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UK261 compensation: amounts and who is covered

UK261 pays GBP 220, GBP 350 or GBP 520 per passenger for long delays and short notice cancellations on flights that leave the UK or arrive on a UK or EU airline. Legal basis: Regulation 261/2004 Article 7 as retained in UK law; UK CAA guidance.

Updated

Amounts

UK261 compensation by distance
DistanceAmount per passenger
Up to 1,500 kmGBP 220
Over 1,500 km, up to 3,500 kmGBP 350
Over 3,500 kmGBP 520

The 3 to 4 hour figure

On a flight over 3,500 km that lands 3 to under 4 hours late, the UK Civil Aviation Authority says GBP 260. At 4 hours or more the amount is GBP 520. UK261 has no special rule for flights between EU states.

Which flights are covered

  • Flights that depart from a UK airport, on any airline.
  • Flights that arrive in the UK from elsewhere, when the operating airline is a UK or EU airline.
  • Flights that arrive in the EU from a third country on a UK airline.

Delay and cancellation tests

The delay test is 3 hours or more at the final destination. The cancellation notice rules follow the EU261 table.

Cancellation notice and what a replacement flight changes
Notice before departureCompensation
14 days or moreNone.
Under 14 days, down to 7 daysNone if the replacement leaves no more than 2 hours before the original time and lands less than 4 hours late.
Under 7 daysNone if the replacement leaves no more than 1 hour before the original time and lands less than 2 hours late.

Extraordinary circumstances

The airline does not owe compensation when the cause was outside its normal operation and reasonable measures could not have avoided it. Courts read this strictly and decide case by case. Hours Late never decides it for you. See the extraordinary circumstances guide.

Usually accepted as extraordinary

  • Weather
  • External strikes (air traffic control, airport staff, border force)
  • Terrorism or sabotage
  • Security risks
  • Political or civil unrest
  • Hidden manufacturing defect

Usually not accepted

  • Technical faults

Worked examples

Examples computed with the Hours Late calculator
FlightDistanceResult
New York to London on British Airways, 4 hours late5,540 kmUK261 GBP 520
New York to London on British Airways, 3 hours late5,540 kmUK261 GBP 260 (up to GBP 520)
London to New York on Delta, 5 hours late5,540 kmUK261 GBP 520
New York to London on Delta, 5 hours late5,540 kmNothing owed under these rules

Try your own flight

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

Where the trip ended: the final destination.

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

What happened

At the final destination, when the aircraft door opened.

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

Carried into the claim letter. It does not change the amount.

Results

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.

Questions about UK261

Is UK261 the same as EU261?
It started as the same law and now sits in UK legislation. The tests and the distance bands match, the amounts are in pounds, and the long flight 3 to 4 hour figure is set by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. You can claim under one rule set for the same disruption.
Does UK261 cover a flight from New York to London?
Only when the airline is a UK or EU airline. British Airways is covered. Delta is not. A flight from London to New York is covered on any airline.
How long is the claim window?
Claims companies report 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 5 years in Scotland. We have not confirmed this in a statute yet. See claim deadlines.

Information, not advice

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