Flight Landed in the Wrong City? Your Rights During Diversions & ‘Extraordinary Circumstances

Sometimes your flight doesn’t cancel or delay — it lands somewhere else entirely. That’s a diversion, and you still have rights.

If you’re stuck at an alternate airport for more than 2 hours, airlines are expected to provide disembarkation, refreshments and basic facilitation while you wait.

If they bus you to a different airport or terminal from what you booked, the airline has to bear that transfer cost — not you.

However, when airlines claim “force majeure” or “extraordinary circumstances” (like severe weather, natural disasters, or security risks), they are not obliged to pay financial compensation, though they still owe you basic care like information and reasonable assistance.

Where passengers get stuck is when normal operational issues (like crew shortage) are incorrectly labelled as “extraordinary” to avoid paying hotels or compensation, something media and DGCA have repeatedly called out.

For a deeper explanation of diversions, exceptional circumstances, and how to push back when airlines misuse the “force majeure” excuse, watch my Passenger Rights playlist.

And if your flight does operate normally, maximise comfort by picking the right seat — window vs aisle, front vs back, red-eye vs day flight — in this video: [How to Choose the Best Seat on a Flight]