This hub brings together everything you need: how to check if you’re eligible, your rights by airline and by airport, what to do when an airline refuses, and how to claim. Start by estimating what you’re owed with our flight delay compensation calculator.
Are You Owed Compensation?
The Quick Test
You can usually claim if all of these are true:
- You arrived at your final destination 3 or more hours late
- Your flight departed the UK, or arrived in the UK on a UK/EU airline
- The delay was the airline’s fault — not extraordinary circumstances
- The flight was within the last 6 years (5 in Scotland)
Not sure? Our am I eligible guide walks through each test in detail.
How Much You Can Claim
Compensation by Distance
Amounts are fixed per passenger, regardless of ticket price:
- £220 — short-haul, up to 1,500 km
- £350 — medium-haul, 1,500 to 3,500 km
- £520 — long-haul, over 3,500 km
- How the bands and the 50% reduction work — see distance bands explained
Flight Delay Compensation by Airline
Find Your Airline
Each guide covers that airline’s coverage rules, claim process and common rejections:
- British Airways
- easyJet
- Ryanair
- Jet2
- TUI
- Wizz Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Lufthansa
- Air France
- KLM
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Air India
Booked with one airline but flew on another? See codeshare flights — which airline to claim from.
Why Was Your Flight Delayed?
Reason-by-Reason Guides
Whether you can claim often depends on the cause — these explain each:
- Technical fault — usually claimable
- Crew sickness — claimable since the Lipton ruling
- Strike — depends who struck
- Bad weather — when the excuse fails
- Air traffic control delays
- Late inbound aircraft
- Bird strike
- Airport & runway issues
Other Disruption Types
Not just delays — these are covered too:
- Cancelled flight
- Denied boarding / overbooking
- Downgraded to a lower cabin
- Delayed 5+ hours — refund right
- Delayed overnight — hotel & care
- Diverted flight
- Missed connection
Flight Delays by UK Airport
Find Your Airport
Passenger numbers, delay records and the airlines based at each:
- Heathrow
- Gatwick — the UK’s worst for delays
- Manchester
- Stansted
- Luton
- Birmingham
- Edinburgh
- Bristol
- Newcastle
- Belfast
- Leeds Bradford
- East Midlands
How to Claim
Your Options
You can claim yourself for free, or hand it over:
- Follow our step-by-step how to claim guide — and keep 100%
- If the airline rejects or ignores you, you can escalate
- Escalate free to a CAA-approved ADR scheme
- Or weigh up using a claims company
Common Questions About Flight Delay Compensation
How much can I claim for a delayed flight?
Between £220 and £520 per passenger, fixed by the flight distance, provided you arrived at your final destination three or more hours late and the delay was the airline’s fault. The amount is the same regardless of what you paid for your ticket, and each passenger — including children with their own seat — has a separate claim.
Is compensation based on departure or arrival time?
Arrival. The three-hour threshold is measured at your final destination, when the aircraft doors open — not when you took off. A flight that leaves late but makes up time in the air may not qualify, while one that pushes back on time but lands hours late can.
What if the airline blames extraordinary circumstances?
Ask for proof. Genuine extraordinary circumstances — severe weather, air-traffic-control strikes — do remove the right to compensation, but airlines over-use the excuse. Technical faults and crew sickness are normally not extraordinary — the courts have said so, most recently on crew sickness in Lipton v BA CityFlyer — and are usually claimable, though narrow exceptions exist (such as hidden manufacturing defects notified by the manufacturer, or sabotage). The burden is on the airline to justify a refusal.
How far back can I claim?
Up to six years from the flight date in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or five years in Scotland. That’s a long window, so older flights often still qualify — but it’s worth claiming promptly while the evidence is easy to gather.
Do I have to pay to claim?
No. You can claim directly with the airline for free and keep all the compensation. Claims companies are optional — they take a percentage in exchange for handling the work, which can be worth it for a disputed or ignored claim but is unnecessary for a straightforward one.
Related Guides
Flight Delay Compensation Calculator
Am I Eligible for Flight Delay Compensation?
UK261 vs EU261 — Which Applies?
Extraordinary Circumstances Explained
How to Claim Flight Delay Compensation
Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Delayed Flight
If your flight was delayed by 3 hours or more, you may be entitled to compensation. Start a free flight delay claim check in minutes — no upfront cost. No win, no fee if your claim is accepted.
How much could your claim be worth?
Try our flight delay calculator — free, takes under a minute, and uses the official figures for this claim type.
Calculators and tools
Free tools that estimate what a claim could be worth — a starting point, not a valuation.
More in this section
- Airline Gone Bust? — Your Options for Recovery
- Airline Not Responding to My Flight Delay Claim?
- Arrival vs Departure Time — How Flight Delays Are Measured
- Flight Delay Compensation in Scotland — The 5-Year Limit
- Package Holiday vs Scheduled Flight — Your Claim Rights
- Vueling Flight Delay Compensation — Claim up to £520