Delayed or cancelled flight: when you're owed £220–£520 or €250–€600 (UK261 and EU261)
Arrive 3 hours late or have your flight cancelled and you may be owed £220–£520 under UK261 or €250–€600 under EU261. How to claim, how long you have and what the EU reform changes.
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- Arrive 3 hours or more late, or have your flight cancelled less than 14 days before departure, and you’re usually owed compensation.
- Under UK rules (UK261) it’s £220, £350 or £520; under EU rules (EU261, including flights from Ireland) it’s €250, €400 or €600 – unless there were extraordinary circumstances such as a storm or an air traffic control strike.
- Whatever the cause, the airline must give you food, drink and, if needed, a hotel at the airport. You claim from the airline first.
- In England and Wales you have up to 6 years to claim (5 in Scotland). The EU reform (Regulation 2026/2202) applies from 23 October 2027 – to flights covered by EU261, not UK261.
Checked: 15 November 2026. Sources at the end of the article.
UK261 or EU261 – which rules apply to my flight?
Since Brexit there are two almost identical sets of rules: the EU’s Regulation 261/2004 and its UK version, kept in UK law and known as UK261. Which one applies depends on where you fly from and which airline you fly with.
| Your flight | Rules | Who enforces them |
|---|---|---|
| Departing from the UK, any airline | UK261 | Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) |
| Arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline | UK261 | Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) |
| Departing from Ireland or another EU country, any airline | EU261 | the regulator in the country of departure – in Ireland, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) |
| Arriving in the EU from outside the EU on an EU airline | EU261 | the regulator in the country of arrival |
EU261 also covers flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. On connecting flights booked as one journey, what counts is the delay at your final destination, not on the first leg. You can’t claim twice for the same delay under both sets of rules.
When am I owed compensation for a delayed flight?
When you reach your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It’s the arrival time that counts, not the departure time – and the airline doesn’t have to pay if the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
How much compensation will I get?
| Flight distance | UK261 | EU261 |
|---|---|---|
| up to 1,500 km | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km (EU261: also all intra-EU flights over 1,500 km) | £350 | €400 |
| over 3,500 km | £520 (£260 if 3–4 hours late) | €600 (€300 if 3–4 hours late) |
The amount doesn’t depend on what you paid. A bargain fare earns the same compensation as an expensive last-minute ticket.
What if my flight is cancelled?
You’re owed the same compensation if the airline told you about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure. The exception: if you were offered an alternative flight at similar times, the airline may not have to pay. Either way, you can choose between a refund of your ticket and an alternative flight to your destination.
When doesn’t the airline have to pay?
When it can show the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that couldn’t have been avoided – for example severe weather, air traffic control decisions, security risks, political instability or strikes by people outside the airline, such as airport staff.
Most technical faults with the aircraft and strikes by the airline’s own staff are usually not extraordinary circumstances. It’s up to the airline to prove the cause, not the passenger.
What must the airline provide at the airport?
You’re always entitled to care, even when there are extraordinary circumstances. The airline must provide food and drink in proportion to the wait and, if your flight is moved to the next day, a hotel and transport to it. Care starts after a delay of:
- 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km,
- 3 hours on flights of 1,500–3,500 km (and intra-EU flights over 1,500 km),
- 4 hours on all other flights.
If your departure is delayed by 5 hours or more, you can choose not to travel and get your money back. If the airline doesn’t hand out meal vouchers, keep your receipts and claim them back later.
How do I claim compensation?
- Gather evidence: boarding pass, booking confirmation, a screenshot showing your arrival time, receipts for food or a hotel.
- Claim from the airline that operated the flight. Most have a form on their website. Compensation isn’t paid automatically.
- UK flights – no answer within 8 weeks, or you disagree with it? If the airline belongs to an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, take your complaint there. If it doesn’t, go to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT). Both are free.
- Flights from Ireland – no answer within 8 weeks, or you disagree with it? Contact the Air Passenger Rights team at the Irish Aviation Authority. You can also go to the Small Claims Court or use the European Small Claims Procedure.
- The last resort is court. For a few hundred pounds or euros, the small claims track is usually enough.
You can also hand your claim to a compensation company, but it will keep part of the payout as its fee. Claiming yourself costs nothing.
How long do I have to claim?
Neither UK261 nor EU261 sets a deadline, so national law decides. In England and Wales, the Court of Appeal confirmed in 2014 (Dawson v Thomson Airways) that you have 6 years; in Scotland it’s 5 years. In Ireland a limitation period also applies under Irish law – the safest approach, wherever you live, is to claim as soon as you’re home.
What will the EU reform change – and does it affect UK flights?
The reform has been adopted. It’s Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of 16 September 2026, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 2 October 2026. The new rules apply from 23 October 2027. Until then, the current rules described above apply.
The reform changes EU261 only, so it covers flights from Ireland and the rest of the EU, and flights into the EU on EU airlines. UK261 is not affected unless the UK decides to change its own rules.
The Council of the EU wanted to raise the threshold to 4–6 hours, but the European Parliament refused. In the end:
- the threshold stays at 3 hours, and the amounts stay at €250, €400 and €600,
- on the longest flights the airline may halve the €600 if the delay doesn’t exceed 4 hours and further conditions are met,
- you’ll have to submit your claim within 9 months of the flight,
- the airline will have 30 days to pay or explain its refusal, and must send you information on how to claim within 96 hours of your journey,
- there will be a list of example extraordinary circumstances, and in those cases the airline may limit hotel stays to 3 nights,
- an airline won’t be able to cancel your return flight because you didn’t take the outbound one.
Sources
Checked 15 November 2026.
- Civil Aviation Authority: Delays (UK261 amounts, care, ADR and PACT)
- Court of Appeal (England and Wales): Dawson v Thomson Airways Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 845 (6-year limitation period)
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex)
- European Commission, Your Europe: Air passenger rights
- Irish Aviation Authority: Air Passenger Rights, FAQ
- Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, OJ L of 2 October 2026 (Article 3: applies from 23 October 2027)
- European Parliament, Legislative Observatory: procedure 2013/0072(COD); EP press release, 15 June 2026: Deal on air passenger rights
- European Commission, 15 June 2026: Commission welcomes landmark agreement on revised air passenger rights
Important: this article is for general information only and reflects the situation on the date it was checked (shown above). Airline, airport and government rules can change at any time. Before you travel, always check the latest information directly with your airline, the airport or the official source. This article is not legal advice, and Eternitive is not responsible for decisions made solely on the basis of it.
