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At the airport
What to do right now — in the first 30 minutes
The real issue
In the first 30 minutes after a cancellation or significant delay, most passengers stand in a queue and accept whatever they're offered. The passengers who get rebooked on the next available flight, receive meal vouchers, and secure hotel accommodation are the ones who ask for it specifically — and document everything. Passive waiting delivers the minimum. Informed asking delivers more.
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Screenshot everything immediately | Capture the departure board, your app notification, any emails, and the time on your phone. Timestamped evidence is essential for any later claim. |
| Get to the customer service desk — not the gate | Gate staff have limited authority. The customer service or rebooking desk has access to all available flights including other airlines' seats. |
| Ask specifically: "What are my options for rebooking on the next available flight to [destination]?" | Including flights on partner or competing airlines. You are entitled to ask — airlines with interline agreements can book you onto other carriers. |
| Ask for meal vouchers if delayed 2+ hours | Most major airlines' own policies provide meal vouchers for delays over 2 hours. This is in their T&Cs — ask for it by name. |
| Ask for hotel accommodation and ground transport if overnight | For cancellations causing overnight delays, most airlines are required by their own policies to provide accommodation. Ask directly — it is rarely offered proactively. |
| Keep every receipt | Food, transport, accommodation expenses you incur because of the disruption are potentially recoverable. No receipt = no claim. |
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Your rights
What airlines are required to provide under AU law and their own T&Cs
Australia has no mandatory flight delay compensation law. Unlike the EU (EC261/2004) which requires cash compensation for delays over 3 hours, Australian law does not mandate a cash payment for delays. Your claim is based on ACL (service guarantee) and the airline's own contract with you.
| Situation | What airlines must or should provide |
|---|---|
| Cancellation — airline's fault (operational issue, technical fault) | Rebooking on next available flight. Refund if you choose not to travel. Duty of care: meals, accommodation, and transport for significant delays. Under ACL, a remedy for failure to deliver the service. |
| Cancellation — outside airline's control (weather, ATC, natural disaster) | Rebooking or refund. Reduced duty of care for accommodation — airlines typically argue these are "extraordinary circumstances." Travel insurance is your main recovery path here. |
| Significant delay (typically 3+ hours) | Meal vouchers (most major airlines' own policies). Rebooking assistance. If overnight: accommodation and transport in most cases (varies by airline and cause). |
| Downgrade (moved to lower cabin class) | Partial refund of the fare difference. You are entitled to the difference in fare between what you paid and what you received. |
| Expenses you incurred due to the disruption | Recoverable from the airline if the disruption was within their control, and from travel insurance for events outside their control. |
Keep the Qantas / Virgin / Jetstar passenger guarantee documents. All major Australian airlines publish a "Customer Guarantee" or equivalent. These documents specify exactly what they commit to providing in disruption scenarios — and they are contractually binding. Download the current version for your airline and compare it against what you were offered.
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Claim process
How to claim from the airline — and escalate if they refuse
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Submit a formal written claim to the airline | Use the airline's online complaints or customer care form — not Twitter/X, not the call centre. Written claims create a paper trail and trigger formal response obligations. |
| 2. Include all receipts and evidence | Attach every expense receipt, the original booking confirmation, proof of the disruption (screenshots), and a clear statement of what you're claiming and why. |
| 3. State the dollar amount you're claiming | Be specific. "Compensation for disruption" gets dismissed. "Reimbursement of $347.50 in meal and transport expenses incurred due to the cancellation of flight QF123 on [date]" gets processed. |
| 4. If rejected or ignored — escalate to ACCC or AFCA | ACCC (accc.gov.au) handles airline complaints under the Australian Consumer Law. For credit card payment disputes, AFCA handles complaints against the bank. |
Opening paragraph for your written claim
"I am writing to formally claim reimbursement of expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation/significant delay of flight [flight number] on [date]. The cancellation was within the airline's operational control. Under your customer guarantee and the Australian Consumer Law, I am entitled to a remedy. I am claiming [specific amount] for the following documented expenses..."
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Insurance & chargeback
Parallel recovery paths — don't rely on the airline alone
| Recovery path | When to use it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Travel insurance — trip delay / cancellation | For events outside airline control (weather, disasters) where the airline's obligation is limited. Also covers consequential losses like missed connections and non-refundable hotel bookings. | Notify your insurer as soon as possible — most policies require notification within 24–48 hours of the event. Submit all receipts and documentation. |
| Credit card travel insurance | Many credit cards include complimentary travel insurance if the ticket was purchased on that card. Check your card's product disclosure statement. | Contact your card issuer to lodge a travel insurance claim. The card's insurer is separate from the card's chargeback process. |
| Credit card chargeback | If you paid for a flight and it was cancelled and the airline refused a refund — "services not received" is a valid chargeback ground. | Lodge a chargeback with your card issuer. Document that you requested a refund and it was refused. See the Chargeback guide for the full process. |
| ACCC complaint | If the airline systematically misleads or refuses legitimate claims under ACL. ACCC handles consumer guarantee disputes for transport services. | accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees — online complaint form |
You can pursue multiple paths simultaneously. You can claim from travel insurance AND lodge a chargeback AND complain to the ACCC — provided you don't double-recover the same loss. Document clearly what you've claimed and from which source, so you can account for any payments received.