How much flight delay compensation am I owed?

Fixed amounts per person under UK261, set by flight distance: £220 for flights under 1,500km (e.g. UK to Amsterdam), £350 for 1,500–3,500km (e.g. UK to Marrakesh), and for flights over 3,500km (e.g. London to New York) £260 if you arrive 3–4 hours late or £520 if more than 4 hours late. It's per passenger — a family of four on a long delay can be owed over £2,000 — and it's compensation on top of, not instead of, any refund or rebooking.

Which flights does UK261 cover?

Any flight departing a UK airport (whatever the airline), plus flights arriving into the UK on a UK or EU carrier. Flights departing the EU are covered by the near-identical EU261 with amounts in euros. Package holiday? You also have separate rights against the tour operator.

What do I get while I'm stuck waiting?

Separate from compensation: once a delay passes around 2–4 hours (by distance), the airline must provide care — food and drink (often as vouchers), access to communication, and a hotel plus transfers if you're delayed overnight. This applies even when the cause is extraordinary circumstances. If the airline doesn't provide it, keep receipts for reasonable costs and claim them back.

Flight delay compensation

Q: When does the airline have to pay?

When you arrived at your destination 3+ hours late (measured by doors opening, not take-off), your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding — AND the cause was within the airline's control. Technical faults, crew shortages and most airline operational problems count. 'Extraordinary circumstances' — severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security alerts, airport-wide strikes — don't. Airlines lean on that excuse hard; if their explanation feels thin, challenge it.

Q: Do I need a claims company?

No — and they typically take 25–50% of YOUR compensation for filling in a form you can do in 15 minutes. Claim free: airline's own claim form first (keep boarding passes, booking confirmation and delay evidence), then if refused escalate free to the airline's ADR scheme (most UK airlines belong to one) or the CAA, and as a last resort the small claims court — in England and Wales you have up to 6 years to claim.

When the airline owes you

Three triggers, all measured at your final destination (and a delay counts from when the doors open, not when you take off):

Delay: you arrived 3 or more hours late.
Cancellation: told less than 14 days before departure (re-routing timings can adjust this — but under 7 days’ notice with a significantly later arrival almost always qualifies).
Denied boarding: bumped because the flight was oversold — compensation is owed on the spot.

Flight distance	Example	Per person
Under 1,500km	London → Amsterdam	£220
1,500–3,500km	Manchester → Marrakesh	£350
Over 3,500km, 3–4 hrs late	London → New York	£260
Over 3,500km, 4+ hrs late	London → New York	£520

Which flights: anything departing a UK airport (any airline), plus flights arriving into the UK on a UK or EU carrier. EU departures carry the near-identical EU261 in euros.
On top, not instead: compensation is separate from your refund or replacement flight — and from the care owed while you wait (food, drinks, communication, and a hotel + transfers if it’s overnight).

The “extraordinary circumstances” excuse Airlines don’t pay when the cause was genuinely outside their control — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, security alerts. But technical faults and crew shortages usually DO count as the airline’s problem, and carriers have a long record of stretching the excuse. If their reason feels thin, ask in writing exactly what the circumstance was — and escalate. Don’t take the first “no” as the answer.

Claim it yourself — free, 15 minutes

Gather: booking confirmation, boarding passes, the delay/cancellation notification, and your actual arrival time (screenshots of flight-tracker pages work). Keep receipts for food/hotel if care wasn’t provided — those are claimable too.
Use the airline’s own compensation form (every UK carrier has one — search “[airline] EU261/UK261 claim”). Quote UK261, state the distance band and the fixed amount per passenger, and give your bank details — you don’t have to accept vouchers.
One claim per passenger on the booking — children included.

Never pay a claims firm “No-win-no-fee” flight-claim companies typically take 25–50% plus VAT of your fixed-amount compensation for submitting the same free form. The amounts are set by law — there is nothing to negotiate. The only time professional help earns its keep is a complex court case, and even then small claims is built for doing it yourself.

Refused? Escalate free

Step 1 — ADR: most UK airlines belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme (AviationADR, CEDR). It’s free for passengers and the decision binds the airline.
Step 2 — the CAA: where an airline has no ADR scheme, the Civil Aviation Authority’s passenger complaints route takes it up.
Step 3 — small claims: the backstop with teeth. In England & Wales you have up to 6 years to claim, the fee starts at £35 and comes back if you win — the full route is here. Airlines very often pay once court papers arrive.

Package holiday? You hold a second set of rights against the tour operator under the Package Travel Regulations — price reductions and compensation for the holiday itself, on top of any UK261 claim against the airline. Two doors, both open.

Do this now

Dig out the booking email and boarding passes, check your arrival time against the table above, and put the claim in on the airline’s own form tonight — quote UK261, fixed amount per passenger, bank transfer not vouchers.

Knocked back with a vague excuse? Ask for the specific circumstance in writing, then go ADR → CAA → small claims. Track the claim as a case in My Sorted.

Flight compensation — common questions

How much am I owed?

Fixed per person by distance: £220 under 1,500km, £350 for 1,500–3,500km, £260 (3–4 hours late) or £520 (4+ hours) over 3,500km. Per passenger, children included, on top of any refund.

When does the airline have to pay?

Arrived 3+ hours late, cancelled with under 14 days' notice, or denied boarding — where the cause was in the airline's control. Technical faults and crew shortages count; severe weather and ATC restrictions don't.

Do I need a claims company?

No — they take 25–50% of a fixed legal amount for filling in the airline's free form. Claim direct, escalate free to ADR or the CAA, small claims as the backstop.

What about food and hotels during the delay?

Separate care duties: meals, drinks, communication, and a hotel with transfers if overnight — owed even in extraordinary circumstances. Not provided? Keep receipts and claim reasonable costs back.

How long do I have?

Up to 6 years in England & Wales (5 in Scotland) — so last summer's ruined trip, and the one before it, may still be claimable.

Sources Compensation amounts, triggers and care duties · CAA — delays + CAA — am I entitled (UK Reg (EU) No. 261/2004). Cross-check · Citizens Advice. Six-year claim window · Limitation Act 1980 (E&W). Package holidays · Package Travel Regulations 2018. SortedUK is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed: 11 June 2026.

Flight 3+ hours late? The airline owes you £220 to £520. Each.

When the airline owes you

Claim it yourself — free, 15 minutes

Refused? Escalate free

Flight compensation — common questions

One scan. Every UK money route you may be owed.