Were you owed money for a delayed or cancelled UK flight?
Check your rights in under a minute — no name, no email, no booking reference.
Compensation check
6 FIELDSIt depends
It depends — you may be owed ~£350 if it was the airline’s fault
- Your flight is covered by UK261 and the delay is long enough to qualify — but whether you’re actually owed money depends on the cause.
- If the delay was the airline’s fault (for example a technical or crew problem), you could be owed around £350. If it was caused by extraordinary circumstances like extreme weather or an air-traffic-control strike, no compensation would be due.
- Ask the airline for the specific reason in writing, then check your claim.
You usually have up to 6 years to claim in England, Wales & Northern Ireland (5 years in Scotland). This is for information — it does not affect the estimate above.
Partner hand-off (AirHelp). Claim services typically charge a success fee — you can also claim directly with the airline for free.
ESTIMATE ONLY · NOT LEGAL ADVICE · OFFICIAL CAA GUIDANCE
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Official CAA data
Stats derived from UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality data.
Free to use
Always. You can claim directly with your airline for free.
HOW MUCH
Set by distance, not ticket price
UK261 — the UK’s retained version of EU Regulation 261/2004 — pays a fixed amount for a qualifying delay of 3+ hours that was the airline’s fault. Departing the UK on any airline is covered; arriving in the UK on a UK or EU/EEA airline is covered too.
| Band | Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Under 1,500 kme.g. London–Paris, Manchester–Dublin | £220 |
| B | 1,500–3,500 kme.g. London–Athens, Edinburgh–Lisbon | £350 |
| C | Over 3,500 kme.g. London–New York · £260 if 3–4h late, £520 if 4h+ | £260–£520 |
DELAY STATS BY ROUTE & AIRLINE
The board never lies
Questions, answered
How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight under UK261?
Fixed amounts depend on distance: £220 for flights under 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500–3,500 km, and up to £520 for flights over 3,500 km delayed 4+ hours (£260 if the delay is 3–4 hours). You generally need an arrival delay of 3 hours or more that was the airline's fault.
Is my flight covered by UK261?
UK261 generally covers flights leaving a UK airport on any airline, flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU/EEA airline, and flights arriving at an EU/EEA airport on a UK airline. Our free checker works this out from a few dropdowns — no personal details needed.
What are "extraordinary circumstances"?
These are events outside the airline's control — extreme weather, air-traffic-control strikes, political instability, security risks, or hidden manufacturing defects. If your delay or cancellation was caused by one of these, the airline usually does not have to pay compensation (though you may still be owed care or a refund).
How long do I have to claim flight delay compensation?
You usually have up to 6 years to claim in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland, from the date of the flight.
Do I need a claims company or a lawyer to claim?
No. You can claim directly with the airline for free. Claims companies and apps can handle the paperwork for you but typically take a success fee (often 15–35%) out of any payout.
Is this tool official or affiliated with the CAA?
No. This is a free, independent tool. Delay statistics are derived from public UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality data with attribution, but we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the CAA or any airline.
Primary sources: UK CAA and gov.uk. This tool provides estimates only and is not legal or financial advice.