Flight Delay Compensation in the UK and Europe: When You’re Eligible and How to Claim

In the UK and EU, passengers can claim a maximum of £520/€600 when flights are delayed by at least 3 hours, subject to certain conditions.

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Key takeaways

1. UK261 covers flights departing the UK, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline. EU261 covers flights departing the EU, and flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline.

2. The law in the UK and the European Union both state that you may be entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by at least 3 hours for a controllable reason.

3. Flight delay compensation amounts vary from £220 to £520 (€250-€600), depending on the distance of your flight.

4. If your flight is delayed for 5+ hours, you can choose a refund or a rebooking.

5. If the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances, then the airline can avoid payouts.

6. UK passengers have 6 years from the flight date to claim in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland.

Are you owed compensation for a delayed flight?

If your flight is delayed, you’re protected by Regulation EU261 as well as the UK’s UK261. The two rules work the same way and give you two separate rights: care at the airport while you wait, and cash compensation if you arrive 3+ hours late.

1. The right to care (food, communication, etc.) when you’ve been waiting at the airport for at least 2 hours; the minimum waiting hours increase with the flight’s distance.

2. The right to delayed flight compensation up to £520 (€600) per passenger if the airline could have prevented the delay and you arrived 3+ hours late.

The airline’s responsibility during flight delays is to protect all ticketed passengers, no matter your nationality or ticket type. Even babies and children are protected as long as the fare was purchased for them (not free).

Which flights are covered

You’re protected by the Regulation if:

1. Your flight, with any airline, departed from an airport in the UK or EU, OR

2. Your flight arrived in the UK/EU and was operated by a UK/EU airline

Here’s a table to help you understand which flights are protected:

Itinerary	UK Airline	EU Airline	Other Airline
Departing from the UK	Covered by UK261	Covered by UK261	Covered by UK261
Departing from the EU	Covered by EU261	Covered by EU261	Covered by EU261
Arriving in the UK from outside the UK/EU	Covered by UK261	Covered by UK261	Not covered
Arriving in the EU from outside the UK/EU	Not covered	Covered by EU261	Not covered
Departing and arriving outside the UK/EU	Not covered	Not covered	Not covered

How much compensation can you get for a flight delay?

You can get £220 (€250), £350 (€400) or £520 (€600), depending on the flight's distance, if you reach your final destination 3 or more hours late.

The arrival time is marked when the aircraft doors open, as the CJEU ruled in Germanwings (C-452/13, 2014).

This means that if your flight arrives 3 or more hours late at your final destination, your compensation will be determined by the distance of your flight as seen below:

Compensation by flight distance: £220, £350, or £520 (€250, €400, or €600)

*We always aim for the maximum amount of compensation for you no matter how many hours your flight was delayed, but depending on the duration of your delay, the amount could be reduced by as much as 50%.

Currency exchange rates may affect the exact amount of compensation you receive. For flights between the EU and the UK, you can choose to file your claim in either location.

Your right to care if your flight is delayed

The right to care applies to flights delayed at least 2 hours (flights up to 1,500km), 3 hours (flights between 1,500km and 3,500km), and 4 hours (flights over 3,500km). You’re entitled to:

• Food and drinks (usually through vouchers or coupons)

• Access to free communication (2 free calls, emails, access to free wi-fi)

• Hotel accommodation if the delay runs overnight away from home, and

• Transport between the airport and your hotel

You’re entitled to this support even when the delay is not the airline's fault and is caused by extraordinary circumstances. So, if your flight delay was caused by bad weather, air traffic control issues, or security incidents, the airline still must look after you.

Note that technical faults with the aircraft are NOT considered extraordinary circumstances as per Huzar v Jet2.com [2014] EWCA Civ 791.

Airlines often claim ‘operational issues’ as grounds for delay, but that alone doesn’t exempt them. In practice, what matters is documenting the delay, keeping proof of expenses, and pursuing your claim. With the right evidence, even complex cases have a strong legal basis,

says Anton Radchenko, International Aviation Lawyer and CEO at AirAdvisor.

If the airline doesn’t offer help, you can buy what you need and claim the cost back later. Just keep your expenses modest and hold on to all the receipts or other proof of payment.

If your flight is delayed for 5 hours or more

If your flight is delayed for 5+ hours, Regulation 261 allows you to choose between a refund or a rebooking.

The refund covers the unused parts of your ticket, and the parts already flown if the trip no longer serves its purpose, plus a return flight to your departure airport (Article 8(1)(a)). After that, the airline doesn't have to fly you anywhere on that booking.

When a flight is heavily delayed, airlines often push vouchers as the first ‘solution’, but passengers should remember that a voucher is optional. Under EU and UK rules, if a delay makes your journey no longer viable and you choose not to travel, you have the right to a full cash refund, not just credit. A voucher only becomes binding if you actively agree to it,

says Anton Radchenko, International Aviation Lawyer and CEO at AirAdvisor.

Flight delay insights for the last 30 days

Overall delay rates (27/09/2026 – 26/10/2026)

Breakdown of 3+ hour delays by route distance

*Percentages rounded for readability. All figures are based on AirAdvisor’s proprietary AirData analysis of 348,541 flights in the UK from 27 September to 26 October 2026.

Eligible delays (3+ hours) were the most common on short-haul flights (under 1,500km) during the 30-day period.

If a delay makes you miss a connection

If you miss a connecting flight, your right to compensation is based on how late you reach your final destination only.

This only applies if both flights were on a single booking. With separate tickets, each flight is judged on its own (CJEU ruling Folkerts (C-11/11, 2013)).

So, if the delay was the airline’s fault, and you arrive 3 or more hours late, you may be owed a payout. The airline must also rebook you, free of charge, on the next available flight and look after you while you wait.

