Travel News · 12 min read · March 10, 2026

Your holiday rights during the Iran conflict: the complete plain-English guide

UK law gives holidaymakers some of the strongest consumer protections in the world — but they don't all apply to every booking. Here is exactly what you're entitled to, and what depends on which airline you flew with.

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

Package holiday bookers have the strongest protections: if the FCDO advises against travel to your destination, you can cancel fee-free and receive a full refund within 14 days under the Package Travel Regulations 2018. For flight cancellations, UK261 guarantees refunds or rerouting for all flights departing UK airports regardless of airline, and for all UK airline flights worldwide — but flights into the UK on non-UK, non-EU airlines (such as Emirates flying Doha to London) are not automatically covered by UK law. The good news: Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have all voluntarily offered refunds and rebooking as goodwill gestures. War counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so cash compensation on top of a refund is not owed by any airline. ATOL protects you if your tour operator fails. Section 75 on credit card purchases adds a further layer. Travel insurance war exclusions are widespread — check your policy carefully.

First: which rules apply to your booking?

This is the most important question — and it's one most people don't think to ask until something goes wrong. Your rights depend on three things: how you booked, which airline you flew with, and where your flight departed from. Get this right first and everything else follows logically.

There are four separate layers of protection that can apply, and they cover different things:

• The Package Travel Regulations 2018 (PTRs) — covers package holidays if your destination becomes unsafe
• UK261 / EU261 — covers flight cancellations and delays, but only for certain airlines and routes
• ATOL — covers you if your tour operator goes bust
• Section 75 — covers credit card purchases if a supplier fails to deliver

They don't all apply to everyone. Read on to find out exactly which ones apply to you.

Package holidays: your strongest protection

Am I on a package holiday?

More people are than realise it. Under UK law, a booking is legally a "package holiday" if it combines at least two different travel services — flights, accommodation, car hire, or significant tourist services like tours — bought together for one price from one provider. If you booked flights and a hotel together through TUI, Jet2holidays, On the Beach, or even a single booking session on a travel website, you are almost certainly on a package — and the full force of UK consumer law is behind you.

What you are not on is a package if you booked your flights and accommodation completely separately, from different providers, at different times. In that case, your flight rights and accommodation rights are separate, and the package holiday protections described below do not apply.

What are my rights if FCDO advice changes?

This is where package holiday protection is genuinely powerful. Under Regulation 12(7) of the Package Travel Regulations 2018, if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at your destination — or significantly affect your ability to get there — you can cancel your package holiday before departure without paying any cancellation fee, and your operator must refund you in full within 14 days. No vouchers. No credits. Your money back.

War, serious security threats, and airspace closures all qualify as unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. And crucially, the Competition and Markets Authority has stated clearly that if the FCDO is advising against travel to your destination when you are due to leave, that is strong evidence these circumstances apply. A court case — Braithwaite v Loveholidays — has confirmed that a change in FCDO advice can be sufficient to trigger your full refund rights.

The golden rule: don't cancel early

If you cancel your package holiday before the FCDO formally changes its advice, you may be liable for cancellation fees under your contract. Your legal rights activate when the official advice changes — not when you personally start feeling worried. Wait for the FCDO trigger, then act. Bookmark gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for your destination and check it regularly.

What if my operator cancels — not me?

If your operator cancels the holiday because of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, the same applies: a full refund within 14 days. They cannot offer you vouchers instead of cash unless you voluntarily agree to accept them.

What if I'm already on holiday when things go wrong?

Your operator is responsible for getting you home. If unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances make it impossible to return you as planned, your operator must cover necessary accommodation — at an equivalent standard to your original booking — for up to three nights per traveller while they arrange your return. Keep all receipts for any additional expenses and submit them to your operator.

Is it safe to fly right now?

A destination-by-destination guide to what the FCDO is currently advising — and what it means for your holiday.

Flight cancellations and delays: UK261 and EU261 explained

What are UK261 and EU261?

UK261 is the UK's version of the EU's famous passenger rights law. After Brexit, the UK copied the EU regulation directly into British law, preserving the same protections. The two regulations are almost identical in scope and entitlements — the main difference is that UK261 pays compensation in pounds rather than euros.

What do they cover?

