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Flight delayed or cancelled? What the airlines and the ACCC say

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General information only, not legal advice. What you're entitled to depends on your booking, the airline, the cause of the disruption and the law that applies. The ACCC doesn't resolve individual complaints or give legal advice.

Your flight's been pushed back, or it's gone altogether. Here's what Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar say on their own pages, and what the ACCC says your consumer rights are, as at 5 November 2026. If an airline cancelled a cheap or error fare you booked, see Error fare cancelled? Your rights explained as well.

1. Your consumer rights come first

The ACCC says flights come with consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, including that the service will be provided within a reasonable time. These apply to travel within Australia, to flights by international businesses departing Australia, and to flights to Australia booked through a provider's Australian website, whether you booked direct, through a travel agent or through a booking site. ACCC

Whether a delay or cancellation breaks that guarantee depends on how long the delay is, what caused it, whether you were moved to another flight, and when that flight is. If the replacement isn't within a reasonable time, the ACCC says the airline must give you your choice of a different replacement or a refund. ACCC

A few more things the ACCC says:

  • There's no set definition of "reasonable time". The ACCC doesn't decide it; a court or tribunal does.
  • Booked your own replacement? If you had to book with another airline because yours had no reasonable replacement flights, you may have a right to be reimbursed by the original airline for the cost of that flight.
  • When the guarantees may not help: if you change your mind or miss the flight for reasons unrelated to the service (like arriving late), or if a third party stops the airline flying (the ACCC's example is government travel restrictions during COVID-19). Then your booking terms generally decide what you get.
  • Airline policies are on top. An airline's compensation policy can't take away your consumer guarantee rights.
  • Flight times aren't guaranteed in conditions of carriage, but airlines still have to meet the reasonable-time guarantee.

2. Qantas

Qantas says it will contact you through the Qantas App, email and SMS with updated flight details. If Qantas cancels your flight, it says it will rebook you on the next available flight to your destination where possible, at no extra cost, or you can choose a refund if you no longer want to travel. For delays, depending on the circumstances, it may offer help such as meals, transport or accommodation under its Compensation and Refunds Policy. Qantas

Also on that page:

  • If Qantas cancels your flight, you can apply online for a refund of additions such as seats and extra baggage.
  • If you booked through a travel agent or third-party site, contact them first. If your flight is changed within 72 hours of departure, contact your local Qantas office.
  • Connecting Qantas flights in the same booking get an alternative recommended; connections on a separate booking or another airline are handled differently.

3. Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia says that for delayed, rescheduled and cancelled flights you can choose to rebook on the next available Virgin Australia flight at no extra cost, request a travel credit, or apply for a refund if eligible. Virgin Australia

If you're away from home and the disruption is within Virgin's control, it says it will help with accommodation, meals and transfers. For events outside its control, like severe weather, it says it will help you rebook but accommodation may not be provided. Virgin also says:

  • If you're delayed two or more hours at the airport, you can claim reasonable meal costs for the delay where Virgin doesn't give you meal vouchers.
  • You may be able to claim reasonable expenses under its Guest Compensation Policy, so keep every receipt.
  • If a paid seat selection can't be honoured because of a disruption, it will refund the seat fee.
  • Booked through an agent? Some changes, credits and refunds may need to go through them.

4. Jetstar

Jetstar says that if a delay or cancellation within 72 hours of departure changes your departure time by three hours or more, it will rebook you on the next available Jetstar flight that's acceptable to you, without charge, or you may be entitled to a refund. Jetstar

What else Jetstar offers depends on the cause:

  • Within Jetstar's control (its examples: engineering issues, Jetstar IT outages, crew or staffing issues): a meal voucher for delays of 3+ hours, and if you're away from your home airport overnight, accommodation and transfers, or reimbursement of reasonable costs with receipts.
  • Outside Jetstar's control (its examples: weather, air traffic control, third-party industrial action, security issues): for delays of 3+ hours, a credit voucher for the value of your flight, if you don't travel because it can't rebook you on a flight acceptable to you and the purpose of your trip is void.

Jetstar says you're entitled to a refund if it makes a change of three hours or more for a reason within its control, and it also says you may have further rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Jetstar

5. What to do on the day

  1. Keep your contact details current in your booking so disruption messages reach you.
  2. Check your options in the app or Manage booking before joining a long queue.
  3. Write down what happened: the delay, the reason you were given, and what was offered.
  4. Keep receipts for any meals, transport or accommodation you pay for.
  5. Ask for it in writing if you're not sure what you're entitled to.
  6. Not sorted? The ACCC's first step is to contact the airline and explain the problem. If you booked through an agent, check their terms too. Its page lists further steps if that doesn't fix it.

Key takeaways

  • Consumer guarantees apply automatically, and airline policies sit on top of them.
  • What you get often depends on whether the cause was within the airline's control.
  • Rebooking, credit or refund: the options depend on the airline and the cause, so read them before accepting.
  • Keep records and receipts.

We don't list fares here, because they change all the time. Check the airline's own website for current fares and conditions.

Sources (checked 5 Nov 2026, Melbourne time)

Not confirmed

  • We didn't open Qantas's full Compensation and Refunds Policy or Virgin's full Guest Compensation Policy today, so this guide only reports what their disruption pages say.
  • The federal government has introduced aviation consumer protection bills. We haven't confirmed whether or when they take effect, so they're not covered here.

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