstances and gather evidence.