Rules / UK261
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it has effect in UK law · checked 2026-10-20
UK261 compensation
UK261 pays a fixed £220, £350 or £520 per passenger, by flight distance, when you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late, when a flight is cancelled at short notice, or when you are bumped — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.
- 1Cash from 3 h late
- 2Law Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (UK)
- 3Notice cut-off 14 days
- 4Claim within 6 years (E&W)
Who UK261 covers
- Every flight departing an airport in the United Kingdom, whatever the airline (Article 3(1)(a)).
- Flights into the UK from another country when the operating airline is a UK or EU carrier (Article 3(1)(b)(i)).
- Flights into the EU from outside the UK when the operating airline is a UK carrier (Article 3(1)(b)(ii)).
Of the 53 routes on this site, 41 can fall under UK261: 18 whatever the airline in at least one direction, and 23 only when the airline is of the right nationality. The UK version keeps the EU text almost word for word but swaps the money into pounds and the territory to the UK, and it reaches EU airlines flying into the UK.
UK261 amounts by distance
| Distance | 3+ h late | Halved (re-routed) | Care from (departure delay) | Re-route window for half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | £220 | £110 | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 | £175 | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| over 3,500 km | £520 (£260 if 3–4 h) | £260 | 4 hours | 4 hours |
Distance is the great circle between the departure airport and the final destination on the booking — so a connection that makes you 3 hours late at the end of the trip is measured over the whole journey, not the leg that went wrong. Unlike EU261, the UK text has no separate intra-EU category: anything over 3,500 km is in the top band. The reduced long-haul figure for arriving 3 to 4 hours late is the one the Civil Aviation Authority publishes.
Worked examples
Each example uses a route from this site, its computed distance and the UK261 table above.
| Route | Distance | 3 h 30 late | 5 h late | Cancelled, 5 days' notice, re-routed 1 h 30 late |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHR–DUB | 449 km | £220 | £220 | £0 |
| MAN–AGP | 1,862 km | £350 | £350 | £0 |
| LHR–JFK | 5,540 km | £260 | £520 | £0 |
| BER–PMI | 1,646 km | £350 | £350 | £0 |
London to Dublin is 449 km, so 5 hours late on a 449 km flight (1,500 km or less): £220 per passenger. Manchester to Málaga is 1,862 km, so 5 hours late on a 1,862 km flight (1,500 to 3,500 km): £350 per passenger. London to New York is 5,540 km, so 5 hours late on a 5,540 km flight (over 3,500 km): £520 per passenger. Berlin to Palma de Mallorca is 1,646 km, so 5 hours late on a 1,646 km flight (1,500 to 3,500 km): £350 per passenger.
Cancellations and bumping
A cancellation pays the same band amounts unless the airline told you at least 14 days before departure, or between 7 and 13 days before with a replacement leaving no more than 2 hours early and arriving less than 4 hours late, or less than 7 days before with a replacement leaving no more than 1 hour early and arriving less than 2 hours late. If you are re-routed and land within the window in the table — 2, 3 or 4 hours by band — the airline may halve the payment. Being denied boarding against your will pays the full band amount straight away, with the same halving rule. On a cancellation you can also choose a refund of the ticket within 7 days instead of a replacement flight, and a delay of 5 hours or more gives the same choice.
Extraordinary circumstances and other exceptions
UK261 pays nothing if the airline "can prove" the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken (Article 5(3)). The Court of Justice held in Sturgeon that a technical problem is not extraordinary unless it stems from events not inherent in the airline's normal activity. Weather that closes an airport, air traffic control restrictions and security alerts usually are. The burden is on the airline, so a refusal should say what happened. Care is owed whatever the cause.
How to claim UK261 for free
1. Claim directly from the airline first; compensation is not paid automatically.
2. If the airline's final answer is unsatisfactory, or it has not answered within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body the airline belongs to, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it belongs to none.
Deadline: Six years in England and Wales for a sum recoverable under an enactment (Limitation Act 1980, s. 9). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. (Limitation Act 1980, section 9 (legislation.gov.uk))
Give the airline the booking reference, the flight number and date, the scheduled and actual arrival times and the names of everyone on the booking. Ask for compensation under Article 7 and, separately, reimbursement of any meals or hotel you paid for under Article 9. Keep receipts. A claim company can do the same, for a share of the payout; their published fees are in the comparison guide.
What the text says
"£220 for all flights of 1500 kilometres or less; £350 for all flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres; £520 for all flights not falling under (a) or (b)."
"The distances given in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be measured by the great circle route method."
"you may be entitled to claim compensation if you arrive more than three hours late at your destination airport"
Routes under UK261
LHR–JFK · LHR–LAX · LHR–YYZ · LHR–DXB · LHR–BOS · LHR–DUB · LHR–CDG · LHR–FRA · LHR–AMS · LGW–BCN · MAN–AGP · MAN–TFS · EDI–AMS · LGW–FAO · LHR–ATH · LHR–HEL · LHR–EDI · LHR–GLA · CDG–NCE* · MAD–BCN* · FRA–MUC* · AMS–BCN* · BER–PMI* · FCO–ATH* · HEL–TFS* · LIS–HEL* · DUB–FAO* · MAD–TFS* · CDG–ATH* · CDG–JFK* · FRA–JFK* · AMS–JFK* · MAD–MIA* · FCO–JFK* · DUB–BOS* · LIS–EWR* · CDG–YUL* · MUC–YYZ* · AMS–DXB* · CDG–CUN* · AMS–SFO*
* Covered only with an airline of the right nationality (see the route page).
By distance band: Up to 1,500 km (13), 1,500 to 3,500 km (5), Over 3,500 km (17), Within the EU, over 1,500 km (6).
Sources: UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk); UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 3 (legislation.gov.uk); UK Civil Aviation Authority: Delays; Limitation Act 1980, section 9 (legislation.gov.uk). Checked 2026-10-20. General information, not legal advice.