US flights grounded: your rights if your flight to or from America was cancelled or delayed

What the FAA said on 13 November

In a statement dated Friday 13 November, the FAA said: "The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers." It added that its technicians were investigating, and called the information "preliminary and subject to change".

That statement was the only one about the ground stop on the FAA's newsroom page when we read it on the morning of 15 November, and it gives no times. If you are due to fly to or from the US, check your flight's status with your airline before you set off.

The CAA warns that when lots of flights are cancelled, "it may be challenging for your airline to find you alternative flight seats as other flights may already be full." Microsoft also had an outage on 13 November; we cover what that meant at home in a separate story.

US flights grounded rights: which flights UK law covers

The CAA says that to be covered by UK law, your flight must be "departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, or arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline". So a flight from a UK airport to America is covered, whichever airline flies it.

Coming home, it depends on the airline. A UK or EU airline's flight from the US into the UK is covered. A US airline's flight into the UK is not covered by UK law; US rules apply instead (see below). If you booked one ticket with several flights, check which airline operates each one.

If your flight was cancelled: a refund or another flight

When a flight covered by UK law is cancelled, the CAA says "your airline must let you choose between two options": a refund, or an alternative flight. A refund covers "all parts of the ticket you haven't used", so if the outbound flight of a return trip is cancelled, you can get the whole return fare back. The CAA's summer 2026 advice says the airline should refund you within 7 days, and that a booking made through a third party may take longer.

But the CAA warns: "If you choose a refund, you will not be entitled to re-routing or care." Once you choose, you are unlikely to be able to change your mind, so don't take a refund if you still need to travel or get home.

If you take another flight, the CAA says that where "an alternative airline is flying there significantly sooner or other suitable modes of transport are available then you may have the right to be booked onto that alternative transport instead." Talk to your airline about it before you book anything yourself.

If your flight is delayed rather than cancelled, the CAA says that once the delay reaches at least five hours, "you can choose not to travel and get a refund for the flights you have not yet taken on your booking." It adds: "You should not choose this option if you still wish to travel."

Food, drink and a hotel while you wait

For a flight over 3,500km, "such as London to New York", the CAA says you are entitled to care once the flight is delayed at least four hours past its departure time. That care is food and drink for the length of the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel and transport to it if the delay runs overnight. The CAA says you should get it "regardless of the reason for the delay".

When a flight is cancelled, the airline must provide care "until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it." That holds even when compensation does not.

If the airline doesn't arrange it, the CAA says you can arrange reasonable care yourself and claim the cost back. Its advice: "keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable." It adds that airlines are unlikely to refund luxury hotels or alcohol, and that you should ask for an itemised receipt or invoice.

Why fixed-sum compensation is less likely

UK law also has fixed-sum compensation for long delays and late cancellations: for a flight over 3,500km, the CAA lists £520 per person for arriving more than four hours late, and £260 for a shorter delay (three to four hours late after a delay, or under four hours late after a short-notice cancellation, with some exceptions). But it is not paid when the cause is outside the airline's control. The CAA uses the term "extraordinary circumstances" for disruption "caused by things that are not the responsibility of the airline", and says: "If extraordinary circumstances apply, you are not entitled to compensation."

The government's air passenger travel guide says there is "not a definitive list" of extraordinary circumstances, but its examples include "cancellations/delays due to air traffic control decisions". The CAA's summer 2026 advice lists "Air traffic control management decisions affecting flight scheduling" among its examples, and says: "Every case is context and fact specific, and airlines must also demonstrate that they took all reasonable measures to prevent a delay or cancellation, or to mitigate its effects."

So whether compensation is due depends on your flight. The CAA says the airline should explain the reason for the disruption, and if it relies on extraordinary circumstances, "they will need to clearly set out why." Ask for that reason in writing and keep it.

A US airline, a package holiday or travel insurance

On a US airline flying home. The US Department of Transportation says a passenger "is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers, or other forms of compensation".

Arriving 6 hours or more late on an international trip counts as a significant delay, with the same refund if you choose not to fly. A card refund is due within 7 business days of turning down the airline's offer (20 days for other payment methods). Rebooking is "not required by DOT", though airlines often offer it; help with expenses depends on each airline's own customer service plan, which DOT describes as covering cancellations and delays within the airline's control.

On a package holiday. The government's guide says: "tell your package organiser. Your package organiser is responsible for your whole holiday". Your rights from the airline still apply. If the holiday is cancelled or significantly changed, it says the organiser "must offer you a refund". ATOL protection is for a tour operator going out of business, not for ordinary disruption.

Travel insurance. The government's guide says to check what your policy covers, "including medical treatment, travel disruption, industrial action, airline failure", and its travel insurance guidance says to read the small print and "familiarise yourself with any exclusion clauses". The CAA says you may also have some protection if you paid by credit card. Keep receipts and the airline's written reason for any claim.

How to claim, and where to go next

Claim from the airline first, in writing, with your booking reference, the flight number and your receipts. The CAA says compensation "is not paid automatically". It also warns that "not all airlines will deal with your complaint if you use services such as Resolver or Claims Management Companies."

If you are not happy with the airline's final response, or it "takes more than eight weeks to respond", the CAA says you can escalate: to the airline's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body if it has one, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) if it doesn't. The CAA notes that "PACT cannot impose a decision on an airline while CAA-approved ADR bodies can." You can also take legal action.