Flight delay compensation: How to get up to £520
Has your flight been delayed for over three hours or cancelled completely? You could be entitled to up to £520 in compensation.
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One of the worst things about travelling is unexpected delays or cancellations. Nobody wants to be stranded at the airport when they could be enjoying their holiday (or be back at home after a long trip).
There is a silver lining – if your flight has been delayed or cancelled, you could be eligible for compensation. This is still the case even if it's been a couple of years since your delayed or cancelled flight.
While you may have heard that claiming for this can be tricky, it doesn't have to be. Below, we'll share when you are eligible for compensation, how much you can expect and how to submit your claim. Spoiler: it doesn't have anything to do with how much you paid for your flights!
What's in this guide?
What to do when your flight is delayed
If your flight ends up being delayed, you may be entitled to some sort of compensation. It depends on who you are flying with, where you're flying from and to, and the length of the delay. Below, we'll explain when you can claim compensation and how much.
When are you entitled to delayed flight compensation?
Firstly, you'll have to check if your flight is covered by UK or EU regulations. This includes the following flights:
- Flight leaving from the UK (any airline)
- Flights leaving from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland (any airline)
- Flights arriving in the UK (UK or EU airline)
- Flights arriving in the EU (UK airline).
If your flight isn't UK/EU regulated, it can still be possible for you to get compensation, but it may take a bit more work. It's best to check if there are any similar schemes in place for the flight you took. If you can't find any, contact the airline directly. Alternatively, speak with your travel insurance provider to see if they have a policy for delayed flights.
Secondly, the delay needs to be the airline's fault. You won't be able to get compensation if the delay was caused by circumstances outside of the airline's control – for example, bad weather, industrial action by air traffic controllers or political issues.
Lastly, your flight needs to have arrived at least three hours later than planned. They won't look at the departure time of your flight.
It's also important to know your rights at the airport when your flight has been delayed. This includes access to food, drinks, phone calls or email and a hotel stay if your flight has been delayed until the next day. We'll go over the details of this in the section below.
How much delayed flight compensation can you get?
Under EU and UK regulations, the amount of compensation you'll receive depends on how far you were travelling and how long the delay was. The amount you paid for the flight isn't taken into account.
To calculate the distance of your delayed flight, you can use Web Flyer's free tool.
Importantly, the length of the delay is calculated by the time you arrive, not what time the plane leaves. For example, if your flight leaves three hours late, but arrives two hours and fifty minutes late, you won't be eligible for any compensation. We experienced something like this in the past:
My flight from Eindhoven to Manchester kept getting delayed further and further. We ended up leaving well over three hours later than planned.
However, Ryanair counts around one and a half hour for the flight, when in reality, it only takes about an hour. In the end, we landed two hours and 57 minutes after the original landing time – meaning I wouldn't be eligible for any flight delay compensation.
In the table below, you can see how much compensation you're entitled to (per person):
| Flight length | Delay upon arrival | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Three or more hours | £220 |
| 1,500km – 3,500km | Three or more hours | £350 |
| More than 3,500km | Three to four hours | £260 |
| £520 |
If your flight has been delayed for five hours or more, you have the right not to take the flight and get a full refund. By deciding not to take the flight, you won't be able to also get the flight compensation mentioned above. However, if you do end up taking the flight, the same rules apply for flights delayed by three or more hours.
In the section below, we explain how you can submit a claim and how long it usually takes for the money to reach your bank account.
What to do when your flight has been cancelled
Cancellations can be even more frustrating than delays. Luckily, there are rules in place that force airlines to give you a refund or alternative flight. If it has been cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you will also have the right to compensation.
When are you entitled to flight cancellation compensation?
Similarly to the rules surrounding flight delays, you will have to check if it's regulated by UK or EU rules when your flight gets cancelled. This includes the following:
- Flight leaving from the UK (any airline)
- Flights leaving from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland (any airline)
- Flights arriving in the UK (UK or EU airline)
- Flights arriving in the EU (UK airline).
If you were supposed to get on a flight that isn't regulated by these rules, you could still get compensation. Check if there are similar schemes for the destination or airline, contact the airline directly or ask your travel insurance provider.
What are you entitled to when your flight is cancelled?
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As mentioned previously, you will always have the choice to get a refund or an alternative flight – no matter when your flight gets cancelled. If a connecting flight gets cancelled, you also have the right to get a flight back to your original destination if that's what you prefer.
