October Half-Term 2026: Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Your Rights Explained

October half-term is one of the busiest weeks of the autumn for UK airports. Families head to the Canaries, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and further afield for a week of late sunshine, and airlines run packed schedules over a few short days. Autumn also brings the first spells of fog, storms and strong winds, plus a run of European strike activity this year. If your half-term flight is delayed or cancelled, here's what you're entitled to and how to make sure your family gets it.

Every passenger can claim, including children

Compensation under UK261 and EU261 is paid per passenger, not per booking. That includes children and, in most cases, infants who had their own paid seat. For a family of four, a single disrupted flight can add up quickly:

• £220 / €250 per person for flights under 1,500km (for example, UK to Paris or Amsterdam)
• £350 / €400 per person for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km (for example, UK to the Canaries, Turkey or most of Spain and Portugal)
• £520 / €600 per person for flights over 3,500km delayed 4+ hours (for example, UK to Florida, Dubai or the Caribbean)

A family of four delayed 3+ hours on the way to Tenerife could be owed £1,400 in total. To qualify for delay compensation, you need to arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more late. For more detail on claiming for younger travellers, see our guide to child and infant flight compensation.

At the airport: protect your claim

• Note your arrival time. The delay is measured by when the aircraft door opens at your destination, not when you leave the gate.
• Ask for meals and refreshments. After 2 hours (shorter flights) the airline must provide food and drink, usually as vouchers. If it doesn't, buy reasonably priced food and keep the receipts.
• Ask for a hotel if you're stuck overnight. The airline must arrange accommodation and transfers if you're delayed overnight. With children, this matters, so don't leave the desk without a clear answer.
• Screenshot everything. Departure boards, app notifications, emails and any reason the airline gives for the delay.
• Don't sign away your rights. Vouchers or air miles offered at the gate are not a substitute for cash compensation if you're eligible.

Cancelled? You get a choice

If your half-term flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a choice between a full refund or rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity, including on another airline if that's the only way to get you there in reasonable time. On top of that, if you were told less than 14 days before departure, you may also be owed compensation. Our guide on cancellations with less than 14 days' notice explains the rules.

What counts as extraordinary circumstances in autumn?

Airlines often point to the weather or "operational reasons" during busy weeks. Some causes genuinely excuse compensation, and some don't:

• Usually not compensable: severe storms, dense fog that closes an airport, air traffic control strikes, and airport-wide restrictions outside the airline's control.
• Usually compensable: technical faults, crew shortages, the airline's own staff striking, knock-on delays from an earlier flight on the same aircraft, and overbooking.

Crucially, a storm on the day of your flight doesn't automatically mean your delay was caused by it. If other flights were operating normally from the same airport, the airline needs to show why yours specifically was affected. Read more in our guide to extraordinary circumstances.

Package holidays are covered too

Many half-term trips are booked as package holidays with operators such as TUI or Jet2holidays. The flight is still covered by UK261 or EU261, and compensation is claimed from the airline that operated the flight. This is separate from any rights you have against the tour operator for the rest of your holiday. See our guide to package holiday flight delays.

Which flights are covered?

• Any flight departing a UK airport, on any airline
• Any flight arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline
• Any flight departing an EU airport (covered by EU261), on any airline
• Any flight arriving in the EU on an EU airline

So your outbound flight from Manchester to Antalya is covered on any airline, and your return from Antalya to Manchester is covered if you fly with a UK or EU carrier.

You don't need to claim straight away

With children to look after, nobody wants to file a claim from the departure lounge. You don't have to. You have 6 years to claim in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland. Just keep your booking confirmation and any messages from the airline, and claim once you're home.

Start your claim

If your October half-term flight was delayed by 3 hours or more, cancelled, or you were denied boarding, check your flight with Klaimly. We claim for every passenger on your booking and deal with the airline for you. Klaimly charges a flat 5% fee, only if we win, with no VAT added and nothing to pay upfront, and the airline pays your compensation directly to you.