Stay with the aircraft or in the designated waiting area, follow instructions from the crew and authorities, and ask airline staff what happens next. A delay or diversion alone does not establish that there is a security threat; diversions can also result from weather, airport or runway conditions, and other unforeseen circumstances.
What to do first
- Listen and wait for instructions. While aboard or at the gate, follow directions from the crew, airline staff, and airport authorities. Do not leave the aircraft, secure area, or designated waiting location unless officials direct you to or immediate safety requires it. Ask for clarification when it is safe.
- Ask airline staff for the next steps. Find out what they can share about the disruption, when the next update is expected, whether the flight may continue, and what will happen to checked bags and connections. Avoid repeating unverified reports about an active incident.
- Monitor the airline’s channels. Check the airline’s app, email, and text messages for flight-specific updates. The FAA advises travelers to get updates from their airline and the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends watching airline notifications when schedules change.
- Speak up about urgent needs. Tell airline or airport staff promptly if you have an urgent medical or accessibility need, or face an immediate safety concern. For immediate danger, follow crew, airport security, or local emergency officials rather than waiting for a routine customer-service response.
- Keep records and receipts. Save your boarding pass, itinerary, airline messages, and receipts for expenses related to the disruption. Ask the airline what rebooking, meals, lodging, transport, or refund options it offers, and whether expenses need advance approval. Check with the carrier or insurer about the documents it requires.
What a diversion does—and does not—tell you
A diversion means the flight has been directed to land somewhere other than its planned destination; it does not, by itself, reveal why. The FAA lists varied operational reasons, including weather, airport or runway conditions, and other unforeseen circumstances. During a live event, rely on official instructions and confirmed airline updates rather than trying to infer a cause from the diversion.
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What assistance or refunds you may be entitled to
There is no universal entitlement based solely on a flight being delayed or diverted. The applicable rules can depend on the route and jurisdiction, whether the flight is delayed, cancelled, or diverted, the circumstances and cause, how long the disruption lasts, whether you accept alternate travel, and the airline’s commitments or coverage under local passenger-rights rules.
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Under the DOT’s refund guidance, a traveler who rejects an airline’s alternative transportation and does not fly may be entitled to a refund when a flight is significantly changed or delayed, subject to the rules on that page. A traveler who takes the significantly changed or delayed flight is not entitled to a refund under those DOT rules. Meals, lodging, and other assistance may depend on the circumstances and the airline’s commitments. Check the current DOT guidance and your carrier’s policy before assuming an expense will be covered.
#1 Best Overall
- COMPLETE 100-PIECE EMERGENCY KIT: Stay prepared for cuts, scrapes, burns, sprains, and outdoor emergencies with essential medical supplies packed into one compact first aid kit for home, travel, camping, hiking, and boating.
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United Kingdom
The UK passenger-rights guide describes care during significant delays, which can include meals and refreshments, communication, and overnight accommodation when needed. Eligibility depends on the journey and delay. For a specific Heathrow disruption, the UK Civil Aviation Authority says that when UK passenger-rights legislation covers the flight, the airline should provide onward transport to Heathrow after a diversion and care while passengers wait. That incident-specific guidance should not be treated as a rule for every diversion; different rights may apply to airlines outside the relevant coverage.
Other countries and routes
Rules vary by location, route, ticket, carrier, and event details. Ask the airline what it will provide, then check the aviation consumer or regulator authority for the departure or arrival jurisdiction.
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Where to raise a complaint in the United States
Use the channel that matches the problem. The FAA’s reporting guide directs aviation safety concerns to the FAA, security concerns such as passenger or baggage screening to the TSA, and airline-service issues to the DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. For many service complaints, the DOT recommends contacting the airline first; if the issue is not resolved, that page explains how to submit a DOT complaint. These are complaint routes, not substitutes for following official instructions during an active incident.
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