What happens if my flight gets cancelled during a round-the-world trip?

When an airline cancels your flight, that airline is responsible for getting you to your destination. Under most international aviation regulations and each airline's contract of carriage, they must rebook you on the next available flight at no additional cost. This applies whether the cancellation was within their control (mechanical issues, crew shortages) or caused by weather and operational disruptions.

The complication with RTW travel is the ripple effect. A cancelled flight from London to Nairobi might cause you to miss a separately ticketed flight from Nairobi to Mumbai three days later. The first airline only covers getting you to Nairobi. Everything downstream is on you, unless you have travel insurance or your AirTreks consultant can restructure the route.

Call AirTreks as soon as you learn about the cancellation. Your consultant has access to all the airlines on your itinerary and can coordinate across carriers to minimize disruption. Sometimes that means rebooking a later segment to give you breathing room. Sometimes it means rerouting you through a different connection city entirely. We do this regularly and we're good at it.

At the airport, get in the rebooking line but also call the airline directly. Phone agents often have more rebooking options than gate agents. If you're flying business class, use the airline's premium customer service line for faster response.

Travel insurance with trip interruption coverage is essential for RTW trips. A good policy covers hotel costs during delays, rebooking fees on downstream flights, and meals during extended waits. For a trip with 6 to 10 flights across multiple airlines, the chances of at least one disruption are significant. Budget $150 to $300 for a comprehensive policy and consider it a required cost, not an optional one.