Both regulations cover three main types of disruption: flight cancellations, significant delays, and being denied boarding. When they apply, they entitle you to:

• A full refund of your ticket, or rerouting to your destination on the next available flight — your choice
• Duty of care while you wait: meals, refreshments, and if you're delayed overnight, a hotel and transport to it
• Cash compensation of £220 to £520 per passenger depending on flight distance — but only if the disruption was the airline's fault, not an extraordinary circumstance

That last point is critical right now: war and airspace closures are explicitly listed as extraordinary circumstances under UK261 and EU261. This means airlines do not owe you the additional cash compensation payment when cancellations are caused by the conflict. But — and this is important — the right to a refund or rerouting still applies regardless of the reason for cancellation. Your ticket money is not lost.

Duty of care always applies — even in extraordinary circumstances

Even when an airline owes you no cash compensation, it must still provide food, drinks, and where necessary a hotel and transport to it for as long as you are waiting. This duty of care applies in all circumstances, including war-related disruption. Due to the sheer volume of stranded passengers at affected airports, you may be asked to pay out of pocket and claim back — keep every single receipt.

Which flights and airlines are covered by UK261?

This is the most misunderstood part. The regulation is not just for British airlines. Coverage depends on where your flight departs from and who operates it:

The practical takeaway: if your outbound flight from the UK was on any airline — including Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad — UK261 applies to that leg. But the return leg on a Gulf carrier from Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi back to the UK falls outside UK261 if the operating airline is not UK or EU based. See the next section for what protections you do have in that situation.

Flying with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad or other non-UK/non-EU airlines?

This is the section that matters most for the hundreds of thousands of UK travellers who book with Gulf carriers. The picture is more nuanced — but not as alarming as it might first appear.

Where UK261 does and doesn't protect you

If you flew from a UK airport on Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad, UK261 applies to that outbound leg. Your cancelled or significantly delayed outbound flight entitles you to a refund or rerouting.

However, if your return flight is operated by a Gulf carrier flying into the UK from Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, and that carrier is neither a UK nor EU airline, UK261 does not legally apply to that return leg. You are not automatically entitled to the statutory protections under UK law.

What Gulf airlines are actually doing — and why it matters

Here is the genuinely reassuring part. Despite having no legal obligation under UK or EU law on those return legs, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have all voluntarily offered comprehensive passenger support:

• Emirates has offered free rebooking and full refunds for affected flights, and has been operating repatriation flights to get stranded passengers home. It has also committed to resuming up to 100% of its network as quickly as safely possible.
• Qatar Airways has offered free rebooking within 14 days or a full refund for flights affected between 28 February and 22 March, and has operated dedicated repatriation flights to major European cities including London Heathrow.
• Etihad has offered free rebooking and refunds for affected flights and resumed a limited commercial schedule, prioritising passengers with existing bookings.

These measures are goodwill gestures under the airlines' own commercial policies — not legal obligations under UK law. That distinction matters because goodwill policies can change, have deadlines, and may be harder to enforce if an airline disputes your claim. If you are in this situation, act promptly, keep written records of all communications, and escalate through the airline's formal complaints process if you are refused.

If your package holiday included a Gulf carrier flight

If your Gulf carrier flights were part of a package holiday booked through a UK operator, the Package Travel Regulations still protect you — it is your operator's responsibility to make the package work, including getting you home, regardless of which airline they used. The PTRs override the airline's individual position in this scenario.

The UAE's additional commitment

The UAE government has stated that it will cover accommodation costs for tourists stranded in the country due to the airspace closure. If you are stranded in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, contact UAE tourism authorities or your hotel directly to confirm the terms — the commitment has been widely reported, but the detail of what it covers and for how long is worth verifying for your specific situation.

ATOL: if your tour operator collapses

ATOL — the Air Travel Organiser's Licence — is a separate protection that has nothing to do with flight disruption. It protects you specifically if your UK tour operator goes out of business, either before you travel or while you're on holiday.

Every flight-inclusive package holiday sold by a UK company must by law be ATOL-protected. When you make your first payment, you should receive an ATOL certificate — this is your proof of protection and your instructions for making a claim if needed. Keep it somewhere accessible.

If your operator fails before you travel, ATOL will refund you. If your operator fails while you're abroad, ATOL will arrange for you to complete your holiday or get you home. The Civil Aviation Authority administers the scheme, funded by a £2.50 per-passenger levy that all ATOL holders pay into a trust fund.

