If your flight was delayed, you may be able to claim up to £520 per person under UK law, but only if you arrived at your destination more than three hours late and the airline was at fault. Compensation is not paid automatically, so you have to ask the airline. This guide explains how to claim compensation for a delayed flight in the UK, using the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules as published on 5 November 2026.
For information only, not financial advice.
Which flights are covered?
The UK rules (often called UK261) cover flights that:
- depart from a UK airport, on any airline;
- arrive at a UK airport on an EU or UK airline;
- arrive at an EU airport on a UK airline.
A flight from Spain to the UK on a non-EU, non-UK airline, for example, would not be covered by these UK rules. Every amount below is per person.
Delay thresholds and compensation amounts
Two different things start at different times. Care and assistance (food, drink and so on) starts once the delay passes a threshold that depends on distance. Compensation depends on how late you arrive, and for all distances you must arrive more than three hours late.
| Flight distance | Care starts after a delay of | Compensation if you arrive more than 3 hours late |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | 2 hours | £220 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours | £260 if 3 to 4 hours late; £520 if more than 4 hours late |
Distance is measured using the great circle route between airports. If you have connecting flights on one booking, care and compensation are based on the distance between your first and last airports, and arriving late at the connection point alone does not count. If you self-transfer on separate tickets, you have no statutory right to care, compensation or onward travel for a missed connection.
Extraordinary circumstances: when airlines can refuse
Compensation applies only when the airline is at fault. According to the CAA, these are examples of extraordinary circumstances where the airline does not have to pay:
- weather that makes the flight unsafe to operate;
- industrial action by third parties such as airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control or border force;
- terrorism or sabotage, security risks, and political or civil unrest;
- hidden manufacturing defects, such as a manufacturer recall that grounds a fleet.
Ordinary technical faults are not extraordinary circumstances. If an airline cites an extraordinary circumstance, it should explain what happened and why it applies.
Care and assistance while you wait
Even when you cannot get compensation, you may still be owed care once the thresholds above are passed:
- food and drink in proportion to the wait, usually as vouchers;
- two phone calls or emails;
- a hotel and transport to and from it if you are delayed overnight (some airlines may reimburse travel costs instead if you live near the airport).
If the airline does not provide this, you can arrange reasonable care yourself and claim the money back. Keep itemised receipts. Alcohol, luxury meals and luxury hotels are unlikely to be accepted. If the delay is more than five hours, you can choose not to travel and get a refund for the unused flights.
Cancelled flights
If your flight is cancelled you can choose a refund for unused parts of the ticket, or be rebooked. Care applies until you can be flown, whatever the cause. Compensation depends on notice and on the cause: you may be able to claim if you had less than 14 days’ notice, unless the cause was extraordinary. For 7 to 14 days’ notice the CAA gives these fixed sums, depending on how late the replacement flight arrives:
| Flight distance | Replacement arrives 2, 3 or 4 hours or more late (by distance) | Replacement arrives less late |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | £220 | £110 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 | £175 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 | £260 |
With less than seven days’ notice, the full amounts apply for arrivals two, three or four hours late (by distance), with £260 for long-haul arrivals under four hours late. No fixed sum is due if the replacement leaves no more than an hour before the original and arrives less than two hours after the original arrival time. Check the CAA cancellations page for the full conditions.
What to do now: how to claim step by step
- Collect evidence: booking confirmation, boarding pass, the actual arrival time, and any messages from the airline.
- Keep itemised receipts for any food, hotel or transport you paid for.
- Claim directly from the airline first, using its claim form if it has one. If not, email so you have a record. Expenses and compensation may need separate claims.
- Give details: flight number, date, route, delay length and the reason the airline gave.
- If the airline rejects the claim, ask for its reasons and check whether it relies on extraordinary circumstances.
- If it has not replied within eight weeks, or you are unhappy with its final answer, escalate to the airline’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme. If the airline is not in one, contact the CAA, which can help argue a valid case.
- If neither route works, you can consider the small claims court.
Time limits and claims companies
The CAA pages listed below do not state a deadline for claiming, so no time limit is given here. Check with your airline or ADR scheme, and do not leave a claim for long, because records are easier to find while the trip is recent.
Many claims-management companies take a share of any payout. The CAA notes that some airlines will not deal with claims made through a third party and may require you to claim directly first. Making the claim yourself with the steps above costs nothing and keeps all the money.
Any recent changes to the rules?
The amounts above are those shown on the CAA pages listed below as of 5 November 2026. Those pages show no new rules, so treat the figures as current, but check the CAA site before you claim in case anything has changed.
Booking a trip soon? Our guides to finding cheap flights and searching budget carriers can help, and EU entry system changes are worth knowing before you fly to Europe.
FAQ
How late must my flight be to claim compensation in the UK?
You must arrive at your final destination more than three hours late. Longer delays on long-haul flights pay more, up to £520 for a delay of more than four hours on flights over 3,500 km.
Can I claim if my flight was delayed by bad weather?
Usually not. Weather that makes a flight unsafe counts as an extraordinary circumstance. You may still be owed food, drink and a hotel while you wait.
Do I need a claims company to get my money?
No. Compensation is claimed directly from the airline, and you can escalate to an ADR scheme or the CAA if needed. A claims company may take a cut and some airlines will not deal with them first.
Bottom line
If you arrived more than three hours late and the airline was at fault, you can claim £220, £350 or £260 to £520, depending on distance. Claim directly, keep your receipts, and escalate to ADR or the CAA if you are refused. For information only, not financial advice.
Sources
- CAA: Delays
- CAA: Cancellations
- CAA: Am I entitled to compensation?
- CAA: Claiming for costs and compensation
- CAA: What to do if your claim is rejected
