Flight compensation eligibility

Could your
disrupted flight qualify?

Use this guide to understand the main UK261 and EU261 rules for delayed, cancelled and disrupted flights.

Start with four questions

These are the main points used to assess a journey.

01
What happened?
Delayed, cancelled, diverted, denied boarding or missed connection.
02
How late did you arrive?
For most delay claims, arrival at the final destination must be 3 hours or more late.
03
Is the route covered?
UK261 or EU261 must apply to the journey.
04
What caused the disruption?
Fixed compensation normally requires the cause to be within the airline’s responsibility.

Eligibility by disruption type

The rules depend on what happened and when you reached your final destination.

Delayed flight

Arrival at your final destination 3 hours or more late may qualify.

Cancelled flight

Compensation may apply when notice was given less than 14 days before departure; replacement-flight timing matters.

Denied boarding

You were involuntarily refused boarding despite checking in on time with valid documents.

Missed connection

Flights were on one booking and you reached the final destination 3+ hours late.

Diverted or re-routed

Eligibility depends on the delay at the original or agreed final destination.

Every claim depends on the complete circumstances.

Is your flight covered?

UK261

  • ✓Departing the UK — any airline
  • ✓Arriving in the UK from outside the UK — a UK or EU airline
  • ✓Some journeys involving Gibraltar may also be covered

EU261

  • ✓Departing the EU/EEA — any airline
  • ✓Arriving there from outside — a qualifying European airline
  • ✓Switzerland has closely related passenger-rights coverage

Some journeys may be protected by more than one passenger-rights regime.

What caused the disruption?

Often within the airline’s control

  • ✓Routine technical faults
  • ✓Crew or operational problems
  • ✓Aircraft rotation issues

Often extraordinary circumstances

  • ○Severe weather
  • ○Air traffic control restrictions
  • ○Airport or border-force strikes
  • ○Security risks or political unrest
  • ○Hidden manufacturing defects
Extraordinary circumstances may remove the right to fixed compensation, but not necessarily the airline’s separate duty of care.

Compensation at a glance

The applicable regulation, route and length of delay determine the amount.

Up to 1,500 km
£220 / €250
1,500–3,500 km
£350 / €400
Over 3,500 km,
3–4 hour delay
£260 / €300
Over 3,500 km,
4+ hour delay
£520 / €600

Fixed amounts are per passenger. In some re-routing cases, compensation may be reduced by 50%.

Your right to care is separate

Depending on the waiting time and journey, the airline may need to provide reasonable assistance even when fixed compensation is not payable.

Food and drink
Communication
Hotel and transfers when an overnight stay is necessary

Keep receipts for reasonable expenses if the airline does not provide assistance directly.

What to keep

  • ▣Booking confirmation
  • ▣Boarding pass
  • ✉Airline emails or messages
  • ◷Actual arrival time
  • ▣Reason given for the disruption
  • ▣Receipts for reasonable expenses

Eligibility questions

Does a replacement flight affect eligibility?

It can. For cancellations, eligibility depends partly on when the airline informed you and the departure and arrival times of the replacement flight. Compensation may also be reduced when re-routing gets you to the destination within certain time limits.

Can I claim without my flight number?

Possibly. Your booking confirmation, boarding pass, airline messages, departure airport, destination and date of travel may help identify the flight.

Do technical problems qualify?

Many routine technical problems are treated as part of an airline’s normal activity and may qualify. A genuinely hidden manufacturing defect or another exceptional external event may be treated differently.

What if bad weather was involved?

Severe weather can be an extraordinary circumstance. The full sequence still matters, including whether the airline took reasonable measures and whether the weather actually caused your disruption.

Can children and infants receive compensation?

Children may receive the same fixed compensation as adults where they had a confirmed booking and the journey otherwise qualifies. Eligibility for infants can depend on whether a fare was paid and the booking arrangements.

Still unsure whether your flight qualifies?

Submit the journey details and our specialists will review the circumstances.

Start your claim Contact us