ATOL does not cover: cancelled flights (that's UK261 or the PTRs), bad service, or holidays that go wrong for reasons other than the operator going bust. It is the backstop against company failure — nothing more, and nothing less.

To check whether your operator holds an ATOL licence, search the CAA's register at caa.co.uk/atol-protection.

The complete Iran conflict holiday guide

Everything UK travellers need to know in one place — safety, costs, destinations and rights all covered.

Travel insurance and war exclusions

The UK Foreign Office now advises against all travel to Israel and all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE. If you are already in one of these countries and unable to return home, your insurance cover will automatically extend until you can travel back to the UK at the first possible opportunity through government-approved routes, and emergency medical expenses remain covered while you arrange your return.

However, there is no cover for cancellation, curtailment, travel delay, missed departure or costs linked to rearranging trips as a result of this conflict, and no cover applies for new bookings to destinations where the FCDO is advising against travel, as this is now a known event. Customers should contact their airline for flight updates and follow the latest Foreign Office advice.

Any insured person whose travel plans are affected by this event should in the first instance contact their tour operator, airline or travel provider for assistance. Your travel provider is normally under various obligations to get you home safely on the next available flight.

If you hold a Holiday Extras travel insurance policy and have questions about your cover, please let us know with this Contact Form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Section 75: the credit card safety net

Often overlooked, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is one of the most powerful consumer protections available to UK buyers — and it applies automatically to any credit card purchase between £100 and £30,000.

Under Section 75, your credit card company is jointly and severally liable alongside the supplier. This means that if a holiday company fails to deliver what you paid for — whether because they've gone bust, cancelled your trip, or otherwise breached their contract — you can claim a full refund directly from your credit card company, not just from the supplier.

This is particularly valuable if you booked independently rather than as a package, and your airline or hotel has failed to provide a refund through normal channels. Note that Section 75 applies to credit cards, not debit cards — though debit card holders may be able to use the separate "chargeback" process through their bank, which offers similar but less legally robust protection.

One important limitation: Section 75 generally requires a direct relationship between you and the supplier. If you booked through a travel agent or third-party platform rather than directly with the airline or hotel, the position can be more complex. If in doubt, contact your credit card provider directly to explain your situation.

If you're stranded abroad right now

If you are currently in the Gulf region or another affected area and cannot get home, here is what to do — in order of priority:

• Register with the FCDO. If you are in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar or the UAE, the FCDO has asked British nationals to register their presence at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. This allows the FCDO to contact you directly with updates and to include you in evacuation planning if necessary.
• Check your airline's website directly for the latest schedule updates, repatriation flight information, and rebooking options. Do not rely on social media — go directly to the airline's official website.
• Contact your tour operator if you booked a package holiday. They have a legal obligation under the Package Travel Regulations to cover your necessary accommodation for up to three nights and to arrange your return. Keep all receipts.
• Contact your travel insurer. Let them know you are stranded and ask what emergency assistance cover your policy provides. Some policies include emergency repatriation cover that operates independently of the war exclusion clause.
• If you are in the UAE: the UAE government has stated it will cover accommodation costs for stranded tourists. Contact UAE tourism authorities or your hotel to confirm the terms.
• Keep all receipts for every additional expense — hotel nights, meals, transport, communications. You will need these for any future claim against your airline, operator or insurer.

Quick-lookup table: your rights by booking type

Use this table to find your situation quickly. Remember that multiple protections can apply at the same time — the table shows the most relevant ones for each scenario.

The bottom line

UK holidaymakers have genuinely strong legal protections — but they are not unlimited, and they do not apply equally to all bookings. The single most important thing you can do is understand exactly how you booked and which airline is operating your flights, then match that to the protections above.

Package holiday bookers are in the strongest position. Those who flew outbound on any airline from a UK airport have UK261 protection on that leg. Those returning on Gulf carriers without UK261 protection on the return leg are not without options — Emirates, Qatar and Etihad have all been offering refunds and rebooking — but the legal footing is softer and the deadlines are real.

In all cases: keep records, act promptly, use official channels, and don't accept "no" without asking the airline or operator to explain in writing exactly why your specific claim doesn't qualify.

This page is reviewed and updated regularly as the situation develops.