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Flight delay compensation calculator

Enter your route and what happened: the calculator applies the EU261 and UK261 rules – distance, arrival delay, which airline and which airports – and tells you how much each passenger can claim.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 5 min How we write our guides

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Calculate your delay compensation

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

Amounts by distance and delay

Compensation is a fixed amount per passenger. It applies when you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late and the airline cannot prove extraordinary circumstances.

Flight distanceEU261UK261Arrival delay
Up to 1,500 km€250£2203 hours or more
Within the EU, over 1,500 km€400–3 hours or more
1,500–3,500 km€400£3503 hours or more
Over 3,500 km€300£2603 to 4 hours
Over 3,500 km€600£5204 hours or more

Distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure airport and the final destination (distance calculator). UK261 covers flights from the UK, and flights into the UK on UK or EU airlines; EU261 covers flights from the EU, and flights into the EU on EU airlines. See UK261 and EU261.

Worked examples

  • London Gatwick → Palma, 4h 10m late, family of four: about 1,350 km under UK261, so 4 × £220 = £880.
  • Manchester → Tenerife South, 3h 20m late: about 2,900 km, so £350 per passenger.
  • Dublin → Lanzarote, 5 hours late: within the EU and over 1,500 km, so €400.
  • Frankfurt → Lisbon, 3h 45m late: 1,873 km within the EU, so €400 per passenger.
  • Copenhagen → Gran Canaria, 4h 20m late: 3,805 km – but every flight within the EU over 1,500 km is capped at €400, not €600.
  • Munich → Istanbul, 3h 30m late on a Turkish airline: it departs from the EU, so EU261 applies whatever the airline: 1,546 km, €400.
  • London Heathrow → New York, 3h 30m late: over 3,500 km and 3–4 hours late, so £260; at 4h 5m it would be £520.
  • Antalya → Birmingham, 6 hours late on a Turkish airline: neither UK261 nor EU261 applies – the flight leaves from outside the UK and EU on a non-UK, non-EU airline. Turkey’s own rules may help: passenger rights in Turkey.

When you get nothing

  • The arrival delay was under 3 hours.
  • The airline proves extraordinary circumstances – for example bad weather, air traffic control restrictions, an ATC strike or a bird strike – and that it took all reasonable measures. Technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff usually do not count. Blamed on the weather? Check the record for your day.
  • The flight is not covered (see above), or you travelled on a free or staff ticket not available to the public.
  • The claim is out of time.

Care while you wait

Separately from compensation – and whatever the cause – the airline must provide meals and refreshments, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel with transfers if you are stuck overnight, once the departure delay reaches 2 hours (up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500–3,500 km, and flights within the EU over 1,500 km) or 4 hours (longer flights). After 5 hours you can give up the trip and get a refund. Keep your receipts: flight delay rights.

Frequently asked questions

Is the delay measured at departure or arrival?

At arrival – the moment at least one aircraft door opens at your final destination (CJEU C-452/13 Germanwings). A flight that leaves 3½ hours late but makes up time and arrives 2h 50m late earns no compensation.

Do children get compensation too?

Yes, every passenger with a booking, including children. Passengers travelling free of charge or on a reduced fare not available to the public – for example infants on a lap with no fare – are not covered (Article 3(3)).

Does the ticket price change the amount?

No. The amount depends only on the great-circle distance and, for long flights, on the length of the delay. A £19 ticket earns the same as a £300 one.

Can the airline pay me in vouchers?

Only if you agree in writing (Article 7(3)). You are entitled to cash or a bank transfer.

How long do I have to claim?

It depends on the country whose courts would hear the claim: six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland, and different periods in each EU country. See time limits.

The calculator gives an estimate under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and its UK version. Information only, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Articles 6 and 7 – EUR-Lex
  2. Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law, Article 7 – legislation.gov.uk
  3. C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon (compensation for long delays) – Court of Justice of the EU
  4. C-452/13 Germanwings (arrival time = doors open) – Court of Justice of the EU
  5. Delays – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.