Flight delay and cancellation compensation
A three-hour delay on the tarmac is miserable — but it might also be worth a few hundred pounds to you. Under the UK’s air passenger rules, delayed and cancelled flights can carry cash compensation of up to £520 per person, and you can claim it yourself, free, without handing a chunk to a claims company. Most people never bother. Here’s how to be one of the ones who does.
This is information, not financial advice. It explains UK air passenger rights (UK261). Rules for flights to/from other countries can differ.
When you’re owed compensation
The rules (known as UK261) cover flights departing from a UK airport on any airline, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline. You may be owed cash compensation if:
- your flight arrived 3 or more hours late, or was cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice; and
- the cause was within the airline’s control.
That last point is the catch. Problems like crew shortages, technical faults with the plane, or overbooking count — you’re owed. But “extraordinary circumstances” — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, security alerts, third-party strikes — don’t, because they’re outside the airline’s control.
How much you can claim
Compensation is a fixed amount based on the flight distance, not the ticket price:
| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (short-haul) | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km (medium-haul) | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km (long-haul) | £520* |
*On the longest flights, a delay of 3–4 hours may be paid at the reduced rate of around £260. It’s per person — so a family of four could be owed well over £1,000.
Check your own flight. Three quick answers tell you whether you’re likely owed, and roughly how much:
Your other rights when stuck at the airport
Separately from cash compensation — and regardless of the cause — if you’re delayed a long time the airline must look after you. For longer delays that usually means food and drink, a means to communicate, and overnight accommodation and transfers if you’re stranded overnight. If the airline doesn’t provide these, keep receipts for reasonable costs and claim them back.
If your flight is cancelled, you’re entitled to choose between a full refund or being re-routed to your destination — plus, potentially, the compensation above.
How to claim (and keep all of it)
- Gather your details — booking reference, flight number, date, and the reason given for the delay.
- Use the airline’s own claim form on its website. State the arrival delay and that you’re claiming UK261 compensation.
- Be persistent. If the airline rejects a valid claim (they sometimes lean on “extraordinary circumstances”), push back — and escalate to the CAA or the airline’s ADR scheme for free.
- Ignore the claims firms. Those “we’ll get your flight money back” adverts take 20–40% of your payout for filling in the same form you can. Doing it yourself keeps every penny.
You’ve got a long time to claim — up to six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland) — so it’s worth digging out details of past delays too.
Last checked 1 August 2026. UK261 compensation bands (£220 / £350 / £520) are set by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Sources
Just so you know: this guide is information and journalism, not financial advice, and we don't recommend specific financial products. Your circumstances are your own — if you need personal advice, speak to a suitably qualified adviser. Information was correct at the "last updated" date above but things change; always check the linked primary sources.