Flight delay compensation: how much you can claim (UK261 & EU261)
Last reviewed: November 2026
In a nutshell
If your flight is covered by UK or EU rules and you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late, you may be owed fixed compensation per passenger: €250–€600 under EU261, or £220–£520 under UK261, depending on distance. The airline doesn't have to pay if it can prove "extraordinary circumstances".
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See if you're likely owed compensation, how much, and the time limit. If you are, get a ready-to-send claim letter for £9.99 / €11.99 / $14.99 per booking. You keep 100%.
Check my flight free →When does a delay qualify?
Compensation depends on how late you ARRIVE at your final destination, not how late you took off. The threshold is 3 hours. Arrival counts from when at least one aircraft door opens, not when the wheels touch the runway (EU Court of Justice, Germanwings, C-452/13). So 2 hours 59 minutes gets nothing, while 3 hours 5 minutes can qualify.
The right to compensation for long delays comes from the EU Court of Justice's ruling in Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07 and C-432/07), which treated long delays like cancellations. UK law kept the same rules after Brexit.
How much? The distance bands
Distance is the straight-line (great-circle) distance from your first departure airport to your final destination, even if you connected on the way. The amount is per passenger, so a family or group can be owed a lot. (Passengers travelling free, or on a reduced fare not available to the public, aren't covered.)
- Up to 1,500 km: €250 (EU) / £220 (UK)
- 1,500–3,500 km, and flights over 1,500 km within the EU: €400 / £350
- Over 3,500 km: €600 / £520
- Over 3,500 km but arriving between 3 and 4 hours late: half, so €300 / £260
Which flights are covered?
- Any flight departing from an EU airport (plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland): covered by EU261, whatever the airline.
- Any flight departing from a UK airport: covered by UK261, whatever the airline.
- Flights arriving in the EU or UK from elsewhere: covered only when the operating airline is an EU or UK airline.
When the airline doesn't have to pay
If the delay was caused by genuinely extraordinary circumstances that couldn't have been avoided with all reasonable measures, such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or a security alert, compensation isn't due. Ordinary technical faults, crew shortages and the airline's own staff strikes are normally NOT extraordinary. See our guide to extraordinary circumstances.
Whatever the cause, the airline must still look after you during a long delay: meals and refreshments, and a hotel if you're stuck overnight.
Quick answers
How late does my flight have to be?
You need to reach your final destination 3 hours or more late, measured from when the aircraft door opened.
Is compensation per person or per booking?
Per passenger, so each person on the booking can be owed the full amount.
Do I get compensation for a delay of 2 hours?
No fixed compensation, but the airline must still provide meals and refreshments during a long delay.
Find out if you're owed compensation
See if you're likely owed compensation, how much, and the time limit. If you are, get a ready-to-send claim letter for £9.99 / €11.99 / $14.99 per booking. You keep 100%.
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General information about UK and EU air passenger rights, not legal advice. Rules can change; check the details of your own flight.