You’ve booked your flight and are ready for your trip, when the airline sends you an email to notify you of a flight schedule change.
Passengers are regularly affected by a modification of their flight schedule, now more than ever as a result of COVID-19. With most flights cancelled because of coronavirus, passengers are left with the option to either get a refund for flight cancellation or change the flight schedule.
In general, the further in advance you book your flight, the higher the chances of having a schedule change.
While this may ruin your trip, know that when this happens, passengers can sometimes claim a flight schedule change compensation.
But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, you just have to accept the change of flight time. You may also be entitled to a refund or rerouted via a different flight.
While airlines are not obligated to compensate passengers, most of them have set up policies that consist in offering one of two things:
A travel voucher for you to travel with them at a later date when air traffic will be back to normal
A refund of your ticket
In general, we do NOT recommend accepting travel vouchers as compensation. However, the air travel industry is among the most seriously hit by the pandemic. Air carriers especially are at risk, with several of them having already declared bankruptcy or been nationalized.
That’s why when given the option, we encourage travellers who believe that they will fly with the airline in the future to accept the voucher rather than the refund, as it will help your air carrier financially.
Of course, the decision is yours, and you may have been finally affected yourself, so the refund is also an option!
Flights Schedule Change Rules
What is considered a change of schedule?
A flight schedule change occurs when the airline announces a change to your flight time after you’ve booked your ticket. There are 3 categories of flight change: minor, significant, or cancellation.
Each airline has their own definition of what constitutes a “minor” or “significant” schedule change. Usually, a significant change is one that doesn’t fall within the limits of what they have defined as a minor delay.
For example, an airline can define a schedule change as “minor” when they postpone the flight to less than 6 hours later than what was originally planned. If the time of your flight is delayed by over 6 hours, then you’re victim of a “significant flight schedule change”.
The distinction matters because it will influence what your rights are. More on that below.
A flight schedule change can also occur when your direct flight becomes a connecting one, or when the airline change the aircraft that will operate the flight.
However, if the airline changes your flight altogether (i.e. you will travel on a flight that has a different flight number than the one you initially book), this is regarded as a flight cancellation instead of a flight schedule change.
What are your rights when the airline modifies the time of you flight?
Your rights depend on the type of schedule change. And the definition of type of schedule change varies from one airline to another.
We’ve listed what is regarded as a minor change by some airlines below. To know what your airline defines as a minor delay, refer to their Terms and Conditions.
Minor change
Passengers victim of a minor schedule change have generally no choice but to accept it. If this happens to you, feel free to ask a refund or an alternate flight, but keep in mind that you are not covered by any law and the airline doesn’t have the obligation to refund or reroute you on a different flight.
Significant change
A significant change of schedule gives passengers more options. In most cases, the airline will offer you the choice between getting a refund or a rerouting on a comparable flight.
Note that if the airline offers you a rerouting as an alternative to the schedule change, you do NOT have to accept it if the flight is not to your convenience. In this case, contact the airline to ask for a different flight or a refund.
Flight cancellation
If the airline cancels your flight altogether (or presents a change of flight as a schedule change), you have even more rights. First, you must be offered a choice between a refund for cancelled flight or an alternate flight.
Then, you may also be entitled to a flight cancellation compensation. For that, the airline must have warned you about the cancellation less than 14 days prior to the flight. The exact notification date influences the flight compensation amount.
Was your flight cancelled? Or did the airline changed your reservation to book you on a different flight? You may be entitled to up to 600€ in compensation!
Can you get compensation if the airline changes the flight schedule?
To be entitled to compensation for a flight schedule modification, the airline must have notified you about the change less than 14 days before the flight.
The schedule change must consists of either:
a flight cancellation, or
a flight change (i.e. when the flight number is different than the one that you originally booked)
The compensation amount varies based on when you were notified and the length of the journey. You can get up to $700 per passenger in compensation (cash, voucher, or miles).
The Service app automatically detects and files claims on your behalf:
Can you get a refund if the airline changes the flight schedule?
Except in the case of “minor flight schedule change”, you can get a refund when the airline modifies the schedule of your flight. In other words, you’re entitled to a refund in cases of “significant flight schedule change” and flight cancellations.
Note that the airline may offer you a rerouting instead of a refund. As mentioned before, if the alternate flight doesn’t suit you, feel free to reject it and ask for a refund instead.
Flight Schedule Change FAQ
Can flight times change after booking?
When you book a flight, you agree on its schedule. However, all airlines reserve themselves the right to change the time (and sometimes even the date) of the flight, as per their terms and conditions. Specifically, airlines do not guarantee flight times and stress that those are not part of the contract of carriage.
“Sometimes we have to make adjustments to our operation, and between the time you book and the day you depart […]. When there are changes that affect your trip, we’ll try to contact you in advance and move you to a similar seat, though we can’t make any guarantees. We do our best to be on time but our flight schedule is not guaranteed and not part of this contract. We are not liable if we’re late or you don’t make your connection, or we change the schedule of any flight.“
The flight times shown in our timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel. We do not guarantee these flight times to you and they do not form part of your contract of carriage with us.
