In short: The route is 1,466 km long, so a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation is worth £220 per passenger from Bristol (UK261) and €250 from Alicante (EU261). In 2025, 0.73% of flights on the route were at least 3 hours late and 0.16% were cancelled.
How punctual is the route?
- Flights operated
- 3,027
- On time (≤ 15 min late)
- 78.1%
- 3 hours or more late
- 0.73%
- Cancelled
- 0.16%
- Average delay
- 13.1 min
2025, at UK airports
close to the UK average (72.7%)
1 in 137 flights · worse than the UK average
5 flights · better than the UK average
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
Of the airlines with at least 200 flights on the route, Ryanair had the lowest share of 3-hour-plus delays (0.60%) and Jet2 the highest (0.83%). A single bad day can move these figures, so read them as a guide, not a forecast.
Airlines on this route
| Airline | Flights | On time | 3 h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| easyJet | 1,495 | 77.0% | 0.80% | 0.33% | 14 min |
| Ryanair | 1,170 | 77.8% | 0.60% | 0.00% | 13 min |
| Jet2 | 362 | 83.4% | 0.83% | 0.00% | 10 min |
What you can claim
| Direction | Rules | 3 h+ delay or late cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol → Alicante | UK261 – departure from a UK airport, any airline | £220 |
| Alicante → Bristol | EU261 – departure from an EU airport, any airline | €250 |
Compensation is fixed by distance, not by the ticket price, and is paid per passenger, children included. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay you are entitled to care (meals, drinks, a hotel if needed) and, after a cancellation, to a refund or re-routing.
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More routes
- Bristol → Amsterdam4,464 flights
- Bristol → Dublin4,061 flights
- Bristol → Palma de Mallorca2,969 flights
- Bristol → Edinburgh2,875 flights
- Bristol → Málaga2,584 flights
- Bristol → Faro2,326 flights
- Bristol → Tenerife2,317 flights
- Bristol → Glasgow2,029 flights
- Bristol → Paris1,895 flights
- Bristol → Barcelona1,740 flights
- Bristol → Belfast1,711 flights
- Bristol → Lanzarote1,661 flights
- London Gatwick → Alicante5,302 flights
- Manchester → Alicante5,210 flights
- London Stansted → Alicante2,940 flights
- Birmingham → Alicante2,580 flights
- Leeds Bradford → Alicante2,450 flights
- Liverpool John Lennon → Alicante2,354 flights
- London Luton → Alicante2,303 flights
- East Midlands → Alicante2,132 flights
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation for a delayed Bristol to Alicante flight?
The great-circle distance is 1,466 km (911 miles). On the flight from Bristol UK261 applies: £220 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more. On the return flight from Alicante EU261 applies: €250.
How often are flights between Bristol and Alicante delayed or cancelled?
In 2025 the CAA recorded 3,027 flights on this route (both directions, measured at Bristol). 78.1% were on time or less than 15 minutes late, 0.73% were 3 hours or more late (about 1 in 137), and 0.16% were cancelled. The average delay was 13.1 minutes.
Does the airline have to pay if the delay was caused by weather or a strike?
Not if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances – for example severe weather or an air traffic control strike – and that it took all reasonable measures. Technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff do not normally count. What counts as extraordinary.
Sources
- UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 – legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.