Turning Flight Issues Into Success Stories
We have successfully won 13,000 cases against easyJet over the last 9 years.
Over £3,400,000 in compensation on behalf of our clients.
Get up to £520 for your easyJet flight delays or cancellations.
EasyJet delays and cancellations can leave you out of pocket, but UK law gives you strong rights. If your flight qualifies under UK261, you could be owed up to £520, even if the airline has already told you otherwise.
Key Takeaways
- easyJet passengers flying to, from, or within the UK are protected by UK261, which mirrors EU261 and guarantees compensation and care during disruptions.
- You can claim up to £520 per passenger if your easyJet flight arrives 3 or more hours late and the airline is responsible.
- Arrival time is measured when the aircraft doors open, not when the plane lands, and this detail often determines whether compensation is owed.
- For delays of 2+ hours, easyJet must provide meals, refreshments, and communication, and overnight delays require hotel accommodation and transport.
- Cancellations within 14 days can trigger both a refund and compensation, and in some cases, passengers can also recover additional out-of-pocket costs.
Your rights as an easyJet passenger
If you’re flying with easyJet, your rights are protected by Regulation UK261 when you fly to, from or within the United Kingdom. You are also protected by the European Union’s EU261 when you travel there with easyJet.
These two sets of rules are nearly identical. Both were created to protect passengers who experience flight disruptions and ensure that they receive fair treatment from the airline.
What you’re entitled to for easyJet flight delays
Based on Regulation 261, you’re entitled to financial compensation if your flight is delayed and arrives 3 or more hours late at your final destination. (Arrival time is always when the aircraft doors are opened.)
However, if the delay was caused by an airport strike or air traffic control restrictions, then you will not be eligible for compensation. This is because events like these are beyond the airline’s control.
On the other hand, if you were delayed because of controllable issues like a staffing shortage or technical issue, then you will likely qualify for a payout based on the distance of your flight. Bottom line, if the delay could have been prevented, then you will be compensated as follows:
- £220 — Flights of up to 930 mi (1,500 km)
- £350 — Flights 930 mi to 2,175 mi (1,500 km to 3,500 km)
- £520 — Flights over 2,175 mi (3,500 km)
Care and assistance
If your easyJet flight is delayed, you are entitled to free meals and refreshments if you are delayed for at least 2 hours or longer, regardless of what caused the delay. Typically, the airline will offer coupons worth around £6, so if you spend more on essentials, keep your receipts so you can submit them in a reimbursement claim.
EasyJet must also provide free access to communication so you can alert family and friends about your delay. Care and assistance is offered based on your wait time and the distance of your flight.
Flight Distance | Delay Required |
Under 930 mi (1,500 km) | 2 hours |
930 mi to 2,175 mi (1,500 km to 3,500 km) | 3 hours |
Over 2,175 mi (3,500 km) | 4 hours |
Delays lasting 5+ hours
When an easyJet flight delay lasts 5 hours or more you have 3 options:
- Cancel your booking and get a full refund, or
- Change your flight for a different one with no extra fees, or
- Wait out the delay and get compensation.
If your flight delay lasts overnight
If you have an overnight delay, then easyJet is responsible for finding you hotel accommodation and transport there and back to the airport. Just remember to wait at the airport for details about the hotel.
easyJet will also try to arrange an evening meal for you up to £25 per person per day. But, if you have to pay for any of this yourself, remember to keep your receipts for reimbursement.
Follow these steps when you have an easyJet delay
- Find out the reason for the delay, and keep the answer. This information will fortify your claim.
- Collect evidence about the delay. Take photos or screenshots of the easyJet app, information boards, etc.
- Keep track of how long the delay lasts. If you wait two hours or more, request meal coupons. If you have to wait overnight, ask for a hotel and taxi.
- Keep any receipts for out-of-pocket expenses.
- When you arrive at your final stop, write down the time the door was opened at the gate. You’ll need this to determine compensation eligibility.
- Check to see if your flight is eligible for compensation by using a calculator.
When easyJet cancels your flight
Whenever your flight is cancelled, easyJet must offer you the choice between:
- A rebooking on the next available flight or
- A full ticket refund.
easyJet compensation for cancelled flights
If easyJet cancels your flight less than 14-days before your scheduled departure, then you could get up to £520 in compensation, as long as the cancellation was caused by a controllable reason and not extraordinary circumstances.