Regulators like the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirm this: while a change to the flight number is covered by the law, a modification of the flight time and date is only covered by the airline’s terms and conditions.
How much can an airline change your flight?
There is no specific limit to how much the airline can change your flight time. However, all airlines define the limits of what they consider to be a “minor schedule change”.
Here are a few examples:
American Airlines: 1 hour
British Airways: 2 hours
EasyJet: 5 hours
Ryanair: 3 hours
United Airlines: 30 minutes
As a rule of thumb, if your delay at arrival or departure exceeds this amount of time, the flight schedule change is regarded as “significant” and the airline will offer a rerouting or a refund.
Why do airlines have schedule changes?
Airlines make tickets available for purchase about 12 months prior to the flight, but the airports can confirm the time slots only about 3 months prior to the flight, which can result in schedule modifications.
Airlines themselves can change their schedule, especially when the aircraft that will be used changes.
How will I be warned about a schedule change?
Airlines should tell passengers at least 14 days in advance when they change their flight time. The airline usually contacts you via email to tell you about the schedule change.
You may also log into your account or call the airline directly to inquire about schedule changes.
For last-minute schedule changes, you can use an online flight tracker.
How do I accept or refuse a schedule change?
Usually, you don’t have to do anything when you agree to the schedule change. Just present yourself at the airport after checking-in.
If you want a different flight or a refund, however, you must contact the airline. You can usually get in touch with them over email, via phone, or from the “manage my booking” section of the airline’s website.
Victim of a schedule change? Check if you’re entitled to compensation now with the Service app. You only need to connect your inbox – we take care of the rest:
Have you ever been running late to catch a flight and struggled with the never-ending hallways and escalators you need to pass to reach your gate?
The biggest airports in the world make it feel like you’re walking through an entire city when you’re inside.
In 2020, they’re expecting over four billion passengers to travel by air. Now the biggest airports are also becoming the busiest airports in the world.
Since the airports are getting busier, they’re building bigger airports to accommodate all the passengers.
In September 2019, the world’s largest airport at the time (based on area size) opened in Beijing, China. The Beijing Daxing International Airport will be able to handle over 100 million passengers per year.
Good thing for the passengers, they won’t have to worry about walking a marathon to get to their gate. Architects are taking these considerations into their designs and balancing both size and convenience.
The architect who designed the new Beijing airport, Zaha Hadid, made a futuristic design in a starfish shape, making it easy for passengers to reach their gate in less than 8 minutes.
But a new player has entered the game:
Istanbul Airport is set to dethrone the Beijing’s as the world’s largest airport in the world when it’s finished. It already opened in 2018 but because construction isn’t over yet, we’ve chosen to keep it out of this ranking.
It will be interesting to see how airport design evolves in the years to come!
In the meantime, let’s take a look at all of the “superairports” of the world, both in terms of area size and the number of passengers they serve.
But first… did you know that if you had a delayed or cancelled flight, you could get up to $700 in compensation?
With the Service app, all you need to do is connect your inbox, and we’ll take care of the rest:
Here’s a list of the biggest and busiest airports in the world.
What are the biggest airports in the world?
From Asia to America, the biggest airports in the world feel so gigantic that they deserve their own postal code.
And some even do!
The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (#3 on this list and one of the busiest US airports) has its very own ZIP code and emergency staff. It’s technically considered a separate city according to the postal service.
These huge airports have their own hotels, spas, restaurants and shopping centres. They really are so much more than a place to catch a flight.
Here’s a list of the top ten biggest airports in the world, based on actual airport size in square kilometers.
1. Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) –
2. King Fahd International Airport (DMM) – 776 sq. km.
3. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 135.71 sq. km.
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – 69.63 sq. km.
5. Orlando International Airport (MCO) – 53.83 sq. km.
6. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – 48.56 sq. km.
7. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) – 44.51 sq. km.
8. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) – 39.88 sq. km.
9. Cairo International Airport (CAI) – 36.25 sq. km.
10. Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) – 32.4 sq. km.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)
12. O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
13. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
14. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
15. Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
#1 Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) – Beijing, China
Beijing Daxing International Airport is the biggest airport in the world and the latest addition to the list of supersized airports, and they’re topping that list.
With the grand opening in September 2019, Beijing Daxing’s terminal building spans over 7.5 million sq ft, with a total land area covering over 18 square miles.
It cost a staggering $11 billion to build.
This airport is Beijing’s second international one in the city and it’s expected to also become the world’s busiest, with 100 million passengers passing through by 2040.
Nicknamed the “starfish”, after architect Zaha Hadid’s futuristic design, the airport was built for both convenience and eco-friendliness.
The starfish design makes it easy for passengers to travel from security to their gate in under eight minutes.
