When travel plans go wrong, one of the first questions passengers ask is: can I rebook my flight? The answer is usually yes — but whether it is free, how long you have, and whether you can claim compensation depends on why you are rebooking.

There are two very different situations:

1. The airline disrupted your flight — for example, it was cancelled, heavily delayed, or you were denied boarding.

2. You changed your plans — for example, you picked the wrong date, missed your flight, or no longer want to travel.

This guide explains how to rebook a flight, what it can cost, what to do if you miss your flight, and the airline-specific rules for British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Emirates and American Airlines.

What does rebooking mean?

Rebooking means changing an existing flight booking to a different flight, date, route or time.

Sometimes the airline rebooks you automatically after a cancellation or missed connection. Other times, you request the change yourself through the airline’s website, app, customer service team or airport desk.

The most important thing to know is this:

If the airline caused the disruption, you may have legal rights to a free alternative flight, refund, care while you wait, and sometimes compensation. If you simply want to change your plans, the airline’s fare rules decide what happens.

Can you rebook you flight?

Yes, in most cases you can rebook your flight — but the cost depends on your ticket type and the reason for the change.

If the airline cancels your flight, you should usually be offered a free rebooking or refund. If you voluntarily change your plans, you may need to pay a change fee and any fare difference.

Flexible tickets are usually easier to change. Basic, saver or low-cost fares often have stricter rules.

How much does it cost to rebook a flight?

So, how much does it cost to rebook a flight? It depends on the airline, fare type, route and timing.

Typical costs may include:

A common mistake is assuming that “free changes” means the new flight is free. Often, it only means the airline waives the change fee — you may still have to pay the fare difference.

How to rebook your flight

Here’s how to rebook flight tickets in the fastest and safest way:

1. Check whether the airline disrupted your flight

Start by asking: was the flight cancelled, delayed, overbooked or changed by the airline?

If yes, you may be protected by UK261 or EU261. These passenger rights laws can give you the choice between a refund or rerouting, depending on the flight and route.

If no, you are making a voluntary change, which means fees and fare differences may apply.

2. Go to the airline’s “Manage Booking” section

Most airlines let you rebook online. You will usually need your booking reference and surname.

This is often the easiest route for:

• Changing the date or time

• Switching to another flight on the same airline

• Checking fare difference

• Cancelling and rebooking, where allowed

3. Compare the new fare before confirming

Even when there is no rebooking fee, you may still need to pay the difference if the new flight is more expensive.

If the new flight is cheaper, many airlines do not refund the difference unless your fare rules specifically allow it.

4. Speak to the airline if your flight was cancelled

If your flight was cancelled, do not accept the first option without checking whether it actually works for you.

You can usually choose between:

• A refund

• Rebooking at the earliest opportunity

• Rebooking at a later date, subject to seat availability

If the airline’s next flight is much later, ask whether they can rebook you on a partner airline, competitor airline or alternative transport.

5. Keep proof of everything

Save:

• Boarding passes

• Cancellation notices

• Emails and app notifications

• Receipts for meals, hotels and transport

• Screenshots of alternative flights

• Written reason for the disruption, if available

This can help if you later claim expenses or compensation.

Can you cancel a flight and rebook — or rebook if you miss the flight?

Yes, you can often cancel a flight and rebook or rebook a missed flight, but whether you can do it for free depends on why you need to change your plans and what type of ticket you bought.

If you decide not to travel, cancelling and rebooking may be straightforward if you have a refundable or flexible fare. But if you booked a basic or non-refundable ticket, cancelling could mean losing most — or even all — of the ticket value. In those cases, rebooking usually means paying a change fee, any fare difference, or buying a completely new ticket.

If you miss your flight, the rules are usually stricter. In most cases, airlines treat a missed flight as a no-show if you do not tell them in advance. That can mean:

• you lose the value of the ticket

• you may have to buy a new flight

• your return or onward flights could be affected

• a rebooking fee and fare difference may apply

So, if you miss a flight, can you rebook for free? Usually not — unless your fare includes flexibility or the airline agrees to help as a goodwill gesture. Some airlines may still allow you to move to a later flight if you contact them quickly, especially if you arrive at the airport shortly after departure.

There is one important exception: if you miss a connecting flight because your first flight was delayed and both flights were on the same booking, the airline should usually rebook you to your final destination at no extra cost.

It’s also worth knowing that some airlines are more flexible than others when you need to cancel soon after booking. British Airways, for example, offers a 24-hour cancellation option on many bookings made directly with the airline, which can help if you booked the wrong flight by mistake. But this is an airline policy — not a general UK legal right. In the UK and Europe, there is no universal 24-hour cooling-off period for flight bookings, and low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet generally have stricter cancellation and missed-flight rules.

Can you rebook a cancelled flight?

Yes — if your airline cancels your flight, you should usually be given the option to rebook at no extra cost.

