Flights delayed and cancelled at short notice
We do our very best to always get you to your destination reliably and on time. However, air traffic disruptions can still occur, your departure gate may change, your flight may be delayed or may even have to be cancelled.
Rapid assistance if my flight is delayed or cancelled
If this happens, we will inform you about any flight changes via email, text or the Austrian App and rebook you automatically as required. Please ensure that you have stored your current contact details in My Bookings.
If you have booked your ticket with a tour operator or a travel agent, you can also contact the tour operator or travel agent directly.
Last-minute rebookings
Was your flight cancelled at short notice? You can use our Chat Assistant to find out if you are already rebooked, or choose an alternative flight yourself and make the rebooking free of charge.
Rapid assistance with your ticket refund
Was your flight changed or cancelled? You can use our Chat Assistant to arrange a refund for your ticket quickly and easily.
Alternative transport by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
If your Austrian flight had to be cancelled at short notice and we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative flight, you can convert your flight ticket into a rail ticket for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) on certain routes free of charge.
Baggage transfer in the event of flight cancellations
We will arrange your baggage transfer if you are rebooked to another flight. We will endeavour to arrange for your baggage to be returned to you quickly if your flight is cancelled at short notice and you are travelling onwards by train. Please refer to the display boards and announcements for further information.
Passenger rights
If your flight was cancelled or experienced significant delay, or if you were denied boarding on a flight for which you had a confirmed booking, as a passenger you are entitled to rights under Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004.
Compensation for delayed and cancelled flights
You may be entitled to compensation if your flight was delayed or cancelled or your baggage arrived late.
Meal vouchers
You are entitled to a meal voucher if your flight is delayed for two hours or more, if it is cancelled or if you are denied boarding. The voucher is now automatically linked to the QR code on the boarding pass of the flight affected.
Reimbursement of costs for an overnight hotel stay
If your departure is postponed to the following day, we will arrange your hotel accommodation.
Up to date with the app
Stay well informed from booking to arrival: the Austrian App will assist you along every step of your journey.
In the event of flight delays or cancellations at short notice, you will find the most important information and direct help in the app.
Frequently asked questions and answers
Austrian Airlines will proactively and automatically book you free of charge on an alternative flight to the same destination and in the same travel class. In some cases, Austrian Airlines may not be able to rebook you proactively on an alternative flight. If this is the case, you can select an alternative yourself. This is also possible if Austrian Airlines has automatically booked an alternative flight which does not fit your plans. You can use the Austrian Chat Assistant to find out if you are already automatically rebooked, or select an alternative flight yourself and make the rebooking free of charge. Another option is to go to "My Bookings" to retrieve and manage your bookings.
If you have booked your ticket with a tour operator or a travel agent, it may not be possible to rebook your flight directly. In this case, please contact your tour operator or travel agent.
If your flight operated by Austrian Airlines has been cancelled, you can get a refund for your ticket. You can use the Austrian Chat Assistant to check the refund amount and process the refund. Alternatively, you can use the link below to request a refund for your ticket.
If you booked your ticket with a tour operator or a travel agent, we recommend you contact them directly.
If you have already submitted your refund by phone or email, please do not request the refund again, as this may cause a delay in the processing of your request.
If your ticket has not been used, the ticket price including all taxes and fees will be refunded to the original method of payment.
If you have already used one or more segments of your itinerary, the unused portion of the fare value, taxes and fees will be calculated, and the ticket refunded accordingly on a pro rata basis.
If your flight is delayed by two hours or more, cancelled or denied boarding, you will receive a meal voucher. You can redeem this voucher in numerous restaurants at the airport. You’ll find an overview of the participating restaurants here:
This means you no longer need to go to the service counter in person to pick up your meal voucher. Please note that only the boarding pass for the affected flight can be used as a meal voucher. We will also inform you about your voucher and its value by email, text or push notification in your Austrian App.
We will cover the costs of a room at a three-star hotel including food and drink and transfers to and from the hotel. You will find the right accommodation quickly via our partner Booking.com.
Please send us the following documents and information using our contact form:
- your hotel, transport and food and drink receipts
- your boarding pass or passenger receipt
- your bank details (IBAN and BIC)
If there are no alternative flights or the flights can no longer be booked, you can travel to certain destinations by train instead of flying. On request, you will be given a train voucher for rail travel to destinations within Austria (e.g. Linz or Graz) at one of our Service Centers. You can find a summary of all rail connections on the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) website.