Its solar panels, waste heat recovery, and water management systems limits the environmental impact that such a big airport can make to the ecosystems in the area.
While it’s still early days for Beijing Daxing International Airport, they have big plans for the future, including flights that will cover 112 destinations around the world.
#2 King Fahd International Airport (DMM) – Dammam, Saudi Arabia
King Fahd International Airport used to hold the #1 position for the world’s largest airport, until it was recently knocked off the pedestal by Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Despite that, it’s still an impressive place, with a total area of 780 square kilometres and a terminal area of 3.52 million square feet.
King Fahd International Airport opened over 20 years ago in 1999 and it’s located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
It serves as a hub for three major Saudi Arabian airlines including: Saudia, Aramco Aviation and SaudiGulf Airlines flynas.
The airport also houses a 250-room Hilton hotel and a Mosque that can accommodate 2000+ worshippers.
The airport is designed to handle over 12 million passengers per year.
#3 Denver International Airport (DEN) – Denver, USA
Denver International Airport is the largest airport, in terms of area size, in North America.
Primarily serving the Denver, Colorado area, it spans over 52.4 square miles and flies to over 215 destinations.
The airport opened 25 years ago in 1995, employing over 35,000 employees. That makes it the largest employer in the whole state of Colorado.
Despite being the third largest airport in the entire world, it ranks as the 20th busiest airport. Over 69 million passengers passed through Denver’s airport in 2019.
Over 23 different airlines operate out of Denver International Airport, and it serves as the hub for some popular American airlines including: United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. It’s also the main operating base for Southwest Airlines.
#4 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Dallas, USA
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is so big that it has its own ZIP code and emergency services. Like we said earlier, it’s technically considered its own city, according to the postal service.
Spanning over 27 square miles and serving the Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex, the airport is an impressive place.
It’s the fourth busiest airport in the entire world (by aircraft movements). It also offers service to 260 destinations. The busiest domestic route is to LAX in Los Angeles, California, and their busiest international route is to London Heathrow Airport in the UK.
American Airlines calls the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport home.
#5 Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Orlando, USA
It’s no surprise that Orlando International Airport made this list. Disney World calls Orlando home and an average of 52 million travel to Disney World every year. They need an airport that can accommodate all of the Disney fans.
Serving the Orlando, Florida area, the airport opened in 1981 and currently serves 135 destinations globally.
The airport clocks in at 11,609 acres large and handled over 50 million passengers in 2019.
Its busiest domestic destination is nearby Atlanta, Georgia and its busiest international destination is London Heathrow in England.
The airline, Silver Airways, uses Orlando International Airport as its hub.
#6 Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – Washington, USA
Next on the list is another American airport, Washington Dulles International Airport.
This airport is named after John Foster Dulles who was the 52nd Secretary of State. It’s fitting that the airport was named after Dulles, considering Washington, DC is home to the White House.
Washington Dulles airport occupies over 13,000 acres in total and it handles over 24 million passengers a year.
It serves 125 destinations and is the hub for United Airlines.
#7 George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) – Houston, USA
The last American airport to rank in the biggest airports in the world list is the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, located in Houston, Texas.
Similar to the Washington Dulles airport, this one is also named after a politician – George H.W. Bush. It’s also another hub for United Airlines.
It’s slightly smaller than the Washington airport, clocking in at 10,000 acres large, but it handled double the amount of passengers, with over 45 million passing through in 2019.
#8 Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) – Shanghai, China
We’re headed back to China with the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which ranks #8 on the list of the biggest airports in the world.
It’s located in Pudong, Shanghai and services the Shanghai area. It occupies over 10,000 acres of land and it handled a staggering 74 million passengers in 2018, making it the busiest international gateway of mainland China.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is also the hub for many Chinese airlines including: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Spring Airlines.
#9 Cairo International Airport (CAI) – Cairo, Egypt
As the only African airport to make this list, Cairo International Airport is an impressive building, located in Heliopolis, Egypt.
It’s the busiest airport in all of Egypt too, with over 15 million passengers recorded in 2017.
Cairo International Airport is the primary hub for EgyptAir and Nile Air.
Also known as Bangkok Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport is one of the biggest in Southeast Asia.
The airport is named after the Sanskrit word for “land of gold”.
Suvarnabhumi has some impressive facts to its name. It covers an area of 8000 acres in Thailand, it handled over 63 million passengers in 2018, and it was the world’s most popular place for taking Instagram photos in 2012.
The airport opened in 2006 and it’s been the hub for Bangkok Airways, Jet Asia Airways, Thai Airways, Thai Smile and Thai Vietjet Air ever since.
Its busiest international route is to Hong Kong.
What are the biggest airports in the United States?
1. Denver International Airport
2. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
3. Orlando International Airport
4. Washington Dulles International Airport
5. George Bush Intercontinental
What are the biggest airports in Europe?
1. Charles de Gaulle Airport (France)
2. Adolfo Suárez Madrid (Spain)
3. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (Italy)
4. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands)
5. Frankfurt Airport (Germany)
What are the biggest airports in India?
1. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) – Hyderabad, 5495 acres
2. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) – Delhi, 5106 acres
3. Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) – Bangalore, 4500 acres
5. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) – Mumbai, 1850 acres
What are the busiest airports in the world?
The biggest airports are not always the busiest, and vice versa. Most of the airports that top the list of being the busiest didn’t rank in the list of the biggest airports.
The world’s busiest airport for the past 20 years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, is nowhere to be seen in the largest airports list. Yet, they handle over 107 million passengers a year.
Here’s our list of the busiest airports in the entire world, based on the yearly passenger traffic that passes through.
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport (Atlanta, USA)
2. Beijing Capital International Airport (Beijing, China)
3. Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, USA)
4. Tokyo Haneda Airport (Tokyo, Japan)
5. Dubai International Airport (Dubai, UAE)
6. O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, USA)
7. London Heathrow Airport (London, UK)
8. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Shanghai, China)
9. Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong, China)
10. Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris, France)
11. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas, Texas)
12. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangzhou, China)
13. Seoul Incheon International Airport (Incheon, South Korea)
Everyone keeps saying how important it is to travel. So what’s all this fuss about? Why do people travel and love traveling?
More importantly: why should we travel more?
The benefits of traveling are not just a one-time thing: traveling changes you physically and psychologically. Having little time or money isn’t a valid excuse. You can fly for cheap very easily. If you have a full-time job and a family, you can still travel on the weekends or holidays, even with a baby.
2020 has been a tough year for travel – to say the least. But don’t let that discourage you from making travel plans in 2021!
Here are some of the main benefits of traveling, in case you need convincing. And I’m sure that once you get started, you’ll find some more yourself!
From cutting down on stress, to lowering your chances of developing a heart disease, the health benefits of traveling are huge.
You may stay sitting on a chair all day long at the workplace: including some walking to your trip is sure to make your body feel better. For some people, wandering abroad is even a cure for depression and anxiety. Of course, it’s not a foolproof cure, but it might help you feel better, both physically and psychologically.
Traveling more is likely to have a tremendous impact on your mental well-being, especially if you’re no used to going out of your comfort zone.
Trust me: travel more and your doctor will be happy. Be sure to get in touch with your physician, they might recommend some medication to accompany you in your travels, especially if you’re heading to regions of the globe with potentially dangerous diseases.
2. Traveling Lets You Disconnect From Your Daily Life
This is closely related to my previous point. We tend to get so caught up in our daily lives that sometimes, by simply sticking around, we may do ourselves more harm than good.
Your boss is taking over your life?
Kids are driving you mad?
Your parents are trying to make you live the life they want?
How long do you think you can handle this pressure before you burst and everything falls apart?
Sometimes it is best to take a step back, take a deep breath and take go that Tower Bridge selfie. In all seriousness, travel is not a bad option – it is the most natural way of inducing the feeling you miss someone or that you are missed.
Even more than “just” languages, traveling helps you learn about yourself.
You might run into challenging situations where you need to be resourceful and think differently. I’m sure that you will develop a new set of skills that you didn’t suspect you had within you.
4. Traveling Improves Your Understanding Of Other Cultures
Why we travel may differ from one person to another, but people traveling always develop empathy and a deeper understanding of other cultures.
Being more understanding and tolerant about a culture different than ours is part of being smarter, but I consider it as a benefits of traveling in itself.
There is a quote by Saint Augustine, which goes “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”.
You could think of it this way:
If you read what’s in the news or watch the news on TV and don’t question it, you’re missing on a ton of information. You might think that it makes you smarter and more aware of the world, but it’s the exact opposite: it narrows your mind to a unique and biased perspective.
Sure, you probably feel comfortable where you are, but that is just a fraction of the world! If you are traveling as a student, take advantage of programs such as Erasmus to get to know more people, experience and understand their culture.
Dare traveling to regions you have a skeptical opinion about. I bet that you will change your mind and realize that everything is not so bad abroad.
Have you ever had a delayed or canceled flight? You could be entitled to up to $700 from the airline!
With Service, the average traveler saves on average $300 per year:
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Save money on disrupted flights and hotel rooms, automatically
I have no doubt that you’re quite the conversationalist. That being said, including a few stories from abroad is likely to grant you even more attention. Mentioning something that most people aren’t familiar with or bring a new perspective is always a good way to shine in a social situation. No need to write a whole travel essay, just discuss what you’ve seen and where you’ve been: people who are accustomed to their daily life will travel with your words.
During my trip to Egypt, my Airbnb host and I went out for dinner. He had been to some many different places, the conversation lasted all night long, and I wasn’t bored for one minute.
Who do you think people want to listen to: the guy who spent his vacations at home doing some gardening and reading the newspaper, or the one who spent a week in Cuba, driving an old American car, swimming with dolphins and tasting deliciously spicy food?
