Disruption
What To Do When Your Flight Is Delayed
Delays are the most common travel problem, and most of them are short. The difficulty is that a delay often hides a second problem behind it, usually a connection or a hotel check in that no longer lines up. This guide walks through what is worth checking in the first thirty minutes, and what can safely wait.
Reviewed by the Flight Air Service editorial team. Last updated February 11, 2026.
1. Confirm the delay from more than one place
Screens in the terminal are not always the fastest source. The airline app, the airline website and the airport website can each update at different moments, and gate staff sometimes know about a change before it is published anywhere.
If the three sources disagree, treat the airline's own record as the one that matters for your ticket, because that is the record used when anything is rebooked.
2. Work out what the delay actually breaks
A ninety minute delay on a direct flight is an inconvenience. The same delay on the first leg of a two leg itinerary can be a missed connection, and that is a different conversation.
Check the connection time you originally had. If the remaining gap is under the minimum connection time for that airport, assume you will need help and start asking early rather than waiting to land and find out.
- Onward flight and how much buffer is left
- Ground transport or a train booked for a fixed time
- Hotel arrival policy for late check in
- Anything time sensitive at the destination, like a cruise departure
3. Ask early, and ask politely
Queues grow quickly once a delay is announced. If you think your itinerary is at risk, join the queue while you also try the app or the phone line. Whichever gets to a person first, you have not lost anything.
Being specific helps. Saying "my connection at 18:40 no longer works, what alternatives are there tonight" gets a faster answer than asking whether the flight is delayed.
4. Keep your own record
Take a photo of the departure board with your flight visible, save the delay notification, and note the times you spoke to someone. If you later need to make a claim through the airline or your insurer, that small amount of evidence saves a lot of back and forth.
Keep receipts for anything you spend during the wait. Whether they are reimbursable depends entirely on the airline, the route and the reason for the delay, so do not assume either way.
5. Decide whether to wait or change
Sometimes the best option is simply to wait. A delay that keeps moving in fifteen minute increments is frustrating but often still faster than a rerouting with two extra stops.
If the delay is open ended, or the reason given suggests a longer problem such as a crew or aircraft availability issue, it is reasonable to ask what else is available and to compare before committing.
Quick checklist
- Screenshot the delay notice and departure board
- Check your connection buffer against the airport minimum
- Contact the airline while queueing, not instead of queueing
- Save receipts, do not assume they will be covered
- Tell anyone meeting you as soon as the delay is confirmed
Next step
If the delay has already cost you a connection, the next steps are slightly different.
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