It’s not uncommon for easyJet to cut your compensation payout in half if your flight is cancelled and your rebooking gets you to your destination within certain timeframes, as you can see in the following table. But you do have the right to push back and fight for the full amount.
Total Flight Distance (one booking) | Full Compensation if you arrive 3+ hours late | Reduced by 50% if you arrive within: | Reduced Compensation |
Up to 930 mi (1,500 km) | £220 (€250) | 2 hours of original arrival time | £110 |
930 mi to 2,175 mi (1,500 km to 3,500 km) | £350 (€400) | 3 hours of original arrival time | £175 |
Over 2,175 mi (3,500 km) | £520 (€600) | 4 hours of original arrival time | £260 |
Can you get a refund and compensation for a cancelled easyJet flight?
Yes, you can! If your flight is cancelled within 14 days of departure for a controllable reason, then you’re entitled to compensation based purely on your flight distance. If you choose NOT to be rebooked, then you can also request a full ticket refund.
When easyJet cancels a flight, passengers are entitled to a full refund if they choose not to travel. This right applies even if the airline offers a rebooking. Knowing you can get both a refund and compensation under UK261 is key to making an informed choice after a cancellation. – Michael Higgins, UK Aviation Lawyer
Take these steps whenever your easyJet flight is cancelled
- Verify the cause of the cancellation and remember their response.
- Look for an alternate flight or have an easyJet agent help you (online or at the airport).
- If none of the alternate flights they offer work for you, then ask for a refund.
- If you have to wait 2 or more hours for your new flight, ask for meal and refreshment vouchers.
- Keep copies of everything: receipts, airline correspondence, photos, and anything else that can serve as evidence for a compensation claim.
- Write down the actual time you arrive at your destination.
- Check to see if you can get compensation.
- File a claim.
A summary of your easyJet entitlements
Disruption Type | Entitlements | Compensation |
easyJet delays | Food and drink for 2+ hour delays Hotel and transport for overnight delays 5+ hour delays give you the choice of a rebooking or a refund | Between £220 (€250) - £520 (€600) compensation if you arrive 3+ hours late and the airline is at fault |
easyJet cancellations | A refund or a rebooking If easyJet is at fault, you can also receive compensation |
Flight statistics: easyJet delays & cancellations
Period: (12 December 2025 - 2 March 2026).
Total Flights Analysed: 117,860.
Category | Total Flights / Events | % of Total |
On-Time / Minor Delay | 114,061 | 96.78% |
Moderate Delay (60+ min) | 7,516 | 6.38% |
⭐ Major Delay 3h+ | 978 | 0.83% |
⭐ Cancellations | 2,821 | 2.39% |
Over the last three months, nearly 97% of easyJet’s flights ran without any major issues. However, because they fly so often, around 3,800 flights (about 1 in 30) were either cancelled or delayed by more than three hours.
If you were on one of these flights, you could be owed between £220 and £520 in compensation by law.Check Your Flight
An analysis of all easyJet delays and cancellations for the same period shows that short, "shuttle" trips (like London to Paris or Edinburgh) are the most likely to be affected. In fact, 8 out of 10 cancellations happened on these shorter routes. It appears the airline is more likely to cancel these quick trips to keep their longer international flights on schedule.
Denied boarding on easyJet
Sometimes, easyJet will sell more tickets than seats available to avoid losing money on no-shows. This can sometimes lead to denied boarding. If this happens you’re entitled to a refund or a rebooking. You can also get compensation if your alternate flight arrives 3+ hours late.
Missed connecting flights with easyJet
If you miss a connection, you should be offered:
- A seat on the next available flight, or
- Rerouting at a later date that’s convenient to you, or
- A refund for the unused portion of your ticket.
If you miss a connection on a single booking and easyJet is responsible, you have the right to be rebooked “at the earliest opportunity” (Article 8 of UK261/EU261).
However, if your flights were on separate tickets, or if you didn’t leave enough time between flights, then easyJet may charge you for the difference in fare as well as change fees. Compensation is also a possibility if you arrive 3 or more hours later than scheduled for a controllable reason.
How to submit an easyJet compensation claim
- Collect all the documents and details pertaining to your disrupted flight including dates, times, booking reference number, and any supporting evidence.