I know which story I want to hear about…
6. Traveling Allows You To Try Amazing Food
Speaking of food, I bet you’re one hell of a chef and your home meals are delicious. But there is no such thing as trying a typical local dish from another country.
Don’t trick yourself into going to the Sushi shop next door: you don’t know what sushi tastes like until you’ve been to Japan.
As you travel, you discover the real thing, and discover that it’s usually very different from what you’re used to.
Eating local food in a new country is an entirely new experience. All the flavors are different. Here me out: I’m French and I love our local recipes. You do too. But let’s not kid ourselves: some change would be more than welcome in our daily diet. If only because we’re naturally curious.
Some food bloggers travel thousands of kilometers for a specific dish! The least you can do is travel to the next region and try something new.
7. Traveling Makes You Feel Like An Adventurer
Despite the fact that the world has never been as well connected as today, there are still places that are little known to the average tourist. Setting up a list of places you want to visit is extremely motivating. You have something tangible to go after.
I’m currently working on my own bucket list, and I think I’ll never see the end of it, with all these amazing travel destinations.
The benefit of traveling to a new place here is that it forces you to face the unknown and think differently. You don’t need to go spend a month in the jungle! If you live in a large city, just going on a hike over the weekend will make you feel different.
Adventures require novelty, so get out of your comfort zone. It might be scary, but in retrospect, you’ll see it as the best decision you ever made!
8. Traveling Expands Your (Real) Social Network
Believe it or not, social networks was once like a real thing – in real life. Crazy, I know. One of the main reasons why I love traveling is that I believe that establishing connections and building a network abroad is one of the smartest things you can do in today’s world.
It is sometimes hard to build long-lasting relationship with the people you meet abroad, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth meeting new people!
Take this example:
A few years ago, I spent New Year’s Eve in Tanzania. I slept for two days at the flat of an Egyptian expat. I met him on Couchsurfing, which was once one of the best ways to find cheap accommodation when you travel. A year later, this guy invited me to his wedding in Egypt! How amazing is that?!
(It truly was, by the way.)
Some connections you make over your travels are surprisingly strong.
9. Traveling Let you Create Lifetime Memories
My grandfather was an amazing story-teller and he used to tell me stories of the trips he made when he was younger.
One of my favorites is how he tried eating with chopsticks in China for the first time. He regretted not traveling more as a young man. Years later, he still remembered everything in details: because traveling made a real impression on him. And it probably will on you too.
No matter how insignificant it may seem, the fact that you’ve had an experience abroad, something that was out of the ordinary, creates a memory that you will remember for a long time.
I think that creating those memories is why many people keep traveling.
10. Traveling Makes You Love Your Home Even More
“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back”. You will truly understand the meaning of those words by Wendy Wunder, only upon your return home.
On the one hand, it would seem that you’re back where you started, same setting, same people, same problems. Yet you’re not the same – you’re new, full of new knowledge and ideas!
I know that I was getting bored after living my whole life in the same place. I needed to get out, I need a change of scene. I was focusing only the negative: how there isn’t much to do around, how you always meet the same people, how nothing changes.
Now, when I come home, I’m glad about all of this and I see only the positive.
Final Words On the Benefits of Traveling
I hope that this travel article makes you want to travel more in 2021 (and beyond!). As you travel, you realize that the world is a much better place than what you can see on TV when watching the news.
There is a quote by Mark Twain that I love: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” Cliché as this may sound, the money you spend on travel, is an investment in yourself. Travel doesn’t make you feel as bad for spending money.
Operating a flight is challenging on so many different levels, largely because of all the different people involved.
On the one hand, there are factors that are under the direct control of the carrier, such as aircraft turnarounds between flights, passenger punctuality, technical and crew performance, etc.
On the other hand, there are perhaps even more factors that are outside of the airline’s control, such as weather, air traffic control, security, airport conditions, etc.
The reality is such that so long as airplanes continue flying, flight delays will be a part of the experience. According to the Bureau of Statistics, about 20% of all flights are delayed by 15 minutes or more.
(During our airline ratings case study, we found that it’s closer to 24.30%)
Let’s start with the 15 most frequent reasons for those delays.
The most common reasons for flight delays
1. Air Traffic Control (ATC) restrictions
Since the 80’s, air passenger traffic has grown from half a billion to well over three billion passengers a year.
That is a lot of airplanes in the skies carrying a lot of people at any given point. And most of this traffic is concentrated around just a handful of hubs, such as London, Paris and New York.
Longer flights also come with more restrictions and regulations, with airlines often changing their routes at the last minute due to weather and jet streams. The latter gets even more complicated because of airlines’ effort to be cost effective and optimize their fuel efficiency.
Infrastructure is another issue:
Certain areas of the world do not get the same radar coverage as Europe or the United States, for example. This forces air traffic regulators to require larger periods of time between take offs and landings to ensure safety, which easily turns into a chain reaction if one or more flights are delayed.
