Rory lived abroad in several countries as a travel guidebook writer for more than 10 years. He edits Which? Travel magazine, and our online travel journalism.
Despite alarming headlines about flight cancellations due to jet fuel shortages, UK flights are almost all operating as normal and will continue to do so for the next few months.
There are some flight cancellations in Europe. Lufthansa and KLM cancelled flights, but these were only a small number across their networks. Crucially, these cancellations are not because of a jet fuel shortage, but the rising cost of jet fuel. The airlines decided that it was too expensive to run these flights.
Of course, whether the flight is cancelled because of a jet fuel shortage or high jet fuel prices adds up to the same thing for passengers. But it does make a difference in terms of the scale of cancellations. Airlines are choosing to cancel a few flights to protect profits, not because they have run out of fuel.
Carriers may cancel more flights if jet fuel prices remain high, which they will while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. But these cancellations will be limited, occur on a rolling basis and be targeted at routes with multiple flights a day so passengers can be rebooked.
Unless the situation significantly worsens and leads to a genuine shortage of jet fuel, most flights in Europe this summer will continue as normal.
This headline number came from the International Energy Agency, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Different European countries and airlines have access to different amounts of fuel, so it’s impossible to predict when your flight might be affected. More crucial is how well the airline ‘hedged’ its fuel. That means how much fuel they bought when it was cheap.
Many carriers buy fuel in advance for many months and therefore are not exposed to current high prices. Airlines that need to buy a lot of fuel now are more likely to cancel flights.
You’ll see headlines about budget airlines hedging a lot of their fuel, which is true. But it’s impossible to accurately assess which airlines are in the best position in terms of fuel, as this information is not publicly available
Two types of routes are more likely to be cancelled. Most cancellations will be on routes where airlines have multiple flights a day. For example, if an airline had four flights between London Luton and Barcelona each day, it might reduce that to three. This is usually the least disruptive option, as most passengers can still fly the same day.
It won’t work perfectly. Sometimes there will be too many passengers to rebook on flights the same day, meaning passengers must be booked for the next day instead. And for those on a short break or attending a wedding, birthday or celebration, a change in departure time can ruin their trip.
Long-haul flights that don’t make much money for the airline are also at risk of being cancelled because of the high fuel cost. It’s difficult to predict which routes will be affected, but typically these flights are cancelled a long way in advance.
If you're going to book a flight, book with a UK or EU carrier. This gives you better rights and protections. UK and EU airlines (or any carrier departing from a UK or EU airport) must still get you to your destination if the flight is cancelled, unless you prefer a refund.
Crucially, this includes a legal requirement to get you to your destination at the ‘earliest opportunity’. So if your flight is cancelled and the airline can’t rebook you on its own flights for a day or two, but another carrier has seats the same day, it is required to reroute you – in theory (see below).
If you're delayed for a long time (usually two to three hours, or four hours for long-distance flights), the airline is also required to provide or pay for food. If you're stuck overnight, you should be provided hotel accommodation.
It’s unlikely passengers will be able to claim compensation for cancellations, as fuel shortages may constitute extraordinary circumstances (ie out of the airline’s control). Although there are limits to the circumstances under which airlines can claim 'extraordinary circumstances'. They may not be able to claim extraordinary circumstances for knock-on disruptions to other flights because of a cancellation, for example.
Unless you booked a package holiday, or the hotel has a flexible cancellation policy, you probably won’t get your money back for any missed accommodation nights.
We explain your full rights if your flight is cancelled.
Most airlines ignore rules on rerouting. It may say it only rebooks on its own flights or ‘partner airlines’. While this is a breach of the rules, it can be impossible to get them to follow the law.
You can rebook yourself on alternative airlines and claim the money back, but this can take time – several months of chasing. It’s crucial you first ask your airline to rebook you (and keep evidence of doing so, for example, screenshotting emails or chats with the airline). Only when it refuses, or you can’t get in touch with it, should you buy flights yourself. Book in the same class, and be aware that it can be difficult to claim back for extras, including luggage costs.
Some airlines also regularly ignore the rules about providing food and hotel stays. It can be impossible to even find or contact the airline during times of significant disruption. If you have attempted to contact the airline and can’t, or it simply refuses to provide food or a hotel, buy your own, and you will be able to claim back. Hotel and food expenses should be reasonable, so a pub or café meal rather than Michelin establishments and three-star or four-star hotels.
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Package holidays offer the best protection against flight disruption because the package travel regulations make the tour operator responsible for the whole trip. You still have the same rerouting rights as any other passenger if your flight is cancelled, but if you are significantly delayed (usually more than 12 hours) or you are given no option to get to your destination, the protections in the package travel regulations are useful.
The tour operator should extend your stay or offer you an alternative holiday, and if it can’t, it will need to refund you in full for the whole holiday.
Good tour operators also tend to take better care of customers than airlines – they are easier to get in touch with and more proactive in fixing problems.
Yes. UK holiday firms can add up to 8% to the cost of your package holiday because of a significant rise in fuel costs, without giving you the right to free cancellation. We asked the UK’s 10 biggest holiday companies if they intend to surcharge customers for summer 2026 and got a mixed response.
All Which? Recommended Provider tour operators have guaranteed that they will not surcharge, no matter the situation.