- Go to easyJet’s website, and either log in or search for your booking.
- Look for the Disruption Help Hub and follow the prompts.
- Take screenshots of the form as you complete it so you have a record of what was said.
- Double check to make sure the information is correct and submit.
If and when easyJet responds, be sure to keep copies of all the correspondence. You might have to wait for a few weeks to get a response, so follow up with a message and be patient.
It can take 90+ days to get a decision from themYou can also take an easier route and let AirAdvisor manage your claim for you!Check Your Flight
If you’re not sure how all this works in practice or how our claims process works, here’s a recent case to help you understand a little better.
Case study: easyJet cancellation leaves passenger stranded, AirAdvisor recovers nearly £2,000
Disruption: Flight cancellation
Route: Amsterdam Schiphol to Manchester Airport
Notice given: Less than 7 days
Outcome secured: £1,993.07 total payout
The passenger was due to fly with easyJet from Amsterdam to Manchester, but the flight was cancelled at short notice, leaving them unable to reach the UK as planned.
With no suitable alternative offered, the cancellation caused a major disruption and forced the passenger to cover replacement travel and related expenses out of pocket in order to complete their journey.
While the cancellation itself qualified for statutory compensation, this case went beyond a standard delay or cancellation payout.
The passenger had incurred significant additional costs as a direct result of the cancellation. Recovering those expenses required a clear assessment of what was recoverable under passenger rights rules and how responsibility applied in this particular situation.
How AirAdvisor helped
AirAdvisor took over the claim and handled it end to end, focusing on:
- Securing flight cancellation compensation where the airline was responsible
- Recovering out-of-pocket expenses caused by the short-notice cancellation
- Challenging the airline’s position and presenting the evidence needed to support the full claim
AirAdvisor secured £350 in UK261 compensation for the cancelled flight, along with £1,643.07 in reimbursed travel expenses, bringing the total recovery to £1,993.07.
This case shows how even a single cancelled flight can quickly turn into a costly situation for passengers, especially when cancellations happen with little notice. Knowing what can be claimed and how to push back when airlines fall short makes a real difference.
AirAdvisor helps passengers recover not just the basic compensation, but the money they had to spend because their journey was disruptedFind out how much you’re owed today.Check Your Flight
easyJet Contact Information
FAQs
Can I still make an easyJet compensation claim if I accepted a travel voucher at the airport?
Yes. Accepting a goodwill gesture or a small discount voucher at the airport does not waive your legal right to cash compensation under UK261. Unless you specifically signed a document stating you were accepting a voucher instead of your statutory payout, you can still claim your full £220 to £520 entitlement.
How far back can I claim compensation for a delayed easyJet flight?
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you have up to 6 years from the date of the flight to start a legal claim. In Scotland, the limit is 5 years. If you suffered a significant delay or cancellation within this timeframe, it is worth checking your eligibility, even if the flight was years ago.
Am I entitled to a refund if easyJet downgrades my seat?
While rare on low-cost carriers, if easyJet moves you to a lower-tier seat than you paid for (for example, if you paid for an "Extra Legroom" seat but were moved to a standard row due to a plane change), you are entitled to a partial refund. Under UK/EU261, this reimbursement is typically between 30% and 75% of the ticket price, depending on the flight distance.
What happens if my easyJet flight is diverted to a different airport?
If your flight is diverted, easyJet must cover the cost of transport to your original destination airport. If this diversion results in you arriving at your final destination more than 3 hours late, it is legally treated as a delay. You may be eligible for compensation if the cause was within the airline's control (such as a technical fault rather than bad weather).
Does easyJet compensation cover missed hotel bookings or car rentals?
Statutory compensation under UK261 is a fixed sum designed to cover your inconvenience, so it does not typically cover "consequential losses" like missed hotel nights or pre-paid tours. However, if easyJet fails to provide an alternative flight and you have to book your own replacement travel to get home, you can often claim back those specific out-of-pocket expenses.
Author:
Joanna Teljeur
Job/Position: Senior Editor & Content Lead
Joanna Teljeur is a senior editor and writer with 15+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, and content development, specialising in consumer rights, aviation law, and public-interest reporting. Her work focuses on transforming complex regulatory and legal topics into clear, accurate, and accessible content for international audiences.
Association of European Lawyers
Independent Legal Assistance (ILA) Program
