Cancelled flight on a business trip: what to do

A cancelled flight on a business trip is rarely just a scheduling problem. A client meeting may fall through, the hotel night can turn into a no-show charge, the rental car sits unused and the traveler spends hours at the airport trying to understand the options. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes makes a real difference to the cost and the outcome of the trip.

At ArrowTur, which has managed corporate travel since 1989, we handle cancellations every week, caused by weather, operational issues or airline schedule changes. Below is what the traveler should do at the airport, which rights Brazil’s civil aviation authority, ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil), sets out for domestic and international flights operated under Brazilian rules, and what the company needs to organize so the setback does not become a loss.

First step: understand the cancellation and the alternatives

As soon as the notice arrives, by app, e-mail, text message or on the airport board, the traveler should confirm three things: whether the flight has actually been cancelled (not just delayed), the reason given by the airline and which alternatives are being offered. Taking a photo of the board or saving the message helps later, both for the expense report and for any complaint.

Next, it pays to look for a solution through more than one channel at the same time. While the traveler waits in line at the counter, the travel agency can search for other flights, including on other airlines, and hold a seat before availability runs out. On days with mass cancellations, whoever decides first usually gets the best times.

Passenger rights when a flight is cancelled

The rules are in ANAC Resolution No. 400/2016, updated in 2026. When a flight is cancelled, the airline must let the passenger choose between:

• Rebooking: on another flight, operated by the same or another airline, to the same destination at the first opportunity, or on a flight of the same airline on a date and time convenient for the passenger.
• Full refund: of the amount paid for that segment, including the boarding fee.
• Another means of transport: when available, the trip can be completed by other means, such as a bus or van.

If the cancellation is scheduled, that is, decided by the airline in advance, the passenger must be notified at least 72 hours before the flight. When notice comes later than that, or when the schedule change is significant, the passenger can also choose between rebooking and a full refund.

For the company, the choice is not only the traveler’s. Before accepting a refund and buying a new ticket independently, for example, it is worth talking to the agency: rebooking through the airline is often cheaper and faster than a last-minute purchase.

Care and assistance while waiting

Besides the travel alternative, the airline must provide material assistance based on the waiting time: meals from 2 hours and accommodation, with round-trip transport, from 4 hours when an overnight stay is needed. This assistance applies even when the cancellation is caused by bad weather.

Since October 26, 2026, under ANAC Resolution No. 813/2026, airlines may, in exceptional situations, offer reimbursement of documented expenses instead of providing the assistance directly. That is why travelers should always ask for assistance at the counter first and keep every receipt for anything they have to pay. We explain these changes in detail in the article on the new ANAC rules linked below.

What the traveler should do, step by step

• Notify the agency or the travel manager right away, even before reaching the counter, so the search for alternatives starts in parallel.
• Do not abandon the return segment. If the traveler skips the outbound flight and solves the trip independently, the airline may cancel the return. The agency needs to know what was done to protect the rest of the ticket.
• Ask for material assistance at the counter and keep receipts for any expense paid.
• Check the new booking before leaving the counter: flight number, time, connections, seat and whether checked baggage was transferred to the new flight.
• Tell whoever is waiting at the destination: the client, the transfer driver, the hotel and the car rental company.
• Keep a record of everything: time of the notice, the agent’s name, case numbers and messages received.

What the company needs to organize

A cancellation affects several services at once. On the company side, or the agency that manages its travel, the main points are:

• Hotel: if the traveler will not arrive on the planned date, the booking must be changed or cancelled within the hotel’s deadline to avoid a no-show charge.
• Car and transfer: rescheduling the car pickup and the driver’s time avoids charges for waiting or unused bookings.
• Schedule: decide quickly whether the meeting will be postponed, held online or kept with a later arrival.
• Extra costs: define who approves a new ticket or an extra hotel night outside business hours, so the traveler is not stuck waiting for an answer.
• Expense reporting: record the reason for the extra cost and follow up on refunds owed by the airline.

These rules are simpler when they are already written into the travel policy. A paragraph on disruptions, with spending limits and who decides after hours, saves calls and arguments at the most stressful moment of the trip.

How to reduce the impact before it happens

Not every cancellation can be avoided, but the damage can be limited:

• For important commitments, choose early-morning flights: if the first one is cancelled, there are still options on the same day.
• Avoid very short connections on trips with a tight schedule.
• Consider more flexible fares for trips with a high risk of change.
• Keep the traveler’s mobile number and e-mail correct in the booking, since notices arrive through these channels.
• Have the agency’s service contact saved on the traveler’s phone.

Cancelled flights with ArrowTur

When a flight is cancelled, our team follows the situation with the traveler: we look for rebooking options on the same airline and others, adjust hotel, car and transfer, explain the assistance the traveler is entitled to and record the costs for the expense report. We work Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Brasília time), with an emergency on-call service outside those hours, because cancellations often happen overnight or at weekends.

Learn more about our corporate travel management and talk to our sales team on WhatsApp, by phone at +55 11 5189-4120 or through our contact page.

Official sources: ANAC Resolution No. 400/2016 (English version) and ANAC passenger guidance (in Portuguese).

Read also: New ANAC rules for delayed and cancelled flights in Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

Does the airline have to put me on another airline’s flight?

Rebooking can be on the airline’s own flight or another carrier’s flight to the same destination, at the first opportunity. In practice, ask for this option at the counter when it gets you to your destination sooner.

Does a flight cancelled due to bad weather give a right to assistance?

Yes. Meals, accommodation and transport, depending on the waiting time, are still owed when the cancellation is weather-related. Compensation for damages is a separate matter, assessed on its own.

Who pays for the extra hotel night when a flight is cancelled?

If an overnight stay is needed, the airline must offer accommodation from 4 hours of waiting. If the traveler pays independently in an exceptional situation, they should keep the receipts to request reimbursement.