UK261 compensation by airline

If your flight was delayed by 3 hours or more, cancelled at short notice or you were denied boarding, UK261 may entitle you to £220, £350 or £520 per passenger. Choose your airline for a guide to how the rules apply.

• British Airways
• easyJet
• Ryanair
• Jet2
• TUI Airways
• Virgin Atlantic
• Wizz Air
• Aer Lingus
• Emirates
• Loganair

Which airlines are covered by UK261?

What matters is where your flight departs from and who operates it. Every flight departing from a UK airport is covered, whatever the airline: a Heathrow to New York flight is covered whether it is operated by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic or a non-UK carrier. A flight arriving in the UK from outside the UK and the EU is covered only when it is operated by a UK or EU airline. Flights from an EU airport to the UK are covered by the EU version of the rules (EU261), and also by UK261 when they are operated by a UK airline.

How much can you claim from your airline?

The amount is fixed per passenger and does not depend on the ticket price: £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km (and for longer flights within the UK and EU), and £520 for flights over 3,500 km. For the longest flights, the amount can be reduced by half when the delay on arrival is between 3 and 4 hours.

When can an airline refuse to pay?

An airline does not owe fixed compensation when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided, such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or security risks. Technical faults and staff shortages are generally not extraordinary.

Read our guides: Extraordinary circumstances under UK261: when airlines can refuse · Flight delay compensation in the UK: how UK261 works · Flight cancellation compensation in the UK

Compensation by UK airport · UK261 guides · Check my compensation