easyJet delay compensation: how much and how to claim

easyJet flies more people around the UK and Europe than almost any other airline, so when it runs late, a lot of passengers are owed money. This guide covers what you can claim, how easyJet handles claims, and what happens if it says no.

Can I claim compensation from easyJet?

Yes, if three things are true.

• The flight is covered. Every easyJet flight that leaves a UK or EU airport is covered. Flights into the UK or EU are covered too when they are run by a UK or EU easyJet company, which in practice is nearly all of them.
• Something went wrong enough. You arrived at your final destination three hours or more late, or the flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure, or you were denied boarding because the flight was full.
• It was easyJet's problem. A technical fault, a crew shortage, a late incoming aircraft caused by an earlier easyJet problem. Not a genuine storm at the airport or an air traffic control restriction.

It is the arrival time that counts, not the departure time. The EU Court of Justice set the three-hour rule for delays in Sturgeon (2009), and it applies to UK flights too.

How much does easyJet have to pay?

The amount is fixed by distance. It has nothing to do with what you paid for the ticket.

For flights between two EU airports over 1,500 km, the amount is €400 however far the flight goes.

Most easyJet routes fall in the first two bands. Some typical examples, measured airport to airport:

• Gatwick to Geneva, about 715 km: £220.
• Gatwick to Malaga, about 1,645 km: £350.
• Gatwick to Tenerife South, about 2,910 km: £350.
• Gatwick to Hurghada, about 3,900 km: £520 (though the airline can halve it if you arrived between three and four hours late).

Every passenger on the booking gets the full amount, including children with their own seat. A family of four delayed four hours from Gatwick to Malaga would be owed 4 × £350 = £1,400.

Which easyJet company do I claim from?

easyJet is really three airlines under one brand:

• easyJet Airline Company Limited, based in the UK;
• easyJet Europe Airline GmbH, based in Austria;
• easyJet Switzerland S.A.

The one that operated your flight is the one that owes you. It matters most for flights coming into the UK or EU from outside, and for which country's courts and time limits apply. You don't need to work it out yourself: we identify the operating company from the flight before the claim goes out.

How do I claim from easyJet?

easyJet has its own online claim form, and its terms ask passengers to use it. You can, for free. If the delay was clearly easyJet's fault and you have your booking details, it can work.

You are also entitled to use someone to claim for you. When you claim through Skyfare, we send the claim to easyJet ourselves from day one, with your booking reference, the flight details and a signed authority to act. You don't file anything with the airline, and you don't chase it.

What we need from you:

• the booking reference and names of everyone on the booking;
• a boarding pass or booking confirmation;
• photo ID, so the airline can match you to the booking;
• a signed authority (we prepare it; you sign on screen).

How long does easyJet take to reply?

We allow easyJet 28 days to respond to a claim. If it hasn't, we chase. If it refuses, we reply in writing with the law and the evidence and set a deadline.

Clear-cut claims often settle at this stage. When they don't, the timeline is longer; see how long flight compensation takes for honest ranges at each stage.

What does easyJet say when it refuses?

The refusals tend to fall into a few groups.

"Extraordinary circumstances." Sometimes true: a thunderstorm over the airport, an air traffic control slot restriction. Often not. A technical fault is not extraordinary; the Court of Appeal settled that in Huzar v Jet2.com in 2014, and it applies to every airline. Read more in our guide to technical fault delays.

"The delay was caused by an earlier flight." easyJet aircraft fly many short hops a day, so one problem in the morning can ripple through to the evening. A knock-on delay is only extraordinary if the original cause was. If the first flight was late because of a fault or a crew shortage, the airline still owes you.

"Industrial action." A strike by air traffic controllers is usually outside the airline's control. A strike by easyJet's own crew is a different matter; see airline strike compensation.

"The delay was under three hours." Check it against the scheduled arrival time. The delay is measured when the doors open at the gate and passengers can get off, not when the wheels touch the runway.

What if easyJet still won't pay?

If easyJet won't move after the reply, there are two routes.

• A complaint to an independent body. For UK flights this is either an approved dispute scheme, if the airline belongs to one, or the Civil Aviation Authority's complaints team if it doesn't. We check easyJet's current membership before every escalation, because these change. For EU departures, it is the enforcement body of the country the flight left from.
• Court. In England and Wales, a claim of this size goes on the small claims track and can be started online. Airlines frequently settle before a hearing.

How long do I have to claim?

For flights from the UK, you have six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. For flights from EU countries, the limit depends on the country. See claiming for a delay from years ago for the detail.

What else is easyJet obliged to do on the day?

While you wait, easyJet has to look after you: food and drink once the delay passes two hours on a short flight, a hotel and transfers if you are stuck overnight. If it doesn't, keep the receipts. This is separate from compensation and applies even when the cause is extraordinary. Our guide to what the airline owes you during a delay covers the limits.

You can see how we handle easyJet claims on our easyJet airline page.

Frequently asked questions

Does easyJet pay compensation for delays over 3 hours?

It has to, if you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late and the cause was within easyJet's control. The amount is £220, £350 or £520 for UK departures, depending on distance.

Can I get compensation and a refund from easyJet?

If your flight was cancelled, yes: the refund (or a new flight) is one right, compensation is another, and late notice can trigger both. See refund vs compensation.

I accepted an easyJet voucher. Can I still claim?

Usually yes. A voucher only replaces compensation if you agreed in writing to take it instead. A voucher handed out at the airport for food is not compensation at all.

Does it matter that my ticket was cheap?

No. A £25 ticket and a £250 ticket on the same delayed flight are owed the same amount.

Do children get compensation too?

Yes, every passenger with a seat on the booking is owed the full amount, including children. Infants on a lap with no seat of their own and a free or non-public fare are generally not covered.