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United Airlines flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your United Airlines flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? United Airlines 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 United Airlines 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 American airline: EU261 applies only to its flights departing the EU (e.g. Frankfurt–Chicago). Flights departing the USA carry no fixed compensation – only an automatic refund under the 2024 US rules if the flight is cancelled or delayed by 3 hours or more and the passenger does not travel.

IATA code
UA
Headquarters
Chicago
Hub
Chicago O'Hare, Newark, Houston, San Francisco
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
flights departing the EU

United Airlines flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your United 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 United Airlines routes: Frankfurt–Chicago, Munich–Newark, Zurich–San Francisco, London Heathrow–San Francisco.

United Airlines flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, United 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 United 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 United 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 United Airlines in the UK in 2025?

United Airlines operated 15,364 flights at UK airports in 2025. 1.63% were 3 hours or more late and 1.88% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
15,364

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
75.0%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
1.63%

1 in 61 flights · worse than the UK average

Cancelled
1.88%

295 flights · worse than the UK average

Average delay
18.1 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 Heathrow13,54976.4%1.56%1.83%
Edinburgh1,81464.5%2.16%2.26%

What to know when claiming from United Airlines

  • Departing the USA: since October 2024, under the US Department of Transportation (DOT) rule, an automatic cash refund is due if the flight is cancelled or delayed by 3 or more hours (6 hours for international flights) and the passenger does not travel – this is a refund, not compensation.
  • Involuntary denied boarding in the USA is compensated under the DOT rules, at up to 400% of the one-way fare (subject to a cap) – United handles this at the gate.

About United Airlines

United is one of the world's largest airlines and flies to many major European cities. Through joint Star Alliance bookings with the Lufthansa Group, many European passengers also fly United across the Atlantic.

The legal situation is complex: on a Rome–Frankfurt–Chicago journey, if Lufthansa operates the first leg and its delay makes you miss the United flight, EU261 applies. If the United flight from Frankfurt to Chicago is delayed, EU261 also applies (it departs the EU). A delay on the Chicago–Frankfurt flight, however, does not give rise to EU261 compensation.

How to claim directly from United Airlines

  • Official online form: united.com
  • Customer Care request form (sign in or continue as a guest). 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 United Airlines 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 United Airlines?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.united.com/en/gb/customer-care), 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 United 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). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

United 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 United 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. United Airlines – official claim / complaints page – United 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.