Flight Delay Compensation UK (UK261): How Much You Can Claim and How (2026)

Your flight from London is three hours late, the departure board keeps changing, and you are wondering: am I owed anything? In the UK, very often yes. Under a law known as UK261, airlines must look after you during long delays and may have to pay you a fixed sum of up to £520 per person.

Quick answer: according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), if UK261 covers your flight and you reach your destination more than three hours late for reasons within the airline’s control, you can claim £220 (under 1,500 km), £350 (1,500 to 3,500 km), or for longer flights £260 (3 to 4 hours late) or £520 (more than 4 hours late). You must claim it yourself; it is not paid automatically.

Below we explain which flights are covered, the care you must receive while you wait, refunds, cancellations, connecting flights, the “extraordinary circumstances” exception and how to claim step by step. All rules come from the CAA’s passenger guidance.

What Is UK261?

UK261 is the name for UK Regulation (EU) No. 261/2004, the version of the EU air passenger rights law that the UK kept after Brexit. The CAA says it sets out your rights when a flight is delayed, cancelled or when you are denied boarding.

Which flights does UK261 cover?

According to the CAA, your flight is covered if it is:

• departing from an airport in the UK, on any airline; or
• arriving at an airport in the UK on a UK or EU airline; or
• arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline.

So a flight from Heathrow to New York on an American airline is covered, but a flight from New York to Heathrow on that same American airline is not.

How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

Compensation is a fixed amount per person, based on the flight distance and sometimes the length of the delay. It has nothing to do with the price of your ticket. The CAA lists:

The distance is measured using the great-circle route (the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface). The CAA suggests using a third-party website to calculate it. What counts is the delay at your final destination, not at take-off.

Worked Examples

Here is how the rules work on some typical UK trips. Distances are our great-circle calculations from OurAirports coordinates; each example assumes the delay was within the airline’s control and that UK261 applies.

A family of four on the Manchester to Dubai example could claim 4 x £520 = £2,080, because compensation is per person. If the cause was a storm or an air traffic control strike, the answer would be no compensation, but the airline would still owe food, drink and, if needed, a hotel.

Common Reasons Claims Are Turned Down

• Arrived less than 3 hours late: what counts is the arrival time at your final destination, not the departure time.
• Extraordinary circumstances: the airline says the cause was outside its control, such as extreme weather or an air traffic control strike.
• Flight not covered: for example, a flight into the UK on a non-UK, non-EU airline.
• Separate tickets: a missed connection on a separately booked flight is not one booking.
• Missing evidence: no booking details or receipts for expenses.

If you think a rejection is wrong, ask the airline to explain the cause in writing, then use the escalation route described below.

Your Right to Care While You Wait

Even when no compensation is due, the airline must look after you once the delay passes certain limits. The CAA says you are entitled to care if your flight is delayed beyond its scheduled departure time by:

• at least 2 hours for flights under 1,500 km;
• at least 3 hours for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km;
• at least 4 hours for flights over 3,500 km.

Regardless of the reason for the delay, the airline must then provide:

• food and drink in line with how long you wait, often as a paper or digital voucher;
• two phone calls or emails;
• accommodation if you are delayed overnight, plus transport between the airport and the hotel (or to and from your home if you live nearby).

If the airline does not arrange this, you can make your own reasonable arrangements and claim the costs back. Keep itemised receipts. The CAA notes that airlines are unlikely to pay for alcohol, luxury hotels or luxury meals.

Refund After a Five-Hour Delay

If your flight is delayed by at least five hours, the CAA says you can choose not to travel and get a refund for the flights you have not yet taken on your booking. Only choose this if you no longer want to travel, because you give up the journey.

Cancelled Flights

If your flight is cancelled, the CAA says the airline must provide care and assistance (food and drink, a way to communicate, a hotel if you are re-routed the next day, and transport) until it can fly you to your destination, no matter how long that takes or what caused the cancellation.

• 14 days’ notice or more: no compensation, though you still have other rights.
• Less than 14 days’ notice: you may be able to claim compensation, depending on the cause and on the timing of the replacement flight you are offered.
• Not the airline’s fault: if the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, do not expect compensation.

During big disruptions, airlines may not be able to arrange care for everyone. In that case, the CAA’s view is that you can organise reasonable care yourself and claim it back later.

What Are “Extraordinary Circumstances”?

Airlines do not have to pay compensation if the delay or cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, events outside their control. The CAA gives examples such as extreme weather and strikes by airport or air traffic control staff. The airline’s duty of care still applies in these cases, so you should still get food, drink and a hotel if needed.

Weather is one of the most common causes of disruption and even of flight diversions, which is why compensation claims for bad-weather delays are usually rejected.

Connecting Flights

If your booking includes two or more flights, the CAA says your right to care and compensation is based on the distance between the first and last airport in the booking. For example, if a late first flight makes you miss your connection, what matters is how late you reach your final destination. This applies to connecting flights booked together; separate tickets are treated differently. Our guide to layovers vs stopovers explains the difference between connections and self-transfers.

How to Claim, Step by Step

• Gather evidence: booking confirmation, boarding passes, the actual arrival time and receipts for any expenses.
• Claim from the airline first: use its claim form or customer service. Some airlines want separate claims for compensation and for expenses.
• Wait for the final response: if you disagree with it, or the airline has not replied after eight weeks, you can escalate.
• Escalate: to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body the airline is signed up to, or, if it has none, to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT).

You do not need to use a paid claims company: the airline’s own process is free.

UK261 vs US Passenger Rights

The UK and EU are unusual in giving fixed cash compensation for delays. In the United States, federal rules focus on refunds for cancelled and significantly changed flights rather than fixed delay payments. See our guide to US airline refund rules for details.

Key Takeaways

• UK261 covers flights leaving the UK on any airline, and flights into the UK or EU on UK or EU airlines (with the rules above).
• Arrive more than 3 hours late for reasons within the airline’s control and you can claim £220, £350, £260 or £520 per person.
• Airlines must provide food, drink, communication and hotels during long delays, whatever the cause.
• After a 5-hour delay you can choose a refund instead of travelling.
• Extreme weather and air traffic control strikes are extraordinary circumstances: no compensation, but care still applies.
• Claim directly from the airline; escalate to an ADR body or the CAA if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of a flight information display at an airport by Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.