Short answer: Cancellation insurance doesn’t cover a cancelled flight — that’s the airline’s responsibility under EU Regulation 261/2004. You’re entitled to a refund of the ticket price within 7 days, or to a replacement flight. If the airline didn’t tell you about the cancellation at least 14 days in advance, you’re also entitled to compensation of EUR 250, 400 or 600 depending on the flight distance. Extraordinary circumstances, such as bad weather, are an exception.
One-minute summary
- The regulation applies to flights from airports in the EU, and to flights into the EU from non-EU countries if they’re operated by a European carrier.
- If your flight is cancelled, you choose between a refund of the ticket price within 7 days or a replacement flight. At the airport, you’re entitled to meals and refreshments, and if you’re moved to the next day, a hotel too.
- You also get compensation of EUR 250 to 600 if you arrive 3 or more hours late, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.
- Claim from the airline first. If it doesn’t reply within 2 months or fobs you off, file a complaint with the Czech Civil Aviation Authority.
- Cancellation insurance is for the opposite situation: the flight goes ahead, but you can’t fly — because of illness, for example.
What you’re entitled to if the airline cancels your flight
EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to passengers departing from an airport in the EU, and to flights from non-EU countries to airports in the EU if they’re operated by a European carrier. If the airline cancels your flight, you’re entitled to:
- a refund of the ticket price within 7 days — for connecting journeys, where relevant, also a return flight to the point of departure — or a replacement flight to your destination. The choice is yours,
- care at the airport: meals, refreshments and two free phone calls or emails,
- a hotel and transport between the airport and the hotel, if the replacement flight leaves the next day at the earliest,
- compensation depending on the flight distance, if you weren’t told about the cancellation far enough in advance and the airline doesn’t prove extraordinary circumstances.
When you’re entitled to compensation
- you found out about the cancellation less than 2 weeks before departure,
- you found out about the cancellation between 2 weeks and 7 days before departure, and the replacement flight doesn’t get you to your destination within 4 hours of the original arrival time (or leaves more than 2 hours before the original departure time),
- you found out about the cancellation less than 7 days before departure, and the replacement flight doesn’t get you to your destination within 2 hours of the original arrival time (or leaves more than an hour before the original departure time).
How much compensation is
| Flight | Compensation per passenger |
|---|---|
| up to 1,500 km | EUR 250 |
| within the EU over 1,500 km, and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km | EUR 400 |
| other flights over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
If your flight is delayed
With a long delay, you’re entitled to meals, refreshments and two phone calls or emails: for flights up to 1,500 km with a delay of more than 2 hours, for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km with a delay of more than 3 hours, and for all others with a delay of more than 4 hours. If departure is moved to the next day, you’re also entitled to a hotel and transport to it.
If you arrive at your destination 3 or more hours after the scheduled arrival, you’re entitled to the same compensation as for a cancellation, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. With a delay of more than 5 hours, you can give up the flight and ask for a refund of the ticket price within 7 days.
How to claim your money and compensation
- Keep your documents: the booking confirmation, boarding pass, cancellation email and receipts for meals or a hotel you paid for yourself.
- Write to the airline first, usually through the form on its website. If you bought the ticket through an agency, the refund is often handled by the agency.
- If the airline doesn’t reply within 2 months or the reply is unsatisfactory, file a complaint with the Czech Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL) through the form at kompenzace.caa.gov.cz. Copies of the booking and documents are useful.
- ÚCL asks the airline for its position and lets you know the outcome. Its position is final. ÚCL deals with flights from airports in the Czech Republic and flights from non-EU countries to the Czech Republic with a European carrier. Otherwise, contact the authority in the country you departed from.
The authority doesn’t confirm delays for insurance purposes. Ask the airline for confirmation of the delay or cancellation.
What about the hotel and other services you lose
EU Regulation 261 deals with the ticket, care and compensation. Under it, the airline doesn’t refund a non-refundable hotel, car hire or ticket you bought separately. Try asking the accommodation provider for other dates; you can claim further damages from the airline under the general rules on compensation for damage. It’s hard going and the outcome isn’t certain.
Cancellation insurance won’t reimburse these services in such a situation. Cancellation of the trip by the carrier is explicitly excluded in the policy terms. If the flight is part of a package holiday, sort out the change with the tour operator.
What cancellation insurance covers and what it doesn’t
Cancellation insurance covers situations where the flight goes ahead but you can’t fly. An overview:
| Situation | Who helps |
|---|---|
| The airline cancels the flight | The airline, under EU Regulation 261. Cancellation insurance doesn’t cover it. |
| The flight is seriously delayed | The airline, under EU Regulation 261. Cancellation insurance doesn’t cover it. |
| Closed airspace, war, a pandemic | The airline, under EU Regulation 261, if it cancels the flight. Cancellation insurance excludes these situations. |
| You fall ill or get injured and can’t fly | Cancellation insurance, if you took it out in advance: after deducting the 10% excess. |
| Someone in your family falls seriously ill | Cancellation insurance, if you took it out in advance. |
| Your passport is stolen a week before the flight | Cancellation insurance, if you took it out in advance. |
| You miss the flight or change your mind | Nobody. A non-refundable ticket is lost; ask the airline for the refundable taxes. |
The insurance is always taken out for that specific flight or trip. More about it on the flight cancellation insurance page; what airlines refund when you’re the one who can’t fly is in the guide cancelling an airline ticket. All the reasons and exclusions are in the overview what the insurance covers.
New rules from autumn 2027
The EU has amended the regulation on air passenger rights. The amendment, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 2 October 2026. It will start to apply about a year later, in autumn 2027. Until then, the rules described in this article apply.
According to the European Parliament’s summary, compensation of EUR 250, 400 and 600 and the 3-hour delay threshold stay the same. New features include free correction of a typo in your name if you report it at least 48 hours before departure, and a ban on refusing boarding on a return flight just because you didn’t take the outbound one.
Frequently asked questions
Does cancellation insurance cover a cancelled flight?
No. Cancellation of the trip by the carrier is excluded in the policy terms. A cancelled flight is the airline’s responsibility under EU Regulation 261/2004: a refund or replacement flight, and sometimes compensation.
The airline cancelled my flight and only offers a voucher. Do I have to accept it?
No. Under the regulation, you have the right to choose a refund of the ticket price within 7 days or a replacement flight to your destination.
My flight was cancelled because of the weather. Will I get anything?
A refund or replacement flight and care at the airport, yes. Compensation, no — if the airline proves it was due to extraordinary circumstances that couldn’t have been avoided.
I can’t fly because I’ve fallen ill. Does EU Regulation 261 help?
No. The regulation deals with situations on the airline’s side. If you’re the one who can’t fly, flight cancellation insurance taken out in advance helps: it reimburses what the airline doesn’t refund after deducting the 10% excess.
Sources
We verified the rules and the status of the amendment on 26/10/2026. The links lead to third-party websites.
- Czech Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL) — passenger rights in the event of denied boarding, delay or cancellation (opens in a new window)
- Czech Civil Aviation Authority (ÚCL) — air passenger complaint form (opens in a new window)
- Your Europe (EU) — air passenger rights (opens in a new window)
- European Parliament, Legislative Observatory — procedure 2013/0072(COD), amendment of the regulation (opens in a new window)
- European Parliament — summary of the adopted text of the amendment (opens in a new window)
- Council of the EU — press release on the final adoption of the amendment, 13 July 2026 (opens in a new window)
- PP STORNO CZ 11/2025 policy terms — on the Documents page
Related
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The wording of the policy terms and your seller’s terms is what counts. The example scenarios are illustrative.