How to handle a flight diversion or unplanned stop

Which airline's rules apply after a diversion?

Start with the operator, not the logo on your booking confirmation. British Airways states that the General Conditions of Carriage applicable to flights booked on ba.com depend on the operator of the flight, and that for flights operated by British Airways Plc the British Airways General Conditions of Carriage apply [4]. The same page also states that for flights operated by one of its codeshare partners, the British Airways General Conditions of Carriage will apply [4]. Record the operating carrier's name and the flight number before you quote any rule to anyone [4].

American Airlines publishes its conditions of carriage alongside a customer service plan and a tarmac delay contingency plan on its customer service pages [2]. Those are the documents to ask for by name when you want the airline's written commitments [2].

Ticket type does not take you outside those policies. United's MileagePlus rules say that award tickets may be subject to the taxes, fees, tariffs, contract of carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies of the carrier on which travel is scheduled [8].

What should you do immediately after an unplanned stop?

1. Confirm the airport and the flight's next move. Ask ground staff two separate questions: where this aircraft goes next, and what has happened to your booking and any connection. Re-accommodation is handled under the policies of the carrier on which your travel is scheduled [8].
2. Name the operating carrier out loud. That single detail decides whose conditions of carriage you are reading when you ask what happens next [4].
3. Keep the whole trip in one record. United requires a member who receives benefits at booking, check-in or travel to keep the MileagePlus number on the entire reservation and on any subsequent reservations created from the original reservation, for the whole of the original and future travel [8]. After rebooking, check that the new segments still carry your number [8].
4. Ask for it in writing. Request an email or printed confirmation that names the reason you were given, the new flight numbers and the new departure times, then keep it with your ticket receipt and boarding passes; you may need that proof if you later claim credit [8].
5. Protect the connection before you leave the transit area. If the stop makes the next flight impossible, ask what the carrier's re-accommodation policy will do about it rather than cancelling segments yourself [8].
6. Keep receipts, and do not treat them as a promise. Buy only what you need and hold on to the receipts; whether any of it is recoverable is a separate question that turns on the conditions of carriage applying to your flight [4].
7. Check what the extra legs do to your status benefits. United says benefits associated with Premier status are based on the member's status at the time of travel, not when the air travel was purchased, booked or reserved [8].

How do rebooking, care and compensation differ?

They are two conversations, and mixing them is how passengers lose track of what was actually promised. Re-accommodation is about completing the journey: it is listed among the policies of the carrier on which travel is scheduled that may apply to an award ticket, alongside the contract of carriage and the ticket terms [8]. Anything beyond that depends on the conditions of carriage that apply to your flight [4].

At the desk, ask both questions separately and write down both answers. "How are you getting me to my destination, and on which flights?" is the re-accommodation question [8]. "What do your conditions of carriage say applies to this disruption?" is the other one [4].

This page does not decide whether you are owed care, a cash payment or a fixed sum. Those outcomes turn on the rules that apply to your journey, the reason for the stop and your ticket terms, so check the applicable conditions of carriage and ticket terms instead of relying on a general checklist [4] [8].

Exceptions and limits

• Codeshares. Which conditions of carriage apply depends on the operator of the flight; British Airways states that its own General Conditions of Carriage apply both to flights it operates and to flights operated by its codeshare partners when booked on ba.com [4].
• Award tickets. United's rules make award tickets subject to the operating carrier's contract of carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies [8], and awards for travel are valid only to destinations served both when the award ticket is issued and at departure; neither United nor its partners are liable for schedule changes that cancel service to a destination [8].
• Cancellations and earning. Mileage credit and Premier Qualifying Credits are not awarded for flight cancellations under United's rules [8].
• Claim windows. United requires a member's claim for mileage or Premier Qualifying Credits, with supporting proof, to reach it within twelve months of the date the credit was claimed to be earned, and notes that some partners set different retro-credit periods [8].
• What this checklist cannot settle. The amount of any care or compensation, who pays it, and how a dispute is decided all sit outside the steps above [4].

Frequently asked questions

Which conditions of carriage apply if my flight is operated by a partner airline?

It depends on the operator. British Airways states that the General Conditions of Carriage for flights booked on ba.com depend on the operator of the flight, and that for flights operated by one of its codeshare partners the British Airways General Conditions of Carriage will apply [4].

Do I still earn miles if the diverted flight ends up cancelled?

Under United's MileagePlus rules, neither mileage credit nor Premier Qualifying Credits are awarded for flight cancellations [8].

How long do I have to chase missing miles after a diversion?

United requires claims for mileage or Premier Qualifying Credits, with proof, to be received within twelve months of the date the credit was claimed to be earned, and some partners have different retro-credit periods [8].

Does an award ticket get different re-accommodation treatment?

United's rules say award tickets may be subject to the taxes, fees, tariffs, contract of carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies of the carrier on which travel is scheduled [8].

What if the diversion leads to a schedule change on an award ticket?

United's rules state that awards for travel are valid only to destinations served both at issuance of the award ticket and at departure, and that neither United nor its partners are liable for schedule changes that result in cancellation of service to a destination [8].

Related pages

Next steps: missed connection action plan and travel insurance claims checklist. Background: diversion, irregular operations, airline contract of carriage, and the full frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers the conditions-of-carriage pages of American Airlines and British Airways and the MileagePlus programme rules of United Airlines; the care and compensation rules of individual jurisdictions, and the conditions of carriage of other carriers, are not covered here.

1. American Airlines conditions of carriage and customer service pages, checked 18 October 2026
2. British Airways Conditions of Carriage, checked 18 October 2026
3. United Airlines MileagePlus Rules, checked 18 October 2026