Flight cancelled or delayed: what the airline owes you

Israeli aviation law gives passengers a defined set of entitlements when a flight is cancelled, significantly delayed or brought forward, and they do not depend on the airline's goodwill. Most passengers never claim, because the airline's first answer is a voucher and most people stop there.

Three separate entitlements

Cancellation and long delay can trigger assistance, a refund or alternative flight, and monetary compensation, and these are separate things rather than alternatives. Assistance means food, communication and accommodation where the wait requires it, provided at the airport rather than reimbursed later if you have to ask. The compensation is a fixed sum tied to the route rather than to what your ticket cost, so a cheap ticket does not mean a small claim.

When the airline does not have to pay

Compensation is not owed where the disruption was caused by circumstances genuinely outside the airline's control and unavoidable despite reasonable measures. Airlines invoke this broadly, including for reasons that are really operational. Ask in writing for the specific cause, because a generic reference to circumstances is not an answer, and the duty to provide care at the airport applies regardless of the cause.

Claim in writing, keep the boarding pass

Keep the booking confirmation, the boarding pass and any notification you received, along with photographs of the departure board showing the delay. Send a written claim to the airline naming the flight, the date and what you are asking for, with a deadline. If it is refused or ignored, small claims court handles these routinely and the Consumer Protection Authority takes complaints. A voucher offered as a first response is a negotiating position, not the limit of your rights.

FAQ

The airline offered a voucher. Should I take it?
Only if it is genuinely worth more than what you are entitled to. A voucher is usually offered instead of a cash entitlement, so find out what the entitlement is before answering.
My flight was moved earlier, not delayed.
Bringing a flight forward significantly is treated as a change to the flight and can carry entitlements of its own. The fact that you were not left waiting does not remove them.
Do I have to have suffered a loss?
No. The compensation is fixed and does not require you to prove damage, which is what makes these claims straightforward compared with most consumer disputes.
I booked through an agency, not the airline.
The claim is still against the operating carrier. Use the agency for the refund of the ticket if needed, but do not let it become the reason nobody answers.