What to Do If Your Flight Is Delayed or Cancelled

A delayed or cancelled flight is one of travel's most stressful moments, especially when you are at the airport with family, luggage and a connection to catch. The instinct is to panic or to stand frustrated at the counter. But travellers who stay calm and act methodically almost always get rebooked faster and on better terms than those who do not. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, in order, whether you are flying from Lagos, Abuja or Kano or connecting through a hub abroad.

First, confirm what has actually happened

Before you do anything else, establish the facts. Is the flight delayed (still departing, just later), or cancelled (not departing at all)? How long is the delay expected to be? Is there a new departure time, and is it confirmed or still estimated? Check the departure boards, the airline's app or website, and any SMS or email the airline has sent to the contact details on your booking. This is the first reason it pays to book with accurate contact information and to keep your phone charged and online — the airline often notifies you before the boards update.

Understand the difference, because it changes your options

• A delay usually means you will travel on the same flight, later. Your job is to stay informed, protect any onward connection, and claim any care the airline owes you for the wait.
• A cancellation means that flight is gone and the airline must get you onto another one. Here your job is to secure the best available rebooking quickly, before other affected passengers take the limited seats.

If your flight is cancelled: move fast and work two channels at once

When a flight is cancelled, seats on the next available flights are limited and fill quickly. The travellers who get rebooked best are the ones who pursue help through more than one channel simultaneously.

1. Get in the queue at the airline desk — but while you wait, do not just stand idle.
2. Call the airline's customer line at the same time, and check the airline's app, which sometimes offers self-service rebooking before an agent reaches you.
3. If you booked through a travel agent or an online platform, contact them too — they can often rebook you and are motivated to resolve it quickly. This is one of the quiet advantages of booking through a supported channel rather than directly in a way that leaves you alone when things go wrong.
4. Know the flights you want before you reach an agent. Have two or three acceptable alternative flights in mind (times, routings) so you can ask for them directly. An agent facing a long queue moves faster when you are specific.

Your core options when a flight is cancelled

Depending on the airline's policy and the applicable rules, you can generally expect to be offered one of these. Ask for the one that suits you:

• Rebooking onto the next available flight to your destination at no extra cost. This is usually the default and what most travellers want.
• Rerouting via a different hub or on a partner airline, which can sometimes get you there sooner than waiting for the same carrier's next direct service — worth asking about explicitly.
• A refund if you no longer wish to travel because the cancellation has made the trip pointless. Accepting a refund ends the airline's duty to rebook you, so only choose this if you genuinely want to abandon the journey.

Care while you wait: meals, communication and accommodation

For longer delays and for cancellations, airlines frequently provide care — refreshments or meal vouchers during a long wait, and overnight accommodation with transfers if you are stranded and the next flight is the following day. The exact entitlements depend on the airline's policy, the cause of the disruption, and the regulations that apply to your route. Ask the airline staff directly what care is being provided and how to claim it. If you have to pay for meals or a hotel yourself because staff are overwhelmed, keep every receipt — you may be able to claim reasonable costs back later.

Compensation: be informed but realistic

Some jurisdictions give passengers the right to financial compensation for certain delays and cancellations, particularly when the disruption is within the airline's control (as opposed to weather, air traffic restrictions or other extraordinary circumstances). Whether you are entitled depends on the specific rules governing your route and the cause of the disruption, so this is not something to assume or to invent a figure for. The honest advice is: ask the airline what compensation, if any, applies to your situation, keep your documents, and if you believe you are owed compensation, submit a claim in writing afterwards with your booking details and evidence of the disruption. Treat compensation as a possible afterward, not as the thing you fight about at the counter — your priority in the moment is getting rebooked.

Protect your connection

If your delayed or cancelled flight is the first leg of a connecting journey, a delay can cause you to miss the onward flight. This is where booking a single through-ticket matters enormously. On a through-ticket, if a delay causes you to miss your connection, the airline is responsible for rebooking you onward at no extra cost. If you booked two separate tickets, the second airline has no obligation to the first, and a missed connection can mean buying a new ticket entirely. If you are on separate tickets and see a delay developing, alert both airlines as early as you can.

What to do about your baggage

If your flight is cancelled after you have checked in a bag, ask where to collect it or confirm that it will be transferred to your new flight. On a rebooking with the same airline, bags are usually moved for you. If you are rerouted onto a different carrier or your plans change significantly, make sure your bag's routing matches your new ticket so it does not travel without you or get stranded.

A calm checklist to keep on your phone

1. Confirm whether it is a delay or cancellation, and the new timing.
2. Check for an airline notification by SMS, email and app.
3. For a cancellation, join the desk queue and call the airline and your agent simultaneously.
4. Decide in advance which alternative flights you would accept.
5. Ask what care (meals, accommodation) is provided, and keep all receipts.
6. Protect any onward connection; a through-ticket makes this the airline's problem, not yours.
7. Confirm your baggage routing matches your new ticket.
8. Note times and keep documents in case you later claim a refund or compensation.

The quiet advantage of good support

When everything is going smoothly, it makes little difference how you booked. It is precisely in these disrupted moments that having real support matters — someone who can rebook you while you are still in the airport queue, explain your options honestly, and handle the back-and-forth with the airline on your behalf. That is worth remembering the next time you choose where to book.

If you book your flights on GoGlobia, our team is available around the clock to help you rebook, understand your options, and get your journey back on track when a flight is delayed or cancelled. Travel with the reassurance that you are not facing the counter alone.