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LOT Polish Airlines flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your LOT Polish Airlines flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? LOT Polish Airlines is licensed in the EU, so EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all its flights. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On LOT Polish Airlines flights on every route you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can usually claim for flights up to 3 years back.

IATA code
LO
Headquarters
Warsaw
Hub
Warsaw Chopin (WAW)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
all flights

LOT Polish Airlines flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your LOT Polish Airlines flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical LOT Polish Airlines routes: Warsaw–New York JFK, Warsaw–Chicago, Warsaw–Tokyo, Warsaw–London Heathrow, Warsaw–Budapest.

LOT Polish Airlines flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, LOT Polish Airlines must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a LOT Polish Airlines flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your LOT Polish Airlines flight

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

How punctual was LOT Polish Airlines in the UK in 2025?

LOT Polish Airlines operated 2,652 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.15% were 3 hours or more late and 0.53% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
2,652

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
70.8%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.15%

1 in 667 flights · better than the UK average

Cancelled
0.53%

14 flights · better than the UK average

Average delay
13.2 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
London Heathrow2,12869.0%0.19%0.65%
London City51878.0%0.00%0.00%

What to know when claiming from LOT Polish Airlines

  • LOT's Boeing 787 fleet produced many cancellations in 2013–2015 and during the 737 MAX grounding; fleet problems are not extraordinary circumstances.
  • LOT says it does not take part in voluntary ADR; for flights departing Poland the next step after a rejection is the Polish passenger rights ombudsman (Rzecznik Praw Pasażerów).

About LOT Polish Airlines

LOT is Poland's flag carrier. Its Warsaw hub is a popular transfer point for travellers from Central and Eastern Europe heading to North America and Asia.

It is a Polish EU airline, so EU261 applies to all its flights. Important: the Polish limitation period is only 1 year, but you may be able to bring the claim in another country connected to the flight (for example the country of departure or arrival), where a longer period may apply.

How to claim directly from LOT Polish Airlines

  • Official online form: lot.com
  • Postal address: Claims Department, LOT Polish Airlines, Komitetu Obrony Robotników 43, 02-146 Warszawa, Poland
  • Messages are limited to 2,500 characters and up to 20 attachments (20 MB in total). LOT states that it does not take part in voluntary ADR; not in a CAA-listed UK scheme.
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my LOT Polish Airlines flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from anywhere (it is an EU airline) and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to LOT Polish Airlines?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.lot.com/gb/en/help-center/contact/forms/form-claim-after-departure), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a LOT Polish Airlines flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). In Poland it is only 1 year. AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

LOT Polish Airlines offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The LOT Polish Airlines name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. LOT Polish Airlines – official claim / complaints page – LOT Polish Airlines
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

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