In case you’re wondering, when your flight was delayed or cancelled due to air traffic restrictions, you are not eligible to compensation, since the decision has to be respected by the airline. It’s part of the extraordinary circumstances clause under EC261/2004 Regulation, which exonerates them from liability.
2. Adverse weather conditions
Different airports have different standards when it comes to delays caused by adverse weather conditions, usually determined by national regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the US, for example.
Adverse weather conditions are often cited as one of the main reasons for flight delays, however they are not as common as most people think. That is because even if the weather does not appear to be optimal, it is not a given that the flight cannot be operated on time.
When we speak of adverse weather conditions impacting the performance of a flight, we’re mostly speaking of extreme weather conditions – i.e. tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, etc – which typically account for only about 6% of all flight delays.
What this means in practice is that even though airlines often cite bad weather as the reason for a delay, that is more often than not, not the actual reason.
It’s also why you could be entitled to a compensation even if the airline told you that the flight was delayed due to bad weather.
In order to determine if weather was indeed the reason for a flight delay, we look at something called METAR reports. The latter are a format of reporting weather information used in aviation. These reports contain various information, including temperature, dew point, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover, visibility and barometric pressure.
The information is encoded and needs to be decoded and analyzed in order to understand whether or not a flight could have been operated on time. That’s why passengers let Service take care of their claim: we have the technical expertise to check whether your flight was facing adverse weather conditions or not, and the legal team that can make the argument when the airline isn’t cooperating.
Sometimes, a flight can be delayed as a result of a collision between an aircraft and an airborne animal (usually a bird).
In aviation, these events are called “bird strikes”, or more rarely “bird hits”.
Unlike what you may expect, they are not that rare an occurrence: there are on average about 13,000 bird strikes per year in the US alone.
Most of these strikes happen during takeoff and landing. While they typically cause little damage, they are nevertheless regarded as a security threat.
Why do bird strikes cause flight delays?
Security protocol requires airlines to perform a particular set of procedures following a bird strike, which may impact its on-time performance. This may result in what’s called a “rotational delay” or a “knock-on effect”, which we’ll look into next.
When it comes to EC261 claims for compensation, while the European Court of Justice deemed bird strikes as extraordinary circumstances in which no compensation is due, the airline cannot deny a claim without proving that it did all within its control to reduce the impact on subsequent flights.
4. Knock-on effect due to a delayed aircraft
A knock-on effect is the main cause for what’s also known as rotational delay – i.e. when a flight is delayed because of the late arrival of an aircraft.
Since airlines are optimizing the utilization of their fleet, it is not uncommon that your flight may be delayed because the aircraft which is supposed to operate your flight has been delayed on its previous route.
It is important to specify, however, that knock-on effects do not automatically exonerate the carrier from liability to pay compensation under EC261/2004.
A claim can be denied on grounds of knock-on effect delay only if the delay was caused by what’s considered an extraordinary circumstance and the effect of the disruption cannot be extrapolated indefinitely, but is capped at 24h post the original event.
Too complicated? To put it simply:
If you’re flying on Friday on an aircraft which was operating a flight on Monday and happen to experience a bird strike, which affected the entire schedule going forward, the airline cannot cite the knock-on effect as a reason to reject your claim.
5. Strikes
Just like in most industries, airline staff can decide to go on strike to leverage labor power and enter into negotiations with their employer.
The impact of these strikes can be minimal just like it can completely cripple the business and cause enormous expenses to the airline.
For example, in September 2019, British Airways pilots decided to go on a 48 hour strike, which affected hundreds of thousands of passengers. To many, these strikes are ill-understood and unleash a wave of discontent (and rightly so) among affected passengers.
However, if one was to consider the dynamics of an industry which relies almost entirely on a workforce of specialists, it becomes clearer that staff does have a considerable amount of negotiation power.
At first sight, a strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance and no compensation is due if your flight has been affected. That being said, there are certain exceptions, which need to be considered. If a flight does not fall within the immediate strike period, but is disrupted, then the carrier cannot invoke the extraordinary circumstances clause and must honor your claim.
6. Waiting for connecting passengers
In certain cases, the airline may slightly delay the flight in order to board connecting passengers.
As a general rule of thumb, carriers will not wait for connecting passengers. However, they seem to approach this on a case by case basis.
For example, if there aren’t other passengers who will be impacted and won’t miss their connection, or if the connecting passengers’ bags have been already loaded and unloading them will take longer than the anticipated wait time for them to board, then the first officer may decide to wait for them.
Other circumstances which may lead a flight to wait for connecting passengers is if their slot time has been pushed back and will end up being delayed anyway.
7. Waiting for connecting bags
When passengers having one or multiple connections are traveling with checked-in luggage, it must also be transferred onto their next flight. In some cases this may be the reason for a minor flight delay as ground handling will require a bit more time transferring the luggage.
Just like the case of waiting for connecting passengers, this will be treated on a case by case basis. That being said, it is highly unlikely that a flight will be delayed several hours because ground handling is transferring luggage.
