Flight delay compensation: what you can claim in the UK and EU
If you arrived three hours or more late, you can claim between £220 and £520 per passenger under UK261 or EU261 — unless the delay was outside the airline’s control.
How much a delay is worth
The amount depends on how far you were flying, not on what you paid for the ticket. A passenger in the cheapest seat is owed the same as one in business class.
Under UK261 the bands are £220 for flights under 1,500km, £350 for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, and £520 for flights over 3,500km. EU261 pays the same amounts in euros: €250, €400 and €600.
On the longest flights the airline may halve the payment if you arrived less than four hours late.
When a delay qualifies
The three hours is measured at arrival, not departure. A flight that leaves four hours late but makes the time up in the air does not qualify; one that leaves on time and is held in a stack until it lands three hours late does.
Your flight must either depart from a UK or EU airport, or arrive at one on a UK or EU airline. A flight from New York to Los Angeles on an American carrier is covered by neither.
You have six years to claim in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland. Most people claim far too late to need that, but a delay from two years ago is not lost.
What the airline can refuse to pay for
An airline does not have to pay compensation when the delay was caused by something genuinely outside its control: severe weather, an air traffic control strike, a security alert, or a bird strike.
What does not count: a technical fault with the aircraft, a crew member arriving late, or a knock-on delay from the aircraft’s earlier rotation. Airlines frequently cite these as "extraordinary circumstances" anyway, and are frequently wrong.
A strike by the airline’s own staff is usually not an excuse. A strike by air traffic control or airport staff usually is.
Compensation is separate from your refund
Compensation is a fixed payment for the disruption itself. It is not instead of your ticket, your meals, or your hotel.
While you wait, the airline must look after you: food and drink appropriate to the delay, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel with transport to it if you are kept overnight. This applies even when the delay is the airline’s fault in no way at all.
Keep every receipt. Reasonable costs the airline failed to cover can be claimed back on top.
Common questions
How much compensation for a 3 hour flight delay?
Between £220 and £520 per passenger under UK261, depending on distance: £220 under 1,500km, £350 for 1,500 to 3,500km, and £520 over 3,500km. The three hours is measured at arrival.
Does a delay caused by weather qualify for compensation?
No. Severe weather counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so no compensation is due. The airline must still provide food, drink and a hotel if you are kept overnight.
Can I claim for a flight delayed two years ago?
Yes. The limit is six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland.
Does it matter what I paid for my ticket?
No. Compensation is a fixed amount set by distance flown, so every passenger on the flight is owed the same regardless of fare or cabin.
Check your own flight
AirHelp will tell you whether a specific flight qualifies and handle the claim with the airline. TravelTrauma earns a commission if a claim succeeds, at no cost to you.
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Last reviewed 2026-10-07. This explains the rules and is not legal advice; the circumstances of your flight may change what applies.