1. Help centre
  2. Cancelled, delayed or disrupted flights with Virgin Atlantic
  3. Regulation EC No. 261/2004

If your flight is delayed by:

 

  • Three hours or more if flying 1500 km to 3000 km
  • Four hours or more in all other cases

We’ll make sure you have enough food and drink to keep you comfortable while you wait. We’ll also cover two short phone calls, or messages if you need to contact anyone.

If your flight is delayed for more than five hours:

You can cancel your booking and get a refund for your unused ticket. If the delay means there’s no reason to fly any more, we’ll refund you for your flights. This also means if you’re part way through your journey and need to fly home, we’ll rebook you onto the earliest flight back.

If your travel is part of a package, you’ll need to contact the company you booked with, as they may have a different rebooking policy. Your refund will be for the flight part of your package, not the whole cost of your holiday.

If your flight is delayed until the next day (local time):
 

As well as the above, we’ll offer hotel accommodation and transport to and from your hotel, or home if you live nearby.

To make sure you don’t miss your new flight, we may need you to remain at the airport rather than offering food, refreshment, or accommodation elsewhere. 

If your travel is part of a package, you’ll need to contact the company you booked with, as they may have a different rebooking policy. Your refund will be for the flight part of your package, not the whole cost of your holiday.

We can rebook you onto the next available flight. We’ll find you another flight in a similar cabin at the earliest opportunity. If you have a connecting flight on the same ticket, we’ll rebook that for you too.

We can rebook you to fly later at a date convenient to you, in a comparable seat and cabin, with the equivalent onboard services and baggage allowance. If the new fare is lower the cost of your original flight, we’ll refund the difference.

We can rebook to another destination in our direct network in a comparable seat and cabin, with the equivalent onboard services and baggage allowance. If the new flight costs more, we’ll ask you to pay the difference, but if it’s less we’ll refund it. And of course, all subject to availability.

If your new flight is on a different airline, Virgin Atlantic will authorise and notify them.

In addition:
 

If your flight is cancelled when you’re already on your way to the airport, we’ll make sure you have enough food and drink to keep you comfortable while you wait for another flight. We’ll also cover two short phone calls, or messages if you need to contact anyone.

If your new flight departs the next day, we’ll provide you with a hotel for the night and transport to and from the hotel, unless you’ve chosen to take an alternative flight at a later date.

If we cancel your flight within two weeks of your departure date

Depending on the reason for the cancellation and the arrival time of your new flight we may offer compensation.

If your flight’s cancelled, we’ll always get in touch with your options including how to contact us.

If you’d prefer a refund for any flights you haven’t used:

If you booked with us

Please complete the form on our Refunds page.  Just make sure to let us know in the comment box that you’re asking for a refund because of a flight disruption.

NOTE: If the flight is operated by Virgin Atlantic but you’ve booked with Delta, Air France or KLM you’ll need to contact them.

If you didn’t book with us

Please contact the company you booked with, as they may have a different rebooking policy, and we can’t amend third party bookings. Any refunds will be for the flight part of your inclusive package, not the whole cost of your holiday.

If you are denied boarding due to a shortage of seats on your flight:

You can volunteer to take a different Virgin Atlantic flight and get a refund for your unused ticket through 'Virgin Select'.

We’ll also provide meals, refreshments and overnight accommodation - depending on how long you need to wait. Ask a member of our airport team for further details.

It very rarely happens, but if we deny you boarding involuntarily, you have the right to:

Compensation depending on how far you’re flying. This is reduced by 50% if your new flight is scheduled to arrive within one, two, three or four hours after your original arrival time, again depending on the distance of your flight.

Cancel your booking and receive a refund of your unused ticket, and for the part of the journey already made if the delay means there’s no reason to fly any more.

Take an alternative flight in a similar cabin at the earliest opportunity. If you have a connecting flight on the same ticket, we’ll rebook that for you too.

Take an alternative flight at a date convenient to you, in a comparable seat and cabin, with the equivalent onboard services and baggage allowance. If the new fare is lower the cost of your original flight, we’ll refund the difference.

