How much compensation for a delayed flight?

The amount you can claim for a delayed flight isn't a guess or a negotiation. It's fixed by law, and it depends mainly on one thing: how far the flight went. This guide shows how the amount is worked out, with real routes from London, Manchester and Dublin.

How much compensation do you get for a delayed flight?

If you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control, you're owed a fixed sum per passenger.

The same amounts apply to cancellations with less than 14 days' notice and to denied boarding.

What doesn't matter: the price of your ticket, the cabin you sat in, or how much the delay cost you. A £30 seat and a £3,000 seat on the same flight are owed the same sum.

The three-hour rule comes from the EU Court of Justice in Sturgeon (2009). It's part of UK law too.

Which table applies: pounds or euros?

It depends mainly on where the flight took off.

• Flights from a UK airport: UK261, in pounds, whatever the airline.
• Flights from an EU airport: EC261, in euros, whatever the airline.
• Flights into the UK from outside: UK261 if the airline is a UK or EU airline.
• Flights into the EU from outside: EC261 if the airline is an EU airline.

So a delayed Heathrow to Malaga flight is in pounds, and the delayed return from Malaga is in euros. Our guide to UK261 vs EC261 has the full detail.

How is the distance measured?

In a straight line, airport to airport, along the shortest path over the earth's surface (called the great-circle distance). It isn't the route the plane actually flew, and it isn't the distance printed on your ticket.

If you had a connection on one booking, it's the straight line from your first airport to your final destination, not the two flights added together. The EU Court of Justice confirmed this in Bossen v Brussels Airlines (2017).

How much for common routes from London and Manchester?

These distances are great-circle, airport to airport, rounded. All are UK departures, so the amounts are UK261.

Notice how close some routes are to the lines. Palma from Heathrow is £220; Palma from Manchester is £350. Larnaca from Manchester only just stays in the middle band.

How much for flights from Dublin?

Dublin is in the EU, so flights from there are covered by EC261, in euros.

Why is Dublin to Larnaca €400 and not €600?

Because of a special rule for flights inside the EU. Under EC261, any flight between two EU airports over 1,500 km is €400, however far it goes. Dublin and Larnaca are both in the EU, so the top band doesn't apply even though the flight is over 3,500 km.

The same goes for flights to EU territory a long way from mainland Europe. The Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores are part of the EU, and so are France's overseas departments such as Guadeloupe and Réunion. A flight from Paris to Guadeloupe, over 6,700 km, is €400.

When can the airline pay half?

The law lets the airline cut the amount by 50% in some cases. It comes from Article 7(2) of the regulation.

For a delay, in practice it only matters on long flights. If the flight was over 3,500 km (and not inside the EU) and you arrived between three and four hours late, the airline can pay half:

• £260 instead of £520 under UK261;
• €300 instead of €600 under EC261.

Four hours or more and the full amount is due. On a Heathrow to New York flight, arriving 3 hours 50 minutes late or 4 hours 5 minutes late is the difference between £260 and £520.

For a cancellation where the airline put you on another flight, the half-rate rule can apply on any distance, if the replacement got you there within two, three or four hours of your original arrival depending on distance. See our guide to being rebooked onto a later flight.

Is compensation per person or per booking?

Per person. Every passenger on the booking is owed the full amount, including children with their own seat.

An example. A family of four flies Manchester to Tenerife South, about 3,050 km. The flight lands five hours late because of a technical fault. That's 4 × £350 = £1,400.

Another. Two adults and a child fly Dublin to Malaga and arrive three and a half hours late because of a crew shortage. That's 3 × €400 = €1,200.

Infants on a lap with no seat of their own and a free or non-public fare are generally not covered.

Does the amount change if the airline had a good reason?

No. If the cause was genuinely extraordinary (severe weather that stopped your flight, an air traffic control restriction), nothing is owed. If it wasn't, the full amount is owed. There's no middle ground where the airline pays less because it tried hard. See extraordinary circumstances explained.

The amount is also separate from what the airline must give you on the day: meals, a hotel, a refund or a new flight. Those are owed on top. See what the airline owes you during a delay.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation for a 3-hour delay?

£220, £350 or £520 per passenger for UK departures, depending on distance. On flights over 3,500 km, a delay of three to four hours can be halved to £260.

Do children get the same compensation as adults?

Yes. Every passenger with a seat on the booking gets the full amount.

Is compensation based on the ticket price?

No. It's fixed by distance. The ticket price makes no difference.

Does a flight booked with air miles count?

Yes. Tickets issued under a frequent flyer scheme are covered in the same way as paid tickets.

Can the airline pay me in vouchers instead?

Only if you agree in writing. Otherwise you're entitled to the money.