Refund for a cancelled flight: what you get, how fast, and what to do about vouchers
When the airline cancels your flight, Israel's Aviation Services Law generally gives you a refund of the amount you paid for the ticket, including taxes and charges, within 21 days of a written demand, or an alternative ticket, your choice. The refund is separate from the fixed compensation in the law, and it generally remains even in periods when compensation is exempt. A voucher is not something you have to accept.
₪0 upfront · a fee only if you receive compensation · 30 seconds
Full information on compensation for a cancelled flight: the amounts, the conditions and the check against the Ben Gurion board.
A refund and compensation are two different things
Israel's Aviation Services Law (Compensation and Assistance for Flight Cancellation or Change of Conditions), 2012, gives a passenger whose flight was cancelled two separate rights. Mixing them up is the most common mistake:
- Refund of the ticket price: a refund of what you paid for the ticket, including taxes and charges, or an alternative ticket to your destination, your choice. The refund is due within 21 days of a written demand.
- Fixed compensation: ₪1,530 / ₪2,450 / ₪3,670 per passenger, by flight distance (Section 6 of the law), regardless of the ticket price. It depends on when you were notified, the alternative you were offered, and the exceptions in the law.
Got a refund? Good, but that does not close the question of compensation. If you are eligible for compensation, it comes on top of the refund. It does not replace it.
Vouchers: you have the right to say no
Many airlines offer a voucher instead of money. A voucher suits the airline: the money stays with them, the voucher expires, and it comes with conditions. The law lets you choose between a cash refund and an alternative ticket. If you asked for money, a voucher does not meet the obligation.
Keep the wording simple: "I insist on a cash refund of the ticket price under the Aviation Services Law, within 21 days of this demand."
How to demand it properly: three steps
- In writing, with a date. Email the airline's customer service with your booking number and flight number. The 21 days start from the written demand.
- Keep everything. The booking confirmation, the cancellation notice, the demand you sent and every reply. This is your evidence if you need to take it further.
- Check compensation too. Before you settle the refund with the airline, check whether you are also eligible for the fixed compensation in the law. Our eligibility check is free and based on the record of the Ben Gurion flight board.
21 days have passed and no money?
If you are entitled to a refund and the airline does not pay it on time, that may be a breach of the law. At this point it is worth documenting that the deadline has passed and deciding on the next step: another demand, a complaint, or a small claims court case (you can go back 4 years). If you opened a case with us, we track this deadline automatically and tell you the next steps if the airline does not pay.
Frequently asked questions
How soon must the airline refund a cancelled flight?
Within 21 days of the date you demanded it in writing. The written demand is what starts the count, so send it early and keep a copy.
The airline is offering a voucher instead of money. Do I have to accept it?
No. The choice between a cash refund and an alternative ticket is yours, and a voucher cannot be forced on you. A voucher is usually worth less, is limited in time and conditions, and accepting it may be read as giving up your claim. If you want money, tell the airline in writing that you insist on a cash refund.
I got a refund for my ticket. Does that cancel the compensation?
No. These are two separate rights. The ticket refund returns what you paid. The fixed compensation in the law (₪1,530 / ₪2,450 / ₪3,670 per passenger, by distance) is added on top when you are eligible. An airline that answers a compensation demand with "you already got a refund" is mixing the two up.
My flight was cancelled because of the war. Is there anything to claim?
Usually yes. Even when a temporary exemption removes the fixed compensation, the right to a refund of what you paid generally remains. Assistance and the alternative ticket usually remain too, but a special order during a declared emergency may temporarily change some of those duties. If you are entitled to a refund and the airline does not pay it within the deadline, that may be a breach of the law.
I booked through a travel agency or booking site. Who owes me the refund?
Buying through an agency or a booking site does not by itself remove your rights. The duties fall on the operating airline or, where relevant, the organiser, and travel agents also have some assistance duties. Who to approach can depend on who operated, organised and sold the booking, so keep a record of every demand. If you open a case with us, we write the demand to the right party.
I cancelled the flight myself. Does this guide apply to me?
That is a different track. This guide covers a flight the airline cancelled. A cancellation by the passenger is judged by the ticket conditions and by Israel's Consumer Protection Law. In a distance sale you can usually cancel within 14 days of the booking or of receiving the disclosure document, whichever is later, as long as there are more than 7 days that are not rest days before the flight. A senior citizen (65+), a person with a disability or a new immigrant (less than 5 years in Israel) may have 4 months, if the sale included a conversation with the business (phone or video counts). The cancellation fee is at most 5% of the price or ₪100, whichever is lower, and there is no fee if you cancel because of the business's breach or a defect. The details are in the full flight cancellation guide.
This is general information, not legal advice. Actual entitlement depends on the circumstances of the flight and the evidence.
Flight cancelled? Check what you may be entitled to beyond the refund
₪0 upfront · a fee only if you receive compensation · 30 seconds
Full information on compensation for a cancelled flight: the amounts, the conditions and the check against the Ben Gurion board.
Last reviewed: · Amounts follow the official 2026 amounts-update notice. General information, not legal advice.