However, if the flight gets cancelled less than 14 days before its scheduled departure, you could also have the right to compensation.
If you find out that your flight has been cancelled when you're already at the airport, you can even get food, phone calls and accommodation. We'll explain more about this in the section below.
How much compensation can you get for a cancelled flight?
How much compensation you can get depends on multiple factors. Please see the tables below to check what compensation you are entitled to (per person).
Flight cancelled less than 7 days before departure
| Flight length | Alternative flight vs original flight | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500km | Departs one or more hours earlier | £110 |
| £110 | ||
| £220 | ||
| 1,500 – 3,500km | Departs one or more hours earlier | £175 |
| £175 | ||
| £350 | ||
| Over 3,500km | Departs one or more hours earlier | £260 |
| £260 | ||
| £520 |
Flight cancelled 7–14 days before departure
| Flight length | Alternative flight vs original flight | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500km | Departs up to two hours earlier | £110 |
| £220 | ||
| £110 | ||
| £220 | ||
| 1,500 – 3,500km | Departs up to two hours earlier | £175 |
| £350 | ||
| £175 | ||
| £350 | ||
| Over 3,500km | Departs up to two hours earlier | £260 |
| £260 | ||
| £520 |
How to claim flight compensation
If your flight matches the criteria mentioned above, you should be able to get compensation for your cancelled or delayed flight. The best way to do so is to submit your claim directly to the airline.
Different airlines have different procedures, so you should check with the airline before submitting any claims. Sometimes, the airline will provide you with the right links or forms, but it's not uncommon that you'll have to search for them yourself or ask a representative.
Either way, make sure you keep copies of the interactions you've had with the airline. Sometimes, they'll try to reject claims or make you jump through hoops to get your money – even if you are entitled to compensation. Keeping copies of everything will make it easier to take it further in the future if necessary.
If you're not getting anywhere with your claim, check whether the airline is a member of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. You could complain to them instead. If they aren't part of a scheme, you can take it further with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
When searching for flight compensation online, you may also come across services that 'help' you make your claim. While it may seem like the easy way to do this, these companies take a big chunk of the compensation as a fee (usually around 20% – 30%).
Since claiming compensation for delayed or cancelled flights usually isn't much more work than filling out a few forms, you could save yourself quite a bit of money by doing it yourself.
I googled "Ryanair compensation claim" and found their online form. It was relatively easy to fill out and I got an email right away to say they were looking into the claim.
It ended up taking a couple of weeks before I received another email to say the £220 bank transfer was authorized. Two weeks later, it landed in my bank account.
How long does it take to receive flight compensation?
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The time it takes for airlines to confirm your compensation and transfer it into your bank account can vary widely. It all depends on whether they accept your claim right away, if they need additional information and how busy they are.
From our experience, it can take up to three months to receive compensation for cancelled or delayed flights:
I had a cancelled flight compensation with Ryanair come through within only a couple of weeks. On the other hand, when I missed a connection to Tokyo due to a delayed flight from Lufthansa, it took nearly three months and multiple emails/phone calls to come through.
We've heard of times when airlines try to give passengers coupons as a form of compensation. Don't accept this – you have the right to receive the amount in cash.
If the airline is causing issues or is making it difficult for you to receive compensation, you can escalate it to the appropriate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme or the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
What are your rights at the airport?
If your flight is delayed or gets cancelled while you're already at the airport, you have the right to the following:
- Food and drinks
- Access to phone calls or emails
- Accommodation if your flight is delayed until the next day.
Not every delay entitles you to these though. You will have to be delayed for a certain number of hours before these rules kick in. When you're entitled to these depends on the distance of your flight:
| Flight length | Minimum delay |
|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Two hours |
| 1,500km – 3,500km | Three hours |
| More than 3,500km | Four hours |
Some airlines give out food and drink vouchers for you to use at the airport when this happens. If you realise your flight is delayed over the amount stated in the table above, you can also ask at the help desk.
If the airline can't give you vouchers or direct support, you can claim back expenses later. It's important to keep your receipts and don't go overboard. You can only get compensation for 'reasonable' expenses. Even though it may be tempting to go for a luxurious meal and a 5-star hotel stay, don't expect to get a refund for those.
To claim money back for these expenses, you have to add them to the forms when submitting your claim.
You can make your airport experience a lot more comfortable by using our tips on how to get cheap or free airport lounge access.
