The most common airline excuses
(and why they don’t hold up)

Why do airlines try to avoid paying compensation?

Before looking at the most common excuses, it’s important to understand the context. Every year, airlines are required to pay millions of euros in compensation for flight delays and cancellations.

• Minimise their responsibility by attributing disruptions to “extraordinary circumstances”.
• Provide vague or incomplete information.
• Discourage passengers from submitting claims.
• Offer vouchers instead of cash compensation.

Being aware of the most common excuses will help you recognise them and assert your rights.
Below are the 10 most common airline excuses (and why they’re not valid).

1. "The delay was due to extraordinary circumstances"

The excuse:
The airline broadly claims that the delay or cancellation was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” without providing specific details.

Why it’s often not valid:
EU Regulation EC 261/2004 recognises extraordinary circumstances only when events are unpredictable, unavoidable, and outside the airline’s control, such as:

• Extreme weather conditions that make the flight impossible
• Political instability or security risks
• Air traffic control strikes (not airline staff strikes)
• Serious medical emergencies on board

The airline must prove that it did everything reasonably possible to avoid the disruption. A generic statement is not sufficient.

What to do:
Always ask for specific details about the alleged extraordinary circumstance and request documentation that proves it.

2. "Bad weather caused the delay"

The excuse:
Due to adverse weather conditions, the flight was delayed or cancelled.

Why it’s often not valid:
Not all weather conditions qualify as extraordinary circumstances. You should check whether:

• Was the bad weather local or widespread? If only your flight was cancelled while others departed normally from the same airport, the excuse doesn’t hold up.
• Was the weather foreseeable? Morning fog in winter or afternoon thunderstorms in summer are predictable events that airlines are expected to manage.
• Was the weather actually severe? Verify the real weather conditions using tools such as FlightRadar24 or official meteorological services.

What to do:
Document the actual weather conditions and check whether other flights departed as scheduled. If the weather was foreseeable or manageable, you are entitled to compensation.

3. "Unexpected technical problems"

The excuse:
The aircraft suffered an unexpected technical failure that required urgent repairs for safety reasons.

Why it’s often not valid:
Technical issues are generally the airline’s responsibility, as it must ensure proper maintenance of its fleet. Only in exceptional cases — such as a hidden manufacturing defect identified by the manufacturer — can they be considered extraordinary circumstances.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that:
• Routine maintenance is the airline’s responsibility.
• Failures caused by normal wear and tear are not extraordinary circumstances.
• The airline must have contingency plans in place (such as spare aircraft).

What to do:
Ask for the specific nature of the technical issue. If it involves routine maintenance or foreseeable faults, you are entitled to compensation.

4. "Knock-on delay from a previous flight"

The excuse:
Your flight is delayed because the aircraft was coming from a previous flight that was already delayed.

Why it’s often not valid:
This is known as a "knock-on effect" or "rotational delay". Under European regulations:

• The airline is responsible for operational planning.
• It must have contingency plans to manage knock-on delays.
• The initial delay may not qualify as an extraordinary circumstance.

What to do:
Ask what caused the initial delay. If that cause was not a valid extraordinary circumstance, you are entitled to compensation for your flight as well.

5. "The delay was caused by a staff strike"

The excuse:
The flight was cancelled due to a strike.

Why it’s often not valid:
It depends on who is striking:

• Air traffic control strike → Valid extraordinary circumstance
• Airport security staff strike → Valid extraordinary circumstance
• Airline pilots or cabin crew strike → NOT an extraordinary circumstance
• Airline ground staff strike → NOT an extraordinary circumstance

Strikes involving the airline’s own staff are considered foreseeable and manageable.

What to do:
Check who is on strike. If it’s the airline’s own personnel, you are entitled to compensation.

6. "Overbooking was necessary for operational reasons"

The excuse:
We had to overbook the flight to optimise aircraft occupancy.

Why it’s not valid:
Overbooking is a deliberate commercial practice of the airline, not an extraordinary circumstance. If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, you are always entitled to:

• Compensation from £220 to £520 (depending on the distance).
• Assistance (meals, drinks, hotel if necessary).
• A ticket refund or an alternative flight.