Under UK261 and EU261, a cancelled flight doesn’t just leave you with a refund option. In most cases, the airline must offer you a choice between:

• a full refund for the unused part of your ticket

• rerouting at the earliest opportunity to your final destination

• rerouting at a later date that suits you, subject to seat availability

So if you’re wondering can you rebook a cancelled flight, the answer is generally yes — and if the cancellation is covered by passenger rights rules, the replacement flight should not cost you extra.

If you choose to be rerouted, the airline may put you on another flight with the same carrier, a partner airline, or in some cases an alternative route that still gets you to your destination. And if the next available flight is not until the next day, the airline may also have to cover reasonable care costs such as meals, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel.

Can you claim compensation when rebooking a cancelled flight?

Rebooking after a cancellation does not automatically cancel your right to compensation. In some cases, you can still claim money on top of the replacement flight.

You may be entitled to cancelled flight compensation when rebooking if:

• your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure

• the replacement flight got you to your destination significantly later than originally planned

• the cancellation was caused by something within the airline’s control, such as technical problems or crew shortages

• your journey is covered by UK261 or EU261

In the UK, compensation under UK261 can be worth up to £520 per passenger, depending on the flight distance and how late you arrived at your final destination after being rebooked.

It’s important to remember that not every cancellation leads to compensation. If the airline can prove the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances — such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions — compensation may not be due. But even then, you should still be offered the choice between a refund and rebooking, and the airline may still owe you care while you wait.

Airline-specific rebooking rules

British Airways rebooking flights

British Airways may let you change certain bookings online, but some changes require calling customer support. If BA cannot offer a suitable alternative after a cancellation, ask about other rerouting options.

BA also offers a 24-hour cancellation option for many bookings made directly with the airline, which can be useful if you notice an error soon after booking.

easyJet rebooking

easyJet lets passengers change flight dates, times and destinations online or via the app, usually up to two hours before departure. For voluntary changes, expect a change fee and fare difference unless your fare includes extra flexibility.

Ryanair rebooking

Ryanair allows flight changes online up to 2.5 hours before the scheduled departure time of the original or new flight, whichever is earlier.

Voluntary changes normally involve a per-person, per-flight change fee plus any fare difference. Ryanair also has a short grace period for correcting minor booking errors or route mistakes, but this is not the same as a general free cancellation right.

Aer Lingus rebooking

Aer Lingus allows flight changes depending on fare type. You may need to pay a change fee, any fare difference, or service fees if changes are made through customer support or at the airport.

If the new flight is cheaper, Aer Lingus generally does not refund the fare difference unless the fare rules allow it.

Qatar Airways rebooking

Qatar Airways lets passengers manage many booking changes online, but the exact rules depend on your fare conditions.

For voluntary changes, you may pay a rebooking penalty, fare difference, taxes or service charges. Some fares allow more flexibility than others.

Emirates rebooking

Emirates allows many passengers to change bookings online through Manage Your Booking, subject to ticket validity and fare conditions. Fare differences may apply, and some tickets may be more restrictive than others.

American Airlines rebooking

For voluntary changes, American says there is no change fee on many American-operated flights, though fare difference may still apply. Same-day changes or standby may involve fees depending on the fare and route.

Rebooking is only one part of your passenger rights

Rebooking a cancelled flight can help you continue your journey — but it’s not the only protection you may have when your travel plans are disrupted.

If your flight is cancelled, heavily delayed, or you’re denied boarding, the airline may owe you more than just another seat. Depending on what happened, you could also be entitled to a refund, care at the airport, or compensation under passenger rights laws such as UK261 and EU Regulation 261/2004.

In other words, rebooking is just one part of the picture. If your flight disruption falls within the scope of these rules, there are other situations where you may be able to claim compensation or assistance too.

These are the other types of flight disruption that may entitle you to compensation

• Flight cancellations: If your flight is cancelled, you may be entitled to a replacement flight or a full refund. In some cases, you could also claim compensation depending on how much notice you were given, the reason for the cancellation, and how late you arrived at your final destination.

• Long flight delays: If you arrive more than three hours late and the delay was the airline’s fault, you may be able to claim compensation. For longer waits at the airport, the airline may also have to provide meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation, and transport where necessary.

• Denied boarding due to overbooking: If you are refused boarding against your will because the airline sold too many seats, you could be entitled to compensation, rerouting, or a refund.

• Missed connections on the same booking: If a delay on your first flight causes you to miss a connecting flight booked under the same reservation, the airline should usually rebook you to your final destination. If the delay to your final arrival is long enough, compensation may also be possible.

• Baggage problems: Lost, delayed, or damaged luggage is covered by a different set of passenger rights rules, usually under the Montreal Convention rather than UK261 or EU261. That means you may be able to claim reimbursement for essential purchases or damaged belongings if your baggage does not arrive as it should.

Understanding these different rights matters because accepting a new flight doesn’t always mean the matter ends there. If your disruption was the airline’s responsibility, rebooking may solve the immediate travel problem — but you could still have a valid claim for compensation or reimbursement afterwards.

Frequently asked questions for rebooking flights