You are either at TIA already or still at home. Either way, your mind goes blank for a second if your flight is cancelled.
This happens to thousands of Nepali travelers every year. Weather, technical issues, Gulf airspace problems, airline scheduling, cancellations come from everywhere. The difference between a traveler who recovers quickly and one who loses money and time is simply knowing what to do if your flight is cancelled before it actually happens.
This guide tells you all the process and guide that you should follow if your flight is cancelled.
What to Do If Your Flight Is Cancelled at the Airport Right Now
Step 1: Do Not Leave the Terminal
This is the most important thing to know about what to do if your flight is cancelled. Stay inside the airport and do not go home.
We had a client this year who got his Qatar Airways cancellation notification while he was in the taxi heading to TIA. He turned around, went home, and called the airline from his sofa. By the time he reached someone on the phone, all rebooking seats for the next two days were gone. He waited three days for the next available flight.
If he had gone to TIA directly, he would have been at the counter before the rush. Airline agents at the desk have tools the phone line does not have. They can endorse your ticket to a partner airline, issue a new boarding pass on a different carrier, and hand you meal or hotel vouchers on the spot. These things are much harder to arrange once you have walked out.
Step 2: Go Straight to the Airline’s Counter
Do not sit and wait for an announcement if your flight is cancelled. Go to the airline desk immediately. Tell the agent:
- Your full name and booking reference number
- That your flight has been cancelled
- That you want to be rebooked on the next available flight to your destination
- If no flight is available today, ask for a meal voucher and hotel accommodation
Be polite but be clear. The agents help the people who ask directly. The people sitting quietly in the corner waiting for someone to come to them often get nothing.
Step 3: Ask for Meal Vouchers and Hotel Stay
For extended delays and cancellations, airlines must provide care including meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation if overnight, and communication facilities.
Most Nepali travelers do not know this. They sit hungry at TIA for six hours because no one offered anything and they did not ask. Ask the agent directly: “My flight is cancelled. I need a meal voucher. If the next flight is tomorrow, I need hotel accommodation.”
Step 4: Keep Every Receipt From This Moment
If your flight is cancelled anytime you have to keep every receipt, like food, taxi, hotel, and phone calls to the airline. Take a photo of each receipt on your phone as a backup copy.
These expenses may be recoverable from the airline or your travel insurer. You cannot claim back money you have no proof of spending.
Step 5: Get a Written Cancellation Confirmation
Before you leave the counter, ask the airline to give you a written statement confirming the flight was cancelled by the airline and not by you. This one piece of paper speeds up your refund claim and travel insurance claim enormously. Without it, both processes become a long argument.
What Are Your Rights When Your Flight Is Cancelled in Nepal?
Most Nepali travelers lose money simply because they do not know they have rights. Here is what the law says and what you have to to do if your flight is cancelled.
You Are Legally Entitled to a Full Refund
If an airline cancels a flight, passengers are legally entitled to a full refund, free rebooking, or alternative flight arrangements. Airlines cannot force passengers to accept vouchers instead of refunds unless the passenger agrees voluntarily.
If the airline offers you a travel credit and you want real money back, say no to the voucher. Ask for a cash refund to your original payment method. You are allowed to do this.
Even on non-refundable tickets, unused airport taxes are usually refundable. Even if you bought the cheapest possible fare, you still get back at least the tax portion when the airline cancels.
Nepal’s Consumer Protection Law Covers You
Air passengers are consumers under Nepal’s Consumer Protection Act 2075. Misleading refund policies or refusal to refund may result in penalties for airlines.
You are not just a booking number. Airlines operating in Nepal have legal obligations to you. If an airline refuses to refund a cancelled flight, they are violating consumer protection law.
Force Majeure Does Not Remove Your Refund Right
Some airline agents tell passengers that weather or political situations mean the airline owes them nothing. This is not true.
Force majeure does not remove your right to a refund on a cancelled flight. It may remove the airline’s obligation to pay fixed additional compensation, but the ticket refund itself remains non-negotiable under all major aviation frameworks.
The airline may avoid paying extra compensation due to extraordinary circumstances. But they cannot keep your ticket money. That refund right stays.
