Your rights when flying to Europe

Europe (and the UK) have strong protections for flyers in the case of delayed or cancelled flights. However very few people are aware of these, and airlines will almost always try to wriggle out of paying up.Even travel agents are often unaware of these laws, or unwilling to fight the airline for you.Given the rollercoaster that flying to/from Israel has been in the last 3 years, I've had my share of experience forcing airlines to pay up what they owe, so I thought it might be valuable turning that into a post.These regulations are enshrined in EU 261. You can see the full text here, and equally importantly the interpretive guidelines here that cover many edge cases.TLDRWhen flying into or out of the EU or UK, consider booking a flight with an EU or UK based airline.Don't book a car/hotel with the airline, as that turns it into a package deal which has weaker rights.Preserve records of all interactions with the airline. Prefer text based chat to phone as this is easier to records. If you do phone, and get a negative answer, follow up with a text based chat to preserve a record.Airlines are required to find you an alternative flight Under Comparable Conditions if they cancel your flight. If they don't, you can book one yourself and claim a refund.If you book an alternative flight, keep all receipts and boarding passes to prove you actually took the flight.Then ask the airline for a refund, quoting EU 261.If they refuse, or offer a partial refund, go to arbitration. You will win.Airlines are required to pay you compensation if they cancel or delay your flight at short notice (2 weeks) without sufficient justification. If they refuse to pay up, go to arbitration. Which flights do these laws apply to?Any flights departing an EU, EEA, or UK airport, regardless of airline.Flights with an EU, EEA, or UK based airline arriving into an EU, EEA, or UK airport.So they apply to a Delta flight from Paris to New York, and to a Lufthansa flight from Dubai to London, but not a Delt