8. Waiting for cargo
Commercial airlines are not only carrying passengers and their luggage. In fact, cargo makes up between 5 and 10% of their total revenue.
One of the most common examples is the US Postal Service which leases cargo space on 15,000 out of the 25,000 commercial passenger flights. Hence, a flight can sometimes be delayed because of the late arrival of freight.
Again, we’re probably not talking about a major delay of 4 hours being caused by delayed cargo, but it isn’t uncommon for a small deviation from schedule to be the result of just that.
9. Waiting for crew
Typically, a flight cannot take off if it doesn’t meet the required number of crew, which is somewhere around one flight attendant per 50 seats. In fact, passengers cannot begin boarding, unless that requirement has been met.
As a result, your flight can be delayed if the crew hasn’t arrived yet (which is not that uncommon).
For flights departing from an airline’s hub or typically out of a busy airport, such as Paris or London, however, this is not that common, as the airline probably has crew on staff. In certain other situations, however, there’s a chance that the crew may be arriving from another destination, and if that flight is delayed, so will be the crew.
It is not impossible for a flight to be delayed by several hours if the crew is late. As these situations fall within the carrier’s control, passengers are entitled to claim compensation.
Regulations are set in place to ensure that members of the crew, meaning pilots and flight attendants, are well rested before the flight. Sometimes the crew may max out their hours because of scheduling difficulties or a rotational delay (a flight, which was delayed because of the late arrival of a previous flight).
In these situations, unless the airline can replace the crew, there’s a good chance that the plane will be grounded.
Just like in the previous case, these circumstances fall within the carrier’s control (i.e. ensuring the appropriate scheduling, having crew on stand-by, etc) and do not exonerate them from liability. Hence, according to EC261/2004 if your flight has been delayed because the crew maxed out its hours, then you are entitled to compensation.
Another less known reason which may cause the delay of a flight is waiting for catering. The latter does not only include food, but also utensils, service ware, hygienic and miscellaneous items for assisting passengers.
All of the above are managed by an airline catering agent, which is responsible for all aspects of catering line operations, such as loading and unloading equipment and supplies, driving large catering trucks, managing inventory, etc. Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts involved and things sometimes don’t go as planned, which may cause an additional delay.
Again, just like in the previous paragraphs, if that is the case, the airline cannot be exonerated from liability even if catering is managed by a third party service provider and must pay compensation if the flight falls within EC261/2004 Regulation.
12. Getting security clearance
The list of things that need to happen before the engines of an aircraft are even turned on is long. In summary, some of the major events that take place are:
The pilots prepare the aircraft for take off
Crew closes the doors and Air Traffic Control (ATC) is contacted
ATC will either immediately or after some time give clearance for pushback and startup
ATC specifies the taxiway, however, pilots stay clear of runway
Finally, ATC clears to enter runway and the aircraft begins takeoff
Needless to say, there are a lot of things that have gone in preparation for each and every step and that will determine whether or not the aircraft can take off on time. For example, airline dispatch and operations control will decide and plan the route, which the aircraft will take, considering the weather conditions, fuel capacity, passenger load, etc.
These security requirements are split between factors, which are within the airlines control and those who aren’t. That may have an impact on whether or not the delay of the flight would qualify under EC261/2004 for compensation.
13. Preparing the aircraft
The preparation for take off of your aircraft begins as soon as it lands. Some of the main activities are :
Hooking up the aircraft to a ground power system so there’s power to power the AC
Loading the catering and disposing of used galley carts
Cleaning the toilets and the entire aircraft
Refueling
Preparing for pushback
Boarding
Once again, there are a lot of things that can delay the preparation of the aircraft, and consequently, its take off on time. Something as simple as not having the aircraft cleaned on time because of lack of staff, could have an impact on the boarding time, which can result in a flight missing its slot, etc.
It is rather rare (but not impossible) for a flight to be delayed by several hours because of issues surrounding preparation.
14. Fixing a mechanical issue
Aircrafts are subject to very strict technical maintenance and rightly so. It is not uncommon for a flight to be delayed because of a technical issue which requires immediate attention.
While this does sound scary, most of the time it poses no risk to passengers and is relatively easy to repair.
Some of the most common issues that occur before take off are related to:
Aircraft parking issues
Problems with the water draining system during winter
Contamination of the air conditioning system
Issues with the engine fan blades
Fuel contamination
Again, these may sound scarier than they actually are.
When it comes to flight delays caused by a technical malfunction which requires immediate attention, the EC261/2004 Regulation is clear that passengers are entitled to compensation.
Similarly, the Department of Transportation in the US also states that a technical issue, even if it is extraordinary, does not exonerate the carrier from liability.
Every airplane has something called maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), which is the combined weight of cargo, passengers and their luggage, fuel, catering, etc. If an airplane exceeds that weight, it cannot take off.
