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Qantas flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your Qantas flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? Qantas is not an EU or UK airline, so EU261 and UK261 apply only to its flights departing the EU or the UK. 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 Qantas flights departing the EU 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. An Australian airline: UK261 covers its flights departing UK airports (London Heathrow–Perth or –Singapore) and EU261 its flights departing EU airports (e.g. Paris–Perth). Flights from Australia or Singapore to the UK or EU are not covered by either.

IATA code
QF
Headquarters
Sydney (Mascot)
Hub
Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Brisbane (BNE), Perth (PER)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
flights departing the EU

Qantas flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your Qantas 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 Qantas routes: London Heathrow–Perth, London Heathrow–Singapore, Paris CDG–Perth, Rome–Perth (seasonal).

Qantas flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, Qantas 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 Qantas 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 Qantas 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 Qantas in the UK in 2025?

Qantas operated 1,455 flights at UK airports in 2025. 2.65% were 3 hours or more late and 1.42% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
1,455

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
73.8%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
2.65%

1 in 38 flights · worse than the UK average

Cancelled
1.42%

21 flights · worse than the UK average

Average delay
27.6 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

What to know when claiming from Qantas

  • Qantas has an online form for compensation under EU or UK rules in the reimbursement-claims section of its Contact us pages. We could not open qantas.com when we checked on 10 November 2026, so we do not link it.
  • On a London–Singapore–Sydney journey on one booking, a delay at Heathrow that makes you reach Sydney 4 hours or more late gives £520 – the journey starts in the UK.
  • Qantas is not in a CAA-approved ADR scheme. For flights from the UK, unresolved complaints can go to the CAA's PACT.

About Qantas

Qantas was founded on 16 November 1920 in Winton, Queensland, as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, and is Australia's flag carrier, based in Sydney. It was a founding member of Oneworld in 1998. On 25 March 2018 it flew the first non-stop scheduled passenger flight between Australia and the UK, Perth–London Heathrow (QF9), about 14,500 km.

Today Qantas flies London Heathrow–Perth non-stop (continuing to Melbourne on the same flight number) and London Heathrow–Singapore (continuing to Sydney). In the CAA's 2025 figures it operated 1,455 flights at Heathrow, with 73.8% on time, but 2.65% arrived 3 hours or more late – the highest share of any airline in that data. Qantas has announced non-stop Sydney–London flights for late 2027 (‘Project Sunrise’).

Only flights departing the UK or the EU are protected. A Heathrow–Perth flight that arrives 4 hours or more late gives £520 per passenger (£260 for 3–4 hours); the flight back from Perth to London is not covered.

How to claim directly from Qantas

  • Qantas has an online regulatory-compensation form for EU and UK claims in its ‘Reimbursement claims’ contact pages; qantas.com did not load for our check on 10 Nov 2026, so we do not link it. Not in a CAA-listed UK ADR 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 Qantas flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from an EU airport 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 Qantas?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.qantas.com), 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 Qantas 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). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

Qantas 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 Qantas 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. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  3. 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.