What happens if Volaris cancels my flight?

Article 47 Bis of Mexico's Civil Aviation Law regulates cancellations attributable to the airline, and the key point is that the choice belongs to the passenger, not the company. The first option is reimbursement of the ticket price, or the unused portion, together with compensation of no less than 25% of that amount. The second is substitute transport on the first available flight, including the meals, calls and accommodation with transfer that the wait requires. The third is traveling on a later date convenient to the passenger, to the same destination, with the same 25% compensation.

Volaris, like any Mexican operator, publishes these conditions in its contract of carriage and is required to disclose them at the airport and through its sales channels.

The obligation lapses if the cancellation is due to force majeure or weather conditions that prevent safe flight. It also doesn't apply when the delay or cancellation results from an order by the aviation authority. In those cases the airline must still rebook the passenger, but without the additional compensation.

If the flight departs from an airport in the European Union, it may also fall under Regulation 261/2004, whose fixed amounts are usually higher. To file a claim in Mexico, the route is the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco), which handles complaints against airlines, and the Federal Civil Aviation Agency as the sector authority. It's worth keeping the boarding pass, proof of purchase and any cancellation notice received by email or message, as these are proof of the original time and of the breach.