You might be able to get compensation if your flight was:
leaving from the UK – it doesn’t matter which airline it was with
leaving from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland – it doesn’t matter which airline it was with
arriving in the UK and was with a UK or EU airline
arriving in the EU and was with a UK airline
Contact the airline if these don’t apply to you – for example, because you flew from New York to Los Angeles, or to Europe on a Qantas plane. What you’ll be entitled to will depend on the airline, and the countries you left from and arrived in.
If your flight’s delayed for long enough, your airline has to give you:
food and drink
access to phone calls and emails
accommodation if you’re delayed overnight – and journeys between the airport and the hotel
How long the delay has to be depends on the distance of the flight and the countries it’s flying between. You can check the flight distance on the WebFlyer website.
| Flight distance | How long the delay has to be |
|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | 2 hours |
| Between 1,500km and 3,500km | 3 hours |
| More than 3,500km | 4 hours |
The airline might give you vouchers to get these things at the airport. Ask someone who works for the airline if you’re not offered any help.
If they don’t give you help at the airport, keep receipts for expenses and try to claim from the airline later. Airlines only pay for ‘reasonable’ expenses – you are unlikely to get money back for alcohol, expensive meals or luxury hotels.
You’re entitled to get compensation if the flight arrives more than 3 hours late and it’s the airline’s fault – for example, if they didn’t get enough bookings or there was a technical fault.
You’re unlikely to get compensation if the delay was because of something outside the airline’s control, like bad weather or a security risk.
You’re entitled to a set amount of compensation depending on both:
the distance of your flight – check your flight distance on the WebFlyer website
the length of the delay – how late you are getting to your destination
| Delay to your arrival | Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours or more | Less than 1,500km | £220 |
| 3 hours or more | Between 1,500km and 3,500km | £350 |
| 4 hours or more | More than 3,500km | £520 |
| Less than 4 hours | More than 3,500km | £260 |
You don’t have to take the flight if it’s delayed for 5 hours or more.
The airline legally has to give you all of the following:
a full refund for the flight
a full refund for other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking, eg an onward or return flight
if you’re part-way through a journey, a flight back to the airport you originally departed from
You should get the refund within 7 days of the date of the flight.
Talk to someone from the airline as soon as you decide you don’t want to take the flight.
You can claim up to £520 in compensation if the delay is the airline’s fault – depending on the distance and destination of your flight, and how late it arrived. It might have been your airline’s fault if there was a technical problem, or they overbooked.
You’re unlikely to get compensation if the delay was because of something outside the airline’s control, like bad weather or a security risk.
You have the legal right to either:
a full refund – including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking such as onward or return flights
a replacement flight to get you to your destination
If you’re part-way through a journey and you don’t want a replacement flight, you also have a right to a flight back to the airport you originally departed from.
Ask for a refund or replacement at the airport if you can. If not, you can claim from the airline later.
You also have a legal right to:
help with costs – if the cancellation delays you 2 or more hours
compensation – if you’d be delayed 2 or more hours by the replacement flight offered and you were given less than 2 weeks’ notice
If you have to wait long enough for your replacement flight, the airline legally has to help you with things you need. This includes:
food and drink
access to phone calls and emails
accommodation if you’re delayed overnight, as well as journeys between the airport and the hotel
How long the delay has to be depends on the distance of the flight and the countries it’s flying between. You can check the flight distance on the WebFlyer website.
| Flight distance | How long the delay has to be |
|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | 2 hours |
| Between 1,500km and 3,500km | 3 hours |
| More than 3,500km | 4 hours |
The airline might give you vouchers to get these things at the airport. Ask someone who works for the airline if you’re not offered anything.
If they don’t give you help at the airport, keep receipts for your expenses and try to claim from the airline later. Airlines only pay for ‘reasonable’ expenses – you are unlikely to get money back for alcohol, expensive meals or luxury hotels.
You’re legally entitled to get compensation if the cancellation is the airline’s responsibility and both the following apply:
the replacement flight delays your arrival by 2 or more hours
your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure
The amount of compensation you’re entitled to depends on:
when the flight was cancelled
the distance of the flight – check the flight distance on the Web Flyer website
the departure and arrival times of the rescheduled flight
| Flight distance | Departure and arrival times | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Departure – at least 1 hour earlier than booked flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arrival – up to 2 hours later than booked flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arrival – at least 2 hours later than booked flight | £220 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Departure – at least 1 hour earlier than booked flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arrival – up to 3 hours later than booked flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arrival – at least 3 hours later than booked flight | £350 |
| More than 3,500km | Departure – at least 1 hour earlier than booked flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arrival – up to 4 hours later than booked flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arrival – at least 4 hours later than booked flight | £520 |
| Flight distance | Departure and arrival times | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,500km | Departure – up to 2 hours earlier than booked flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arrival – up to 2 hours later than booked flight | £110 |
| Less than 1,500km | Departure – at least 2 hours earlier than booked flight | £220 |
| Less than 1,500km | Arrival – at least 2 hours later than booked flight | £220 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Departure – up to 2 hours earlier than booked flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arrival – up to 3 hours later than booked flight | £175 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Departure – at least 2 hours earlier than booked flight | £350 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arrival – between 3 and 4 hours later than booked flight | £350 |
| 1,500km to 3,500km | Arrival – at least 4 hours later than booked flight | £350 |
| More than 3,500km | Departure – up to 2 hours earlier than booked flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arrival – up to 4 hours later than booked flight | £260 |
| More than 3,500km | Arrival – at least 4 hours later than booked flight | £520 |
You can claim from the airline to get compensation. You might be able to claim from your travel insurance – check if your insurance policy covers cancellations.
Contact the airline – this needs to be the airline operating the flight, even if you booked it through another airline. The airline’s customer services department will usually help. Be ready to give all your flight details and booking reference numbers.
Write your claim – say what went wrong and what you want the airline to give you. Include copies (not originals) of your tickets and any receipts.
Check how to write a good claim on the Civil Aviation Authority’s website.
Keep records – keep copies of your claim and any response from the airline. Take notes if you speak to anyone from the airline – this could be useful if you decide to take your claim further.
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Persian Platform is an officially registered UK-based company licensed for international operations. We offer comprehensive services in immigration, education, employment, tourism, marketing, and cultural exchange. With legal credibility and global expertise, we operate representative offices and support teams across multiple countries. Our headquarters is located in London, with active operations in Germany (Berlin), Turkey (Antalya), Italy (Sicily), Armenia (Yerevan), Romania, and Iran.
