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Claim United Airlines EU261 Compensation for Disrupted Flights

Reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Last Updated: April 12, 2024

United Airlines is one of the biggest American airlines of all. It has almost 100 years of history and is ranked in the top five biggest airlines on the planet, with a huge network of routes around the US and beyond. It’s a reliable airline, but sometimes, things can go wrong with United flights.

For example, you may have to deal with a United flight delay, leaving you waiting a long time before take-off, or a United flight cancellation. If this happens on a United flight in Europe, EU261 might be able to help you. Read on to learn more about this EU directive and EU261 compensation.

Disrupted flight? You might have a right to compensation - up to $630 (€600)Check Your Flight

What Is United Airlines EU261 Compensation?

EU261 is a part of EU regulation that protect passenger rights in Europe. It's also referred to by a few other names, like EU 261 2004 and EC261. So, if you see any of those names, don't be confused, as they all refer to the same thing.

In simple terms, this rule is designed to help passengers in case their flights around Europe have any kind of problems, like a delay, overbooking, or cancellation. Passengers who encounter these kinds of issues can claim flight delay compensation or cancelled flight compensation (valued up to $620 per passenger), and it’s all thanks to EU 261.

Passengers waiting at the airport after a canceled United Airlines flight

Types of Compensations Covered by EC 261

There are lots of things that can go wrong with a flight, but EC 261 is ready to protect you in a wide range of cases. If you find yourself facing any of the four problems listed below, you should be able to make an official EU261 claim for United Airlines compensation.

  • Flight delay - Passengers can request compensation on EU flights that get delayed by 3 hours or even longer.
  • Canceled flight - Passengers should also be able to request compensation (as well as a flight refund) if their flight gets called-off.
  • Overbooking - EU261 also applies for overbooking. This occurs if the company sells an excess amount of tickets and has to deny boarding to one or more passengers.
  • Missed connection flight - Missed a connection because of a delay earlier in your flight plan? If so, EU261 should be able to protect you.

 

What Should You Do in Case of United Airlines Flight Delays or Cancelations

A delayed United Airlines flight in the air

  • To start off, you’ll probably want to know what’s happening with your flight. Find a United desk and chat with the staff to see what’s happening.
  • Next, it’s a good idea to put together some evidence to prove what happened with your flight, like photos, tickets, and so on.
  • After that, you might like to get some food and water while you wait. This is allowed under your passenger rights, according to EU 261.
  • Next, you might like to know how much United delayed or cancelled flight compensation you could get. Use our Compensation Calculator to find out!

Had a Delayed or Canceled Flight to or from the EU?Check Your Flight

United Airlines EU261 Compensation - How Much Can You Claim?

So, how much EU261 compensation can you actually claim for? Well, that’ll depend on the length of your original flight. Here’s how it all works out, with approximate prices in dollars for US travelers.

  • A flight less than 1,500km - Approximately $260 per traveler
  • A flight between 1,500 and 3,500km - Approximately $420 per traveler
  • A flight longer than 3,500km - Approximately $630 per traveler

It’s all based around the length of the flight. So, if you had a really long flight to the other end of the world that got delayed or canceled, you could get more money thanks to EU261.

But, before you celebrate or make your claim for an EU261 refund, you’ve got to make sure that you are fully eligible and meet all of the relevant requirements. 

Our flight delay checker can help with that, showing if your flight delay meets the criteria. You can also test out our flight delay compensation calculator to see if you’re a contender for compensation after a bad delay.

In cases of cancellations, our flight cancellation compensation calculator is the tool to use. You just have to enter some details about the flight, and the calculator will tell you if you can make a successful claim or not.

 

United Airlines EU261 Claim Form - How to Fill Out

A canceled United flight at the airport

To receive any kind of EU 261 compensation in the UK, the US, or Europe, you’ll need to spend some time filling in a form. This form can be pretty complicated, and it requires quite a lot of detailed information about you and your flight.

If you’ve not filled in the EU261 form before, you might be a little lost at first, and many people make mistakes that can then impact their chances of getting the money they’re owed. If you prefer not to take that risk, choose Air Advisor.

Air Advisor is a dedicated EU261 Claim Help Center service. We have our own experts who have helped lots of travelers get the compensation they deserve, and we can help you, too! Get in touch today with some info about your flight and our team will work for you to make a successful claim and get the United compensation you deserve.

 

What to Do if United Airlines EU261 Form Not Working

Usually, you should be able to find an EU 261 form on the United website. But if it’s not working, just head over to Air Advisor. On our site, you can fill in the same form and start your claims process. Plus, our experts will be standing by, ready to help you.

 

FAQ / Common Questions: EU 261 Compensation

How to claim EU261 United Airlines?

You can start the claims process by entering your info into the claims form on the United Airlines website. Or, to make things even easier, use the Air Advisor site to find out exactly how much money you could get and start your claim with expert aid.

 

Has anyone received EU261 United Airlines compensation?

Yes, lots of people have received the compensation they’re owed from this airline after overbooking, cancellations, and so on.

 

How to claim EU261 compensation from United Airlines?

To claim some compensation from United Airlines, just fill in the form on the United website or on Air Advisor’s website.

 

Should United Airlines compensate under EU261 for strikes?

Many people wonder if EU261 applies for airport strikes. It does not. Strikes are categorized as “extraordinary circumstances” and don’t fit in with the usual EU 261 criteria.

 

Why can’t I fill EU261 on United Airlines website?

The site might be down or having technical issues, so you can simply head over to Air Advisor and fill in the form there instead.

 

Does United Airlines pay EU261?

Yes, even though United is a US airline, it still has to pay out compensation for people who were affected by delays and other issues on flights out of European airlines.

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