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Delayed flight compensation
If you reached your final destination three hours or more late, you may be owed a fixed sum of up to £520 (UK261) or €600 (EU261) per passenger, unless the airline can prove extraordinary circumstances.
The 3-hour rule
Compensation for a delay depends on when you arrive, not when you leave. You may be entitled if you reached your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. Arrival is counted from when the first aircraft door opens, not from when the wheels touch the runway.
Your flight must also fall within the scope of UK261 or EU261 (see our passenger rights guide), you must have had a confirmed booking, and the delay must not have been caused by an extraordinary circumstance the airline could not have avoided (see extraordinary circumstances).
How much you can claim
The amount is fixed by distance and is paid per passenger.
UP TO 1,500 KM
£220 / €250
Short-haul flights.
1,500 TO 3,500 KM
£350 / €400
Medium-haul flights. Under EU261, €400 also applies to flights within the EU over 1,500 km.
OVER 3,500 KM
£520 / €600
Long-haul flights. If you arrive 3 to 4 hours late, the airline may pay half (£260 / €300).
How distance is measured. We use the great-circle distance, the shortest path over the earth’s surface, between your departure airport and your final destination. For a journey with connections, it is measured from the first airport to the last, not added up flight by flight.
Care you are owed while you wait
Whatever the cause of the delay, the airline must look after you once the delay passes a set length. For flights up to 1,500 km that is 2 hours; for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km it is 3 hours; for longer flights it is 4 hours.
- Meals and refreshments in proportion to the wait.
- Two phone calls, emails or faxes.
- Hotel accommodation and transport to and from it if you have to stay overnight.
- If the delay is 5 hours or more, the right to give up the trip and get your ticket refunded, with a flight back to your first departure point where it applies.
Keep your receipts. If the airline does not provide care, you can claim reasonable costs back.
What to gather before you claim
- Your booking confirmation and boarding passes.
- The scheduled and actual arrival times, and the airline’s reason for the delay.
- Receipts for any food, drink, hotel or transport you paid for.
- Names of everyone on the booking.
Related guides
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This page is general information about UK261 and EU261. It is not legal advice. FlightPayout is not a law firm and cannot guarantee that an airline will pay. The amounts and time limits shown are those in force when this page was written; both regulations are under political review, so check the latest position before you rely on them.