Meals and hotel rights when your flight is disrupted
A long delay, cancellation or denied boarding can leave you waiting for hours or overnight. Depending on the passenger-rights rules covering your journey, the airline may need to provide food, drinks, accommodation and transport while you wait.
At a glance
Meals and hotel rights
Right
Food, refreshments, accommodation and related assistance
When
During qualifying waits after a covered disruption
Overnight
Hotel accommodation may apply when an overnight stay becomes necessary
Important
The exact entitlement depends on the rules covering your journey
Meals, accommodation and other assistance are separate from fixed flight compensation. One can apply without the other.
Quick answer
The airline may need to look after you while you wait
Many passenger-rights systems require airlines to provide practical assistance during qualifying delays, cancellations or denied boarding. That can include meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation and transport. The exact trigger depends on the route, the length of the wait and, in some jurisdictions, the reason for the disruption.
If required assistance is not provided, keep itemised receipts for reasonable costs you have to pay yourself.
On this page
When it applies
When the airline may need to provide meals or a hotel
There is no single worldwide meal or hotel entitlement. The passenger-rights rules covering your journey determine when the airline must step in and what assistance it must provide.
Delayed flight
After a qualifying wait, the airline may need to provide practical assistance while you remain at the airport or wait for a replacement journey.
Cancelled flight
If you are waiting to travel after a cancellation, meals, refreshments and overnight accommodation can form part of the assistance owed under the applicable rules.
Denied boarding
If you are involuntarily denied boarding and continue your journey on another flight, the airline may need to look after you while you wait.
Disrupted connection
If a covered disruption causes you to miss a connection and creates a longer wait, meals or accommodation may become relevant depending on the booking and rules that apply.
What the airline may provide
Meals, accommodation and other practical help
Where assistance is due, it is intended to cover reasonable needs created by the disruption. The exact support depends on the rules covering your journey and the circumstances of the wait.
Meals and refreshments
Food and drink should be appropriate for the length of the wait, time of day and circumstances. Airlines may provide vouchers where this assistance is due.
Hotel accommodation
Where the applicable rules require assistance and the disruption leaves you waiting overnight, the airline may need to arrange suitable accommodation.
Transport to accommodation
When overnight accommodation is part of the airline's obligation, transport between the airport and the accommodation can also be included.
Communication
Some passenger-rights systems also require a reasonable way to communicate while you wait, such as calls, messages or email.
How the rules differ
The exact entitlement depends on which rules cover your journey
The route, operating airline, waiting time and cause of the disruption can all affect when assistance is due. The examples below show how several of the passenger-rights systems Travaro supports approach these rights.
European Union
EC261
Care begins after set waiting periods
For covered departure delays, meals and refreshments become due after two, three or four hours depending on flight distance. If the new departure is at least the next day, hotel accommodation and transport can also be required. Care can still apply even where extraordinary circumstances mean fixed compensation is not payable.
United Kingdom
UK261
Care starts after set waiting periods
For covered delays, the airline must provide food and drink after the relevant two-, three- or four-hour threshold. If the disruption leaves you waiting overnight, accommodation and transport can also be required. The right to care can apply regardless of the reason for the delay.
Canada
APPR
Care depends on the disruption cause
For delays or cancellations within the airline's control, including those required for safety, assistance can apply when you were informed less than 12 hours before departure and have waited at least two hours after the original departure time. This can include food, drink, communication and, where required, overnight accommodation and transport.
Saudi Arabia
GACA
Care increases with longer waits
For denied boarding, cancellation or delay, GACA provides for refreshments and beverages from the first hour, an appropriate meal after three hours and hotel accommodation plus airport transport after six hours where the relevant conditions are met.
Türkiye
SHY-YOLCU
Care applies during qualifying waits
Türkiye's rules can require drinks, meals and communication during qualifying waiting periods. Where an overnight or additional stay becomes necessary, accommodation and transport between the airport and accommodation can also apply.
Oman
Oman CAA
Meals and accommodation depend on waiting time
For qualifying disruption care in Oman, refreshments start from two hours, a suitable meal after three hours, and accommodation with airport transfers after six hours.
Thailand
CAAT 101
Care depends on the flight and delay
Thailand’s rules provide meals, communication and, in qualifying longer disruptions, accommodation and transport. Domestic and international conditions differ.
Mexico
Mexico LAC
Care with the first available replacement flight
For qualifying airline-attributable cancellations or delays over four hours, choosing the first available replacement can include food and, where necessary, accommodation and airport transport.
India
DGCA
Delay assistance is not automatic cash compensation
India’s rules can require meals, refreshments and, in qualifying long delays, accommodation or a refund or alternative flight. A delay alone does not create a fixed cash payment.
If the airline does not help
Ask first. If you have to pay, keep it reasonable.
If the airline should provide assistance but does not make suitable arrangements, you may need to pay for essentials yourself. Give the airline the opportunity to help where practical, keep spending proportionate and preserve a clear record.
Ask the airline what meals, vouchers, hotel accommodation or transport it will provide before paying for your own arrangements.
If required assistance is not provided, make practical arrangements and keep the cost reasonable for the circumstances.
Keep itemised receipts or invoices showing what you paid for, the date and the amount.
Save airline messages and any evidence showing that you asked for assistance or that suitable assistance was not provided.
What to keep
Keep a clear record of what happened and what you paid
A small set of useful records is better than trying to reconstruct the disruption later. Keep the documents that show the journey, what the airline told you and any reasonable costs you had to pay.
Booking and journey details
Keep your original booking, itinerary and replacement-flight details so there is a clear record of the journey.
Airline messages
Save delay, cancellation, rebooking and assistance messages, including what the airline offered or told you to arrange yourself.
Itemised receipts
Keep receipts or invoices for meals, accommodation or necessary local transport that you paid for because of the disruption.
Hotel and transport records
Keep hotel confirmations and transport receipts where an overnight stay became necessary.
Keep exploring
Related passenger-rights guides
Flight disruption expenses
Understand when reasonable meals, accommodation or local transport costs may be relevant if you had to pay yourself.
Read guideRebooking rights
See what alternative travel options may apply when your original journey cannot continue as planned.
Read guideExtraordinary circumstances
Learn why the cause of a disruption can affect compensation without necessarily deciding every other passenger right.
Read guideCheck your journey
Find out whether your disrupted flight may qualify
Travaro checks your journey against the passenger-rights rules we support and can manage an eligible compensation claim from assessment through resolution.
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