In short: If your flight left the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or the UK (any airline), or arrived there on an EU or UK airline, and you reached your destination 3 hours or more late, your flight was cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding, the airline owes €250–€600 (EU261) or £220–£520 (UK261) per passenger – unless it proves extraordinary circumstances. You are also entitled to care while you wait and a refund or re-routing. Baggage is separate: the Montreal Convention covers proven loss up to 1,519 SDR.
Which rules apply to your problem?
| Problem | Main rules | What you can get | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delay, cancellation, denied boarding | EU261 / UK261 | Fixed compensation, care, refund or re-routing | Flight delay |
| Extra costs caused by a delay (hotel, event) | Montreal Convention; national law | Proven loss, up to 6,303 SDR | Montreal Convention |
| Lost, delayed or damaged baggage | Montreal Convention | Proven loss, up to 1,519 SDR | Lost luggage |
| Problems with a package holiday | Package Travel Directive 2015/2302 / UK Package Travel Regulations 2018, plus EU261/UK261 | Price reduction, compensation, refund within 14 days | Package holidays |
| The airline refuses to pay | National enforcement bodies and ADR bodies, the CAA (UK), courts, European Small Claims | An independent decision or a judgment | Where to complain · How to claim |
Compensation for delays, cancellations and bumping
Flight delay compensation
Arrived 3 hours or more late? Fixed compensation by distance, unless extraordinary circumstances.
Compensation + refundCancelled flight
Told less than 14 days before? Compensation, plus a refund or re-routing in every case.
Based on final arrivalMissed connection
On one booking, the delay at your final destination and the total distance decide.
Paid immediatelyDenied boarding and overbooking
Bumped against your will: no extraordinary-circumstances defence.
30% / 50% / 75%Downgraded flight
Moved to a lower class: a refund of part of the fare within 7 days.
Depends on arrivalDiverted flight
Landed at a different airport: transport, care and possible compensation.
Airline + organiserPackage holidays
Who pays what when the flight on your package holiday goes wrong. ATOL explained.
At the airport: care, refunds and what to do
Your rights during a delay
Care from 2, 3 or 4 hours – even in extraordinary circumstances.
Within 7 daysFlight refund rights
When you can insist on cash instead of vouchers, and what a refund covers.
ChecklistWhat to do at the airport
What to ask for, what to keep and what not to sign.
Baggage
The rules: EU261, UK261, Montreal and time limits
EU Regulation 261/2004
What each of the 19 articles means for passengers, with the key rulings.
£220 / £350 / £520UK261
The UK version of the regulation since Brexit: scope, 2023 changes, CAA and ADR.
Delay and baggageMontreal Convention
Airline liability for proven losses and baggage, with the 2024 SDR limits.
3 to 6 yearsTime limits by country
Verified limitation periods: 3 years Germany, 5 France, 6 Ireland, 6 England and Wales, 5 Scotland.
From 23 Oct 2027EU261 reform
What Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 changes – and why UK261 is unaffected.
CJEU and UK courtsCase law library
The court decisions behind the rules, with what each means for your claim.
Extraordinary circumstances
Extraordinary circumstances
When the airline really is exempt – and when it is just using the excuse.
Often exemptBad weather
When weather excuses a delay, and when it does not.
Often exemptAir traffic control
ATC restrictions, slots and strikes.
Depends whose staffStrikes
Airline staff strikes vs airport and ATC strikes.
Usually not exemptTechnical faults
Why most technical problems still mean compensation.
Can be exemptBird strikes
What the airline must still prove.
Usually not exemptCrew shortages
Staff sickness and rostering problems.
Case by caseMedical emergencies
Diversions and delays for a passenger taken ill.
Case by caseSecurity and unruly passengers
Security alerts and disruptive passengers.
Depends on the causeKnock-on delays
When a problem on an earlier flight carries over to yours.
Claiming and escalating, country by country
How to claim
From the first letter to court, with timings for each stage.
EU, EEA, CH, UKNational enforcement bodies
Where to complain in each European country, with ADR routes and links to our country guides.
Cross-border EUEuropean Small Claims
One procedure for claims against airlines in other EU countries.
UKComplaining to the CAA
When the CAA's PACT team can help, and what it cannot do.
Free for passengersADR schemes (UK)
AviationADR, CEDR and which airlines belong. EU ADR bodies are in the country guides.
England and WalesSmall claims court
Issuing a claim online, fees and hearings.
ScotlandSimple Procedure
Claiming in the Scottish courts.
Small claimsIreland and Northern Ireland
Routes for passengers on the island of Ireland.
FreeComplaint letter generator
A ready-made claim letter with your details.
Word downloadComplaint letter template
A claim letter with fields to fill in.
TemplateLetter before action
The last letter before going to court.
TemplateADR complaint template
Setting out your case for an ADR body.
Great circleFlight distance calculator
Find your distance band and amount.
FeesClaim companies compared
What claims companies charge and include.
UKIs compensation taxable?
A careful look at the tax position.
Compensation amounts at a glance
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Distances are measured by the great-circle method from your first departure airport to your final destination. On UK261 every flight over 3,500 km falls in the top band; on EU261 flights within the EU over 1,500 km get €400 however long they are.
Airlines, airports and data
- Airline guides – claim routes, ADR membership and rules for each airline.
- Airport guides – European airports, with EUROCONTROL and CAA delay data.
- Country guides: where to complain, ADR routes and time limits in each country – for example Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
- European flight delay statistics, UK flight delay statistics and route data, with our methodology.
- Aviation strike calendar – upcoming strikes and whether you can claim.
- Wizz Air: Hungary, Malta, UK – which Wizz Air company flies your route and which rules apply.
- Frequently asked questions – 22 answers on time limits, fees, children and vouchers.
Frequently asked questions
What are my rights if my flight is delayed?
From 2, 3 or 4 hours' delay (by distance) the airline must provide care: meals, refreshments, two calls or e-mails, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight. From 5 hours you can choose a refund instead of flying. If you arrive 3 hours or more late, you can claim €250–€600 (EU261) or £220–£520 (UK261), unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. See flight delay rights.
Which rules cover my flight: EU261, UK261 or neither?
EU261 covers flights from the EU (plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), and into the EU on an EU airline. UK261 covers flights from the UK, and into the UK on a UK or EU airline. Your nationality and where you live do not matter. Some flights between the UK and the EU are covered by both, but you can only be paid once. A flight into the EU or UK on a non-EU, non-UK airline is not covered. The table on our UK261 page shows every combination.
Do these rights cover lost or damaged luggage?
How far back can I claim?
It depends on the country: for example 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year), 5 years in France and Hungary, 6 years in Ireland, 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland – see time limits by country.
Where do I complain if the airline will not pay?
For a flight from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, to the national enforcement body or ADR body of the country where the incident happened – usually the departure country, or the arrival country for an EU-airline flight into the EU – then to a national court or the European Small Claims Procedure. For a UK flight, to the airline's ADR scheme or the CAA, then the UK small claims courts. See national enforcement bodies and our country guides, for example Germany, Spain, Poland or the United Kingdom.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (official text) – EUR-Lex
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – UK version, Article 3 – legislation.gov.uk
- Delays – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Air passenger rights – Your Europe (European Commission)
- If your flight's delayed or cancelled – Citizens Advice
- 2024 Revised Limits of Liability under the Montreal Convention 1999 – ICAO
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.