Air travel problems
Flight delay compensation: when it applies and how much
My flight arrived late — do I have a claim, and for how much?
Applies to: European Union · United Kingdom · National law variesRules last checked:
On this page
In short
Under EU rules, compensation can be due if you reach your final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time — EUR 250, 400 or 600 depending on distance — unless the airline proves the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided.
UK rules work the same way in pounds: GBP 220, 350 or 260/520 depending on distance and, on the longest flights, on how late you arrive, when you arrive more than three hours late (the wording the CAA uses). Whether either regime covers your flight depends on where it departed from, where it landed and which airline operated it.
What to do next
- Record the actual arrival time at the final destination — the gate time is not enough.
- Keep your boarding pass and any email or app message giving the reason for the delay.
- Ask for the reason in writing; then compare it with the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ test above.
- Claim once, to the airline: do not accept vouchers unless you want them.
- Look up the national enforcement body for your flight (the departure country, or the arrival country on a flight into the EU from outside it).
What to check
Which rules cover your flight
| Regime | Flights covered | Currency of compensation |
|---|---|---|
| EU (Regulation 261/2004) | Departing from an airport in an EU Member State; and arriving in the EU from a non-EU airport on an EU (Community) carrier, unless you already received benefits or compensation there | Euro |
| UK (UK261) | Departing from a UK airport; and arriving at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline | Pounds sterling |
| Other countries | Their own law or the airline’s conditions of carriage — ask the national aviation authority of the country concerned | Varies |
You must have a confirmed reservation and, for the EU rules, have checked in at the time the airline told you in writing or, if it gave none, no later than 45 minutes before the published departure time; passengers the airline transferred from another flight are also covered. If your departure airport is not in an EU Member State, ask the national enforcement body of that country which rules apply.
What happened
The three-hour test — measured at your final destination
The regulation’s own text sets the times after which you must be looked after (2, 3 or 4 hours depending on distance), but the right to compensation was established by the Court of Justice: passengers of delayed flights are treated like passengers of cancelled flights where they reach their final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. What counts is when you arrived, not when you left.
This is measured to the final destination on the booking. On directly connecting flights, a passenger who is delayed at departure by less than the assistance thresholds but arrives at the final destination three hours or more late can still claim.
What to check
How much
| Flight distance | EU 261/2004 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | EUR 250 | GBP 220 |
| Intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km | EUR 400 | GBP 350 (UK: 1,500–3,500 km) |
| All other flights (EU) / over 3,500 km (UK) | EUR 600 | GBP 260 if 3–4 hours late; GBP 520 if over 4 hours late |
Distance is measured by the great-circle method, to the destination where the disruption delays your arrival. (For cancellations and denied boarding, where you are re-routed, the airline may reduce the compensation by 50% if you arrive within 2, 3 or 4 hours — depending on distance — of the scheduled arrival.)
When the rules may not apply
When the airline can refuse: extraordinary circumstances
The airline does not have to pay compensation if it proves that the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. The airline carries that burden of proof, and whether a given cause qualifies (for example a technical fault) is decided by courts on the facts. Do not accept a bare statement that it was ‘extraordinary’ — ask for the reason in writing.
Even when compensation is refused, the airline’s duty to care for you while you wait remains: meals and refreshments, communication and, where needed, accommodation. See the cancellation guide for the care duties, and the refund guide for reimbursement.
What to do
How to claim
- Collect: booking confirmation, boarding pass, the scheduled and actual arrival times, and the airline’s explanation.
- Write to the airline’s customer-relations department and state the flight, the delay at the final destination and the amount you are asking for.
- If the airline rejects the claim or does not reply, escalate to the national enforcement body: for a flight departing from an EU airport, that of the country of departure; for a flight arriving in the EU from a third country, that of the country of arrival. In the UK, use the CAA route described below.
- Time limits for going to court are set by national law and differ widely. Do not wait; ask the enforcement body of the relevant country what applies.
In the UK, some airlines are members of alternative dispute resolution schemes and should give you the details; where the airline is not a member and you believe the claim is valid, the CAA says it can help argue your case.
Rules being revised
The EU institutions reached a political agreement in June 2026 on revised air passenger rights; the Parliament and the Council still have to formally endorse it, and the Commission says the revised rules would apply 12 months after adoption and publication. They are not yet applicable: the rules on this page are the ones in force today.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on air passenger rights (Official Journal) — EUR-Lex, European Union
- Judgment C-402/07 Sturgeon (delay compensation, 3 hours) — Court of Justice of the EU, via EUR-Lex
- Judgment C-581/10 Nelson (3-hour loss of time) — Court of Justice of the EU, via EUR-Lex
- Judgment C-11/11 Folkerts (connecting flights) — Court of Justice of the EU, via EUR-Lex
- Flight delays — UK Civil Aviation Authority — UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Claiming for costs and compensation — UK Civil Aviation Authority — UK Civil Aviation Authority
- National enforcement bodies for passenger rights — European Commission — European Commission
- Commission welcomes agreement on revised air passenger rights (15 June 2026) — European Commission
General information to help you understand your options — not legal advice, and not a promise that any payment or refund is due to you. Your rights depend on the facts of your journey and the law that applies; check the official sources above and the carrier’s own terms.