How to Get a Refund for a Cancelled Flight from Nepal in 2026
For Nepal Airlines Cancelled Flights
Nepal Airlines issued an official full refund notice on April 1, 2026.
Nepal Airlines confirmed full refunds are available with no charge for cancelled flights. All refund and no-show fees are waived for tickets affected by the Gulf route situation. Claims are processed through the airline’s head office or authorised sales offices. The international ticketing call centre numbers are +977-1-5718539, 5718542, and 5718543.
The Kathmandu to Doha sector continues to be affected by rolling cancellations through late April 2026. The Dubai and Dammam routes, which were paused in February 2026, have since resumed normal operations. If you have a Nepal Airlines ticket to Doha right now, call before you go to the airport.
For Other International Airlines
Follow these steps in order:
- Log into the airline’s website or app and go to “Manage Booking”
- Find the cancelled flight and select “Request Refund”
- Do not click “Cancel and Rebook” unless you actually want to rebook, not refund
- If the refund button is greyed out or only shows a voucher, call the airline’s refund department directly and say: “I am requesting an involuntary refund under applicable aviation law. The airline cancelled this flight.”
- If the airline still refuses, file a complaint with CAAN
For Domestic Flights: Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Shree Airlines
The normal cancellation charge is 10% of the airfare when the passenger cancels. However, if the airline cancels the flight due to weather or other reasons, the fare is fully refundable.
One thing you need to know about domestic flights in Nepal: airlines often do not officially declare a domestic cancellation until 1 or 2 PM on the day of the flight, even when they knew since morning. This is frustrating but it is the reality. Call the airline from early morning if the weather looks uncertain. Do not just show up at the airport hoping for the best.
What If the Airline Refuses to Refund Your Money?
File a Complaint With CAAN
If your flight is cancelled and the passenger feels that their rights have been violated or they have not been adequately compensated for a cancelled flight, they can file a complaint with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
CAAN is the aviation regulatory authority in Nepal. Airlines take CAAN complaints seriously because it directly affects their operating licenses. You can file a complaint online through the CAAN website or visit their office in Kathmandu.
Use a Credit Card Chargeback
Using a credit card for travel bookings gives you easier dispute resolution. If you paid by credit card and the airline refuses to refund, contact your bank and request a chargeback. Explain that the service was not delivered because the airline cancelled the flight. Most Nepali banks now process chargeback requests. It takes 2 to 4 weeks but it works.
Contact Your IATA Travel Agent
If your flight is cancelled and you booked through a travel agency like SewaTravel, contact them immediately. IATA-accredited agents have direct access to airline GDS systems that regular passengers do not. They can process involuntary refunds faster and escalate cases with airlines far more effectively than you can alone.
Tips to Protect Yourself Before a Flight Cancellation Happens
The best time to prepare for what to do if your flight is cancelled is before you ever need to know.
- Always buy travel insurance for international flights. A good policy covers cancellation costs, hotel while stranded, and alternative transport.
- Save the airline’s customer service number in your phone before your travel day, not after the problem starts.
- Book connecting flights with at least 3 hours between them. A 1-hour connection is a disaster if the first leg runs even slightly late.
- Screenshot your booking confirmation and save it offline on your phone. TIA’s WiFi is unreliable and you need your booking reference number immediately when a problem happens.
- If you are flying Gulf routes right now in 2026, check your airline’s official notice page the morning of departure. The Nepal Airlines Doha route has seen seven rolling cancellations since mid-April.
- Register your correct phone number and email when booking. Cancellation notifications come by SMS and email. If your contact details are wrong, you will be the last person to find out your flight is cancelled.
- Choose refundable or semi-flexible fares when the price difference is small. Paying Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 extra for a refundable fare is worth it when a cancellation happens.
Book Your Flight With SewaTravel
Now you know exactly what to do if your flight is cancelled. But having the right travel partner from the start makes every part of this easier.
Contact SewaTravel to book your next flight. They are an IATA-approved travel company helping Nepali travelers with flight bookings, cancellations, refund claims, and rebooking on all major international and domestic routes from Nepal. When your flight is cancelled, an IATA-accredited agent gets you priority access to airline systems, faster rebooking, and professional support that most travelers simply cannot access alone.