What to do:
In cases of overbooking, compensation is guaranteed. Don’t accept excuses.

7. "The delay was due to security reasons"

The excuse:
The delay was caused by additional security checks required by the authorities.

Why it may not be valid:
It depends on the nature of the checks. If they were imposed due to a specific and unforeseen threat, they may qualify as extraordinary circumstances. However, if the checks are part of standard or predictable procedures, the airline remains responsible.

• Extraordinary security checks due to specific threats → Valid circumstance
• Routine checks or delays caused by poor organisation → NOT valid

What to do:
Ask for specific documentation explaining the reason for the security checks. If they were routine procedures, you are entitled to compensation.

8. "The delay was caused by a disruptive passenger on board"

The excuse:
The flight was delayed due to a passenger causing disturbances on board.

Why it may not be valid:
This can be considered an extraordinary circumstance only if it was unpredictable and unavoidable. However, airlines must have procedures to manage such situations without causing significant delays.

What to do:
Assess the situation on a case-by-case basis. If the delay was disproportionate to the incident, you may still be entitled to compensation.

9. "The delay was caused by waiting for connecting passengers or luggage"

The excuse:
We waited for passengers arriving on a connecting flight.

Why it is NOT valid:
This is an operational decision made by the airline, not an extraordinary circumstance. The airline chooses to wait for commercial reasons.

What to do:
If your flight was delayed for this reason, you are entitled to compensation.

10. "Since we offered you a voucher, you’re not entitled to anything else"

The excuse:
We’ve already given you a voucher or discount, so you’re not entitled to any further compensation.

Why it is NOT valid:
A voucher does not replace the cash compensation provided under EU Regulation EC 261/2004. Airlines cannot force passengers to accept vouchers instead of monetary compensation.

You always have the right to:
• Refuse the voucher
• Request cash compensation
• Receive both if the voucher was offered voluntarily by the airline

What to do:
Do not accept vouchers as the only form of compensation. Always request monetary compensation if you are entitled to it.

To protect yourself from unfounded airline excuses, it’s important to follow a few key steps. First of all, gather evidence such as your boarding pass and booking confirmation, screenshots of scheduled and actual departure and arrival times, communications from the airline, photos and videos taken at the airport, and real weather conditions from reliable sources.

Secondly, ask for detailed explanations and don’t settle for generic answers. Request the specific cause of the delay or cancellation, documentation proving the alleged extraordinary circumstance, and information on what the airline did to prevent or minimise the disruption.

It’s also essential to know your rights. EU Regulation EC 261/2004 states that you are entitled to compensation when:

• Your flight arrives at the final destination more than 3 hours late
• Your flight is cancelled without at least 14 days’ notice
• You are denied boarding against your will
• You miss a connection due to a delay

In addition, don’t be intimidated. Airlines rely on the fact that many passengers are unaware of their rights, give up after the first rejection, or accept vouchers instead of cash. Be persistent and claim what you are entitled to.

Finally, if the airline refuses compensation or provides unfounded excuses, you can turn to professionals. Specialised services like ReFly can assess your case for free, handle the entire process on your behalf, communicate with the airline, and secure your compensation with no upfront costs.

When are airline excuses actually valid?

For completeness, here are the situations in which the airline is not required to pay compensation:
• Documented extreme weather conditions that make the flight impossible.
• Air traffic control strikes.
• Political instability, security risks, or decisions by authorities.
• Serious medical emergencies on board.
• Hidden manufacturing defects reported by the manufacturer.
• Airspace closures for security reasons.

Even in these cases, however, the airline must still provide assistance, including meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation if necessary. It must also offer you the choice between a ticket refund or an alternative flight, and prove that it did everything reasonably possible to minimise the disruption. In conclusion, don’t accept unfounded excuses.

Don’t let an invalid excuse stop you from receiving up to £520 in compensation!

Have you experienced a delay or a cancellation and received a questionable excuse from the airline?
Check now if you’re entitled to compensation with ReFly!
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