JFK and LHR flight delay compensation

The distance between New York (JFK) and London Heathrow (LHR) is about 5,540 km. The rules treat the two ends differently, so the two directions can give different answers.

Both directions, four airline cases

Each row is a flight that lands 4 hours late with no extraordinary circumstances. The airlines are examples of how the operating airline changes the result. They are not a statement about which airlines fly this route.

Computed results between JFK and LHR
Direction	Operating airline	Result
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow	British Airways	UK261 GBP 520
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow	Delta Air Lines	Nothing owed under these rules
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow	American Airlines	Nothing owed under these rules
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines	UK261 GBP 520
London Heathrow to New York (JFK)	British Airways	UK261 GBP 520
London Heathrow to New York (JFK)	Delta Air Lines	UK261 GBP 520
London Heathrow to New York (JFK)	American Airlines	UK261 GBP 520
London Heathrow to New York (JFK)	KLM Royal Dutch Airlines	UK261 GBP 520

By length of delay, New York (JFK) to London Heathrow

Delay length and result on British Airways, JFK to LHR
Arrival delay	Result
2.5 hours	Nothing owed under these rules
3 hours	UK261 GBP 260 (up to GBP 520)
3.5 hours	UK261 GBP 260 (up to GBP 520)
4 hours	UK261 GBP 520
6 hours	UK261 GBP 520

By length of delay, London Heathrow to New York (JFK)

Delay length and result on British Airways, LHR to JFK
Arrival delay	Result
2.5 hours	Nothing owed under these rules
3 hours	UK261 GBP 260 (up to GBP 520)
3.5 hours	UK261 GBP 260 (up to GBP 520)
4 hours	UK261 GBP 520
6 hours	UK261 GBP 520

Check your flight

From

Where the trip started. For one booking with connections, the first airport.

Where the trip ended: the final destination.

Airline that operated the flight

The operating airline, not the one on the ticket. A boarding pass or the flight status page names it.

What happened

DelayedCancelledDenied boarding

Hours late

At the final destination, when the aircraft door opened. 2.5 reads as 2 h 30 min.

Minutes

Reason the airline gave

We read this to explain the result. We never decide whether it counts as extraordinary.

Flight date (optional)

Goes into the claim letter with the airline’s name. It does not change the amount.

Enter both airports and the airline to see a result.

Loading the airport list

Choose where the trip started, where it ended, the airline and what happened. The result updates as you type.

See also the airport pages for New York (JFK) and London Heathrow, the rules, the claim guide and the guide on flights between the Netherlands and the Caribbean.

Questions about this route

Which rule covers a delayed flight between New York (JFK) and London Heathrow?

It depends on the direction and on the airline that operated the flight. The table shows four airline cases each way. The rule follows the departure airport and the license of the operating airline.

How is the distance measured?

As the great circle distance between the two airports, about 5,540 km here. The figure is approximate.

Hours Late is not a law firm and not a claims company. It does not file claims for you. The results are estimates from published rules and the details you enter. They are not legal advice. Airlines and courts decide each case.

Sources

Commission Notice C/2024/5687: Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation 261/2004, read on October 10, 2026
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex, original text), read on October 10, 2026
Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law, Article 3, read on October 17, 2026
Air Passenger Protection Regulations SOR/2019-150 (consolidation showing SOR/2022-134 as last amendment), read on October 10, 2026