What to do if your flight is delayed

When you have a flight delay, here’s what you should do to protect your rights as a passenger:

1. Talk to the airline and ask what caused the delay

Ask the gate agent or airline staff:

• What exactly caused the delay,

• How long the delay is expected to last, and

• Whether the airline expects you to miss any connections.

Make a note of their answer.

2. Keep track of the delay as it develops

If you are forced to wait at the airport, request meal and refreshment coupons, keeping the minimum wait times based on flight distance in mind.

If the delay keeps getting extended, take a photo or screenshot of the new departure time. This can act as proof in a future delayed flight compensation claim or to prove the airline didn’t meet its duty of care.

3. Keep every document related to your journey and gather evidence

If you file a flight delay claim, you’ll need supporting documents to support your case. So, start saving all your travel documents, including:

• Your booking confirmation or e‑ticket

• Boarding passes

• Any rebooking confirmations

• Disruption announcements from the airline (emails, SMS, etc.)

4. Keep receipts for meals or hotel stays

If you have to pay for meals or a hotel stay yourself, keep all the receipts so you can include them in your claim. But remember that UK law and the UK CAA both stress that costs must be reasonable. Luxury hotels, expensive restaurants, and alcohol are often excluded from reimbursement.

Still have your receipts? Check what the airline owes you in two minutes.

How to file a compensation claim for flight delays

You won't automatically get compensation for delayed flights. You'll have to submit a claim on the airline’s website. If you took a codeshare flight, file your claim with the airline that actually operated the flight.

1. Gather your documents. Get everything together in one place, including finding the flight number on your boarding pass, your booking confirmation, delay proof, and receipts.

2. Go to the airline’s website and locate the applicable UK261/EU261 claim form. For example, here are links to the instructions for common EU and UK airlines:

   • Ryanair
   • easyJet
   • Wizz Air
   • KLM
   • British Airways

3. Fill in all the details and submit.

4. Keep a copy of everything submitted (take screenshots).

5. Follow up for an update if you haven’t heard from the airline within 30 days.

6. After 8 weeks, you can take your complaint to its ADR body (see below on what to do if the airline denied your claim).

Many airlines won't pay claims without a lengthy legal process, making the selection of the right court crucial. The decision depends on various factors and can be more easily handled by an airline compensation expert like AirAdvisor,

says Anton Radchenko, International Aviation Lawyer and CEO at AirAdvisor.

Comparison table of flight delay rights around the world

This table outlines the various compensation payouts for delayed flights in different parts of the world:

Passenger right	USA	UK	EU	Canada
Minimum delay for compensation		3 hours	3 hours	3 hours
Delay compensation		£220–£520	€250–€600	CA$125–CA$1,000
Complimentary food and drink
Hotel accommodation for overnight delays	Most US airlines

What to do if the airline denies your claim

If the airline rejects or ignores your claim or gives you a vague explanation, you have three options:

1. Ask the airline for a detailed explanation of the exact cause of the delay and request evidence.

2. Escalate the case to the appropriate body. In the UK, airlines may belong to either CEDR or AviationADR. If the airline isn't in an ADR scheme, complain to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT). Airlines based elsewhere in Europe may use an ADR body in their home country. For example:

   • British Airways: CEDR (UK)
   • easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, Wizz Air: Aviation ADR (UK)
   • Lufthansa: Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. (SRUV) (Germany)
   • Air France: MTV – Tourisme et Voyage Mediation (France)

   Note: You can go to ADR 8 weeks after your complaint or after a final refusal.

3. Use AirAdvisor. We will challenge the decision on your behalf and request operational data directly from the airline. We know that a refusal doesn't always mean your case is closed for good.

4. Go to small claims court yourself. Use Money Claim Online, where the court fee for a claim of £520 is £70 (HMCTS EX50 civil court fee schedule).

Time limits for a flight delay claim

In the UK, you can make a claim for UK261 flight delay compensation for up to 6 years from the date of travel.

• England and Wales: 6 years (Limitation Act 1980 s.5)

• Northern Ireland: 6 years (Limitation (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (art. 6))

• Scotland: 5 years (Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973)

For EU countries, these are the national time limits:

• Ireland: 6 years; Statute of Limitations 1957 s.11;

• France: 5 years; French Civil Code, Article 2224

• Germany: 3 years, counted from December 31 of the year of the flight (BGB §195 + §199)

• Spain: 5 years; Spanish Civil Code, Article 1964(2)

• Netherlands: 2 years (Article 8:1835 of Book 8 of the Dutch Civil Code)

Case study: AirAdvisor recovers £813 for delayed British Airways passenger

Total compensation received: £813 (£520 compensation + £293 expenses)
Issue: Long-haul delay on arrival at London Heathrow

Passenger confused as to whether UK261 applied

In October 2025, Patricia was travelling from Vancouver to London Heathrow with British Airways when her flight was delayed by 5.5 hours.

Two different BA agents gave two different explanations, which left her unsure whether the delay counted for compensation under UK261 rules.

Because the flight departed from Canada, Patricia believed she might not be eligible. In reality, Regulation 261 covers any arrival into the UK on a UK airline, including long-haul flights.

Without clear guidance from the airline, Patricia contacted AirAdvisor for help.

How AirAdvisor secured flight delay compensation and expense reimbursement

AirAdvisor analysed the flight history and confirmed that the delay exceeded the 3-hour arrival threshold.

Then the team gathered evidence of Patricia’s out-of-pocket expenses, built a formal case file, and presented it to British Airways on her behalf. The result was £520 compensation + £293 reimbursed expenses for a total payout of £813 within 6 weeks.

Not sure if your delay qualifies for compensation? Don’t worry, we’ll check for you.It only takes a couple of minutes to see if you are eligible. Just enter your flight details below to get started.Check How Much You're Owed

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