What happens to return flight if outbound cancels?

Flight cancellation: outbound canceled, what about the return?

A traveler booked through Edreams reported that their outbound flight was cancelled and asked what would happen to their return flight. In practical terms, cancellations often don’t automatically cancel the rest of an itinerary—especially if the ticket has separate flight segments and the airline later rebooks you.

What usually determines the return’s fate

• Whether the airline treats it as a single itinerary: If the outbound and return were sold as one connected ticket, carriers typically re-route or adjust the remaining segments.
• Whether you’re rebooked onto new flights: Airlines usually rebook passengers to protect the overall booking, but they may require you to accept new schedules.
• Your ticket rules and booking type: Refundability, change conditions, and whether the fare includes flexibility can affect what you can do after a cancellation.
• How the cancellation happened: If the airline cancelled, you generally have more leverage than if you missed the outbound for reasons outside the airline’s control.

What you should do next

• Check your confirmation and itinerary status for the return segment in your booking account.
• Contact the airline directly (or Edreams customer support) and ask whether the return is still valid on the original date.
• Get the rebooking plan in writing if they change anything.

Why it matters

When an airline cancels one leg, it can trigger schedule changes that ripple through to the return—either directly (rebooked automatically) or indirectly (you may have to act fast to protect your dates). For travelers, the risk is ending up with a cancelled or unusable return if you don’t follow the rebooking instructions for the original ticket.