Flight delayed or cancelled in Australia? What you can claim

Australian law doesn't set a fixed dollar amount for a delayed or cancelled flight the way Canada does. Your main protection is the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which requires services, including flights, to be provided within a reasonable time. If an airline fails that test, you may be entitled to a replacement flight or a refund. Airlines' own compensation policies, which may cover meals or a hotel, sit on top of those rights and can't take them away.

This guide explains how the reasonable-time test works, when it doesn't apply, what changes are coming, and how to put your request in writing.

Which flights the rights cover

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the national consumer regulator, says these basic consumer rights apply to:

• travel within Australia

• travel provided by international businesses departing Australia

• travel to Australia from overseas, if booked through the provider's Australian website

They apply whether you booked directly with the airline, through a travel agent, or on a booking platform.

The reasonable-time test

There is no single definition of a reasonable time. According to the ACCC, whether a delay or cancellation breaches the test depends on:

• the length of the delay

• the cause of the delay or cancellation

• whether the airline moved you to another flight

• when that replacement flight leaves

If the replacement isn't within a reasonable time, the airline must give you your choice of a different replacement or a refund. If the airline had no reasonable replacement and you had to book with another airline, you may have a right to be reimbursed for that new ticket.

The ACCC doesn't decide what is reasonable in a particular case. That is a matter for a court or tribunal. Relevant factors can include the purpose of your trip and how often the airline normally flies the route.

When the rights don't apply

According to the ACCC, an airline doesn't have to give a replacement or refund under these rules if:

• you changed your mind, or missed the flight for reasons unrelated to the service, such as arriving late

• a third party's actions stopped the airline from flying, for example government travel restrictions

In those cases, what you get usually depends on the terms and conditions of your booking. If you booked through an agent, check both the agent's terms and the airline's.

Airline compensation policies

Most airlines operating in Australia publish a compensation policy. It sets out what the airline may provide for a delay or cancellation, such as meals or accommodation, and often depends on the cause. The ACCC says airlines should be proactive and truthful about the reason for a delay, and should tell you what you may be entitled to under both their policy and the consumer law.

An airline's conditions of carriage don't promise exact flight times. They can't remove your consumer law rights either.

What is changing

The federal government introduced the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026 to Parliament in April 2026. The proposed framework includes:

• an Aviation Consumer Protections Charter setting minimum standards for airlines and airports, including treatment during delays and cancellations, refunds, baggage and complaint handling

• an Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme to resolve individual complaints that airlines and airports don't

• an Aviation Consumer Protection Authority to enforce the Charter

As of early October 2026, the Department of Infrastructure says the ombuds scheme is not yet legislated and is expected to begin in 2026 or 2027. An interim ombudsperson is in place but has no formal power to resolve or investigate complaints. Until the new scheme starts, use the existing complaint channels below.

Example: reading a cancellation notice

Sample email, Northgate Airways (synthetic):

We're sorry, flight NA 618 Sydney to Melbourne on Friday 11 April at 07:30 has been cancelled due to an operational requirement. You have been moved to NA 640 departing 19:45. Alternatively, you may hold your fare as a credit for future travel.

What to notice:

• The replacement leaves more than 12 hours later. Whether that is reasonable depends on the circumstances, such as why you were travelling and whether earlier flights were available.

• "Operational requirement" doesn't say what happened. Ask for the specific cause, because it can affect both the consumer law test and the airline's policy.

• The notice offers a credit but doesn't mention a refund. If the replacement isn't within a reasonable time, you can choose a refund instead.

How to ask for a refund or replacement

1. Keep the evidence. The original booking, every notice, the app screens and any receipts.

2. Note the timeline. Original departure time, replacement offered, and why the timing matters to you, such as a wedding, a connection or a work start date.

3. Check two documents. The airline's compensation policy and its consumer law page. In 2018, Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tigerair gave the ACCC court-enforceable undertakings that included publishing a page explaining these rights.

4. Write to the airline. Give your booking reference, say the replacement isn't within a reasonable time under the Australian Consumer Law, and state what you want: a refund, a different flight, or reimbursement for a flight you booked yourself. Ask for the specific cause.

5. Ask for a reference number. Then ask for internal review if you're not satisfied.

6. Escalate. For Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin, you can contact the Airline Customer Advocate after you've complained to the airline. For possible consumer law breaches, contact your state or territory consumer protection agency, such as NSW Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs Victoria. A state or territory tribunal is the last step.

The ACCC doesn't resolve individual complaints, but you can report a business you think is misleading people about their rights.

Questions to ask the airline

• What was the specific cause of the delay or cancellation?

• Is there an earlier flight, including on a partner airline?

• If I decline the replacement, will you refund me to my original payment method?

• What does your compensation policy offer for this situation?

• Will you reimburse meals, accommodation or transport I paid for?

Get your airline notice explained

EasyToDecode is launching soon. Upload your booking and the airline's notice, and it will quote the times and stated cause, point out what's missing, such as a refund option, and draft a letter you can edit and send yourself. See how it works or join the waitlist.

Where to check

The ACCC's travel delays page explains the consumer law. The Department of Infrastructure's aviation consumer pages track the new Charter and ombuds scheme. For international trips, the Montreal Convention, an international treaty on airline liability, may also apply.