Figuring out flight delay compensation is no mean feat. If there is one thing that can seriously impact your holiday before it has even started, it’s a flight delay or cancellation. We have all experienced the gut-wrenching feeling of helplessness and frustration when stuck at an airport, with the only consolation being a little compensation for the disruption. But more often than not, travellers don’t know what their rights are when it comes to airlines and travel disruptions in general.
Last-minute flight delays and cancellations are, unfortunately, a reality of travelling, but the good news is that UK travellers have rights when things don’t go according to plan. Depending on the cause and length of the disruption, passengers may be entitled to food and drink, accommodation, a refund or flight delay compensation. The rules are set out under UK261, the UK’s version of the European regulation that protects passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled.
The legislation covers the following scenarios:
Here’s everything you need to know about flight delay compensation, including how much you could claim and what to do when you find yourself stuck at the airport.
The magic number here is three hours, but there is an important caveat: it’s your arrival time, rather than how late your plane takes off, that counts.
If you arrive at your destination more than three hours later than scheduled, you may be entitled to flight delay compensation, provided the delay was the airline’s responsibility. The amount you can claim depends on the distance travelled and, for longer flights, exactly how late you arrive.
For flights of less than 1,500km, compensation is £220 per person, while flights between 1,500km and 3,500km qualify for £350. For journeys of more than 3,500km, passengers can receive £260 if they arrive between three and four hours late, rising to £520 for delays of more than four hours, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Crucially, compensation is fixed and isn’t linked to how much you paid for your ticket – so booking a budget fare doesn’t reduce what you may be entitled to.
Despite the name, the two-hour rule doesn’t mean you’ll automatically receive financial compensation if your flight is delayed for two hours.
Instead, this is when an airline’s duty to look after you can kick in, says the CAA. For flights under 1,500km, passengers delayed by at least two hours are entitled to appropriate care. This threshold increases to three hours for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, and four hours for journeys longer than 3,500km.
Depending on how long you’re waiting, the airline should provide food and drink, a means of communication and, if you’re stranded overnight, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and your accommodation.
If the airline can’t arrange these for you, you can make your own arrangements and claim the money back afterwards. Keep all your itemised receipts, and don’t take this as an excuse to splash out: the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warns that airlines are unlikely to reimburse things such as luxury hotels, luxury meals or alcohol.