Plus
 

We’ll make sure you have enough food and drink to keep you comfortable while you wait. We’ll also cover two short phone calls, or messages if you need to contact anyone.

If your new flight departs the next day, we’ll provide you with a hotel for the night and transport to and from the hotel, unless you’ve chosen to take an alternative flight at a later date.

If your flight is part of a package, please contact the company you booked with, as they may have a different rebooking policy. Any refunds will be for the flight part of your package, not the whole cost of your holiday.

Under Regulation 261/2004, you may be eligible to claim compensation if we cancel your flight within two weeks of your departure date, or if your flight arrives later than three hours after its original scheduled time.

This depends on the reason for the cancellation or delay, as well as the arrival time of your new or delayed flight.

Compensation will not be offered if the cause of the cancellation or delay is beyond our control, for example political instability, severe weather, security risks, or strikes that affect our operation.

We won’t offer compensation if we let you know your flight has been cancelled with more than two weeks to go before departure.

You also can’t apply for compensation if you’re travelling free of charge or at a reduced rate not available to the public.

Whether or not you’re making a claim yourself or through a third party, please make your claim application directly with us in the first instance as set out in article 21.4 in our conditions of carriage. We process all claims as quickly as possible, in the order we receive them.

Most claims management companies will charge a percentage of your compensation and charge an admin fee, whereas if you claim direct any compensation paid will be paid to you in full.

We do not prioritise claims made by these companies over direct claims.

To make a claim yourself

Please complete Claim compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight.

If you’re claiming for more than one flight, please fill out a separate application for each flight.

You can also claim on behalf of other people travelling under the same booking reference, as long as they're happy for you to receive the full compensation. If you’re claiming for anyone under 18, you’ll need to confirm that you’re either their parent or legal guardian.

People travelling on different bookings will need to claim separately using an alternative email address.

Please make sure all claims contain full and accurate flight information. We may require further documents to establish your identity and/or your right to claim.

If your flight’s cancelled within two weeks of your departure date or on the day

Arrival time later then originally scheduled Compensation due
if cancelled within
7 days		 Compensation due
if cancelled within
7-14 days		 Compensation due if cancelled over 14 days
  New departure time within 1 hour of original departure time New departure time more than 1 hour of original departure time New departure time within 2 hours of original departure time New departure time more than 2 hours of original departure time  
0-2 hours £0 £260 (50%) £0 £260 £0
2-4 hours £260 (50%) £260 (50%) £0 £260 £0
4+ hours £520 £520 £520 £520 £0

Compensation and assistance info sheet

Occasionally, in the event of a natural disaster or political situation, you may be advised against all, or all but essential travel.

If you’re travelling direct to an affected area on a Virgin Atlantic flight, and have a non-refundable or non-changeable ticket that was purchased before the advice was given, you can choose to:

Rebook on a later Virgin Atlantic flight, to the same or a different destination.

If the new flight would cost more, you’ll be required to pay the difference. If the new fare is lower, we’ll refund you the difference.

Conditions:
 

  1. The options will only be available when advice against "all", or "all but essential" travel is issued by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth office (or in the event of a situation arising within the UK the US Department of State issues a "Travel Warning") and publishes the same on their website at a date after the ticket has been purchased. 
  2. The options will be available for a limited time relating to the specific incident or situation. 
  3. The change in booking must take place before the original flight. 
  4. Travel must be completed within ticket validity or within three months from the original flight, whichever is longer. 
  5. All rebooking's are subject to availability in the ticket class originally purchased. 
  6. All rebooking's are subject to the deduction of a reasonable administration fee. 
  7. The return flight, if applicable, can be rebooked at the same time.

How to change your booking

You’ll need to contact us to change your flights.

If you didn’t book with us

You’ll need to contact the company you booked with, as they may have a different rebooking policy. Your refund will be for the flight part of your package, not the whole cost of your holiday.

In the event of a natural disaster or severe weather conditions you may have difficulty travelling to and from the airport. Please make yourself aware of local conditions and seek information from transport and other service providers before you set off.