What’s even more interesting is that this isn’t a constant number – it depends on things like atmospheric conditions and elevation. So an aircraft taking off at sea level will have a different MTOW than an aircraft taking off at a higher altitude.
This is yet another reason for a delay, or even worse – a boarding denial. Luckily, just like the technical issue, it does not qualify as extraordinary circumstances and the airline must pay compensation.
Other (less frequent) causes of flight delays
16. Problems with the coffee machine
This may come as a bit of a surprise, but coffee machines on board of aircrafts are quite different than the ones we’re used to in our daily lives. They are made in a way which allows water to boil properly even at high altitudes and the electric circuit is only compatible with that of an airplane.
The Federal Aviation Administration in the US and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency require coffee makers to have safety features to prevent fires caused by electrical malfunctions. Should a coffee maker go out of order, then much like the technical issues which we previously mentioned, it must be fixed before take off.
Unfortunately for you, this sort of delay is considered to be the responsibility of a third party, not the airline. As a result, you won’t be compensated for arriving late.
17. Waiting for turtles to clear the runway
This is an actual reason. No joke.
JFK airport in New York will occasionally become the private passage for turtles which are headed to lay their eggs in Jamaica bay. In 2016, for example, the Port Authority of New York reported that over 500 turtles have been carried off the JFK runways and returned to their natural habitat.
While it isn’t clear what attracts the turtles to the airport runways, some scientists believe that it has to do with the sand surrounding the airport, which is at a natural elevation above the tide, and therefore a safe place to lay eggs.
Needless to say, there’s no compensation in such cases, but it makes one hell of a story.
18. Passengers going nuts
Here we’re referring to the infamous nutgate incident, also known as “nut rage incident”, which took place on a Korean Air flight at JFK airport a few years back.
In a nutshell (pun intended), Korean Air Vice President was travelling in first class when peanuts were served in their original packaging instead of a plate. The horror, right?
Apparently, this caused the VP of the airline to lose her cool and assault one of the crew members, which resulted in a 12 month prison sentence for obstructing aviation safety.
It is not uncommon for unruly passengers to interfere with the normal operations of a flight, in which case no compensation can be claimed as the latter are considered circumstances outside of airline’s control.
19. There is a French person on board
Similarly to the previous point, the French can be a handful (full disclaimer: I’m French, I can say that).
Luckily, being a famous actor does not absolve one from the rules. After embarking for his flight to Dublin, one of France’s most prominent actors, Gerard Depardieu felt the sudden urge to relieve himself. With the seatbelt sign on and right before take off, he was naturally denied access to the restroom.
Mr. Depardieu’s course of action from that point on involved a bottle and a not so elegant relief. This resulted in grounding the airplane for an extra 2 hours.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the airline’s responsibility: the passengers were not eligible to compensation, although they arrived late at their final destination and most likely – in distress.
20. There is a criminal on board
Don’t freak out, but if you’re reading this at the airport, the guy next to you may be involved in illegal business and wanted by the police. Granted, you’re probably more likely to win the lottery. Hopefully.
But this is true, though:
During a flight from Washington to Beijing, the plane had to turn back around so that the FBI could apprehend a kidnapper.
Again, if that happens to you, you’re probably one of the unluckiest people on earth. I would not go out when there’s thunder if I were you.
How to find the real reason your flight was delayed
Start by asking information to the airport staff. It is your right to know why you won’t be departing on time.
If you’re likely to reach your destination 3 hours late, or miss your connection because of the delay, you can even ask a flight delay certificate as proof. This will come in handy when you claim a compensation for delayed flight.
The problem?
Information provided by the airport staff isn’t always accurate.
Worse: the airline sometimes lie about the cause of the delay to avoid paying compensation.
Do some research on your own to find out if other planes were delayed at your departure airport, and if there were delays at the arrival airport, or if your flight was an isolated case.
The problem, this time, is that it might be hard to find access to this kind of information.
If your flight was delayed, you can entrust your compensation claim to Service:
we have the tools to determine the real reason of your delayed flight
we automatically file a claim when we detect the reservation of a delayed flight in your inbox
the average traveler saves $300 on average with Service
We’ve already mentioned some of the best live flight trackers but here’s a summary:
Flight tracker for US flights
Several tools exist to help you determine why your US flight is delayed. One of them is Flightview: it lets you track your flight or a specific route to know your flight status.
The FAA also has this cool map that lets you visualize flight delays across the US, by providing an overview of conditions in US airports.
Flight tracker in Europe
There are no equivalent to the FAA’s map in Europe. The best option is to track your flight from the airline or the airport’s website.
Depending on the reason for the delay, you may or may not get compensated
No matter the reason for your flight delay, it will put your journey on hold.
But at least, if it’s the airline’s responsibility, you might be able to turn this bad experience into something a bit more positive.
Flight delayed because of coronavirus? Unfortunately, you won’t be eligible for compensation. Take a look at those guides to know more about travelling in COVID times:
