When the flight on a package holiday is late, people often aren't sure who to complain to: the airline, or the holiday company that sold them the whole trip. The answer is that both can owe you something, under two different sets of rules. Here's how they fit together.
HOLIDAYS
Delayed on a package holiday: what can you claim?
Flight delayed on a package holiday? Compensation from the airline, what the holiday company owes you separately, schedule changes, and how they fit.
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On this page
- Can I claim flight delay compensation on a package holiday?
- How much compensation for a delayed holiday flight?
- What does the holiday company owe me?
- Can I claim from both the airline and the holiday company?
- What if the airline and the holiday company are the same group?
- What if my holiday flight times were changed before I travelled?
- What about a cancelled holiday flight: who refunds me?
- Who looks after me at the airport?
- What if the holiday company goes bust?
- How do I claim?
- Frequently asked questions
Can I claim flight delay compensation on a package holiday?
Yes. The compensation rules for delays and cancellations, UK261 and EC261, apply to flights that are part of a package just as they do to flights booked on their own.
The usual conditions apply:
- the flight left a UK or EU airport, or arrived in the UK or EU on a UK or EU airline;
- you arrived three hours or more late, or the flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding;
- the cause was within the airline's control.
The fixed compensation is owed by the airline that operated the flight, not by the holiday company. Booking through a tour operator doesn't take that right away.
How much compensation for a delayed holiday flight?
The same as any other flight, by distance.
| Flight distance | UK departures (UK261) | EU departures (EC261) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 | €600 |
Some typical holiday routes, measured airport to airport:
- Gatwick to Antalya, about 2,910 km: £350.
- Manchester to Dalaman, about 3,025 km: £350.
- Manchester to Hurghada, about 4,145 km: £520 (or £260 if you arrived between three and four hours late).
- Gatwick to Cancún, about 7,975 km: £520.
It's per person, including children with their own seat. A family of four delayed five hours from Manchester to Dalaman would be owed 4 × £350 = £1,400.
See how much compensation for a delayed flight for more routes and the half-rate rule.
What does the holiday company owe me?
Separately from the flight rules, the company that put the package together, called the organiser, has its own duties. In the UK, they come from the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
The organiser is responsible for delivering everything in the package, including the flights, the hotel and any transfers. If part of it isn't provided as agreed, you may be entitled to:
- a price reduction for the part of the holiday that wasn't as promised;
- damages for loss you suffered as a result;
- help if you're in difficulty during the trip.
So if a long delay cost you a night of your holiday, or you missed a transfer you'd paid for, the organiser may owe you for that. This is a claim against the holiday company, not the airline.
Can I claim from both the airline and the holiday company?
Yes, but you can't be paid twice for the same thing. The law says compensation from one is taken into account against compensation from the other where they cover the same loss.
In practice:
- the airline owes the fixed compensation for the delay itself;
- the organiser may owe more for losses that fixed sum doesn't cover, such as lost hotel nights or a missed excursion you'd paid for as part of the package.
How much the organiser owes on top depends on the facts and on what the airline has already paid.
What if the airline and the holiday company are the same group?
With some holiday companies, the airline and the tour operator are part of the same business. The flight compensation is still owed by the airline that operated the flight, and the package duties still sit with the organiser. See our guides to TUI flight delays and Jet2 delays.
What if my holiday flight times were changed before I travelled?
Holiday flights are often retimed weeks or months ahead. Two sets of rules apply.
Under the flight rules, a flight cancelled or substantially changed 14 days or more before departure doesn't give a right to compensation. With less notice, it might, depending on the new times. See being rebooked onto a later flight.
Under the package rules, if the organiser makes a significant change to the package before you travel, it has to tell you, and you can usually choose between accepting the change or cancelling the package for a full refund. A large change to flight times can count as significant.
What about a cancelled holiday flight: who refunds me?
If a package flight is cancelled, the refund comes through the organiser under the package rules, not from the airline. The flight rules say so expressly. But if the cancellation came with less than 14 days' notice and wasn't caused by extraordinary circumstances, the compensation is still owed by the airline. See refund vs compensation.
Who looks after me at the airport?
The airline must provide meals and refreshments while you wait, and a hotel and transfers if you're stuck overnight, even when the cause is extraordinary. On a package, the organiser also has a duty to help you if you're in difficulty. In practice, the airline or its handling agent usually arranges this at the airport. Keep receipts for anything you pay yourself.
What if the holiday company goes bust?
Most flight-inclusive packages sold in the UK are ATOL protected. If the organiser fails, ATOL protection covers getting you home or refunding the holiday. That's separate from any delay compensation, which is still a claim against the airline.
How do I claim?
For the flight compensation, you can claim from the airline yourself, or we can send the claim from day one with your booking details and a signed authority to act. You'll need the package booking confirmation showing the flight, the names of everyone travelling, and photo ID.
For the package claim, contact the organiser in writing, explain what went wrong and what it cost you, and keep copies of everything.
You have six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to claim flight compensation for UK departures, and five years in Scotland. See claiming for an old delay.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I claim flight compensation from the airline or the tour operator?
From the airline that operated the flight. The holiday company has separate duties for the package as a whole.
Is compensation the same on a package holiday?
Yes. The amounts are fixed by distance and are the same whether you booked a package or a flight on its own.
Can I get money for the holiday days I lost?
Possibly, from the organiser, as a price reduction for the part of the package you didn't get. It's separate from the airline's fixed compensation, but you can't be paid twice for the same loss.
My holiday flight was moved by 12 hours three months ago. Can I claim?
Not flight compensation, because you were told more than 14 days ahead. But a big change may let you cancel the package for a full refund, if you do so when the organiser tells you.
