UK261 rules entitle delayed air passengers to up to £520 in compensation

What is the background?

UK261 is the UK’s retained version of EU passenger rights rules, enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after Brexit. UK261 flight delay compensation applies to flights departing the UK, and flights arriving in the UK operated by a UK or EU airline, when a delay is within the airline’s control.

What happened?

The CAA confirms passengers are entitled to fixed compensation once they arrive three or more hours late at their destination airport. Compensation is set at £220 per person for flights under 1,500 km, £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km either £260 (for a delay of three to four hours) or £520 (for a delay of more than four hours).

These amounts apply regardless of the reason for the delay, unless the airline can show the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” genuinely beyond its control, such as severe weather or air traffic control strikes.

How did it happen?

Separate from compensation, airlines must also provide care — food, drink, and if necessary overnight accommodation — once a delay passes an earlier threshold: two hours for short flights under 1,500 km, three hours for medium flights up to 3,500 km, and four hours for long-haul flights over 3,500 km.

Passengers claim directly from the airline, quoting the flight number, date, and length of delay. Airlines that reject a valid claim can be referred to the CAA or an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme. Comparison tools that track compensation tiers and delay thresholds, such as FlightLogic’s UK261 checker*, let passengers estimate their entitlement before they contact an airline.

Why does it matter?

Many passengers do not realise a three-hour delay entitles them to fixed compensation on top of any refunded ticket cost, and airlines do not always volunteer this information. Understanding the distance-based tiers and the three-hour threshold means passengers can identify a valid claim quickly rather than accepting a goodwill voucher instead of the compensation they are owed.

The distinction between “care” (owed from two hours) and “compensation” (owed from three hours) also matters, since passengers are entitled to both when a long delay occurs, not one or the other.

What were the key results?

• Compensation of £220 per person for delays of 3+ hours on flights under 1,500 km
• Compensation of £350 per person for delays of 3+ hours on flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km
• Compensation of £260 (3–4 hour delay) or £520 (4+ hour delay) for flights over 3,500 km
• Care entitlement (food, drink, accommodation) begins at 2, 3, or 4 hours depending on distance
• Compensation applies regardless of delay cause, except “extraordinary circumstances”
• Passengers can escalate rejected claims to the CAA or an approved dispute resolution scheme
• Rules apply to flights departing the UK and inbound flights on UK or EU airlines

What happens next?

The CAA continues to publish airline-by-airline compliance data to help passengers identify carriers with strong claims-handling records.

Consumer groups plan to keep pressing airlines to state UK261 entitlements clearly at the point a delay is announced, rather than leaving passengers to look up the rules themselves.

The CAA says it will keep monitoring airline use of the “extraordinary circumstances” exemption to prevent it being applied to delays that should qualify for compensation.

Passenger rights advisers recommend keeping boarding passes and delay notifications, since airlines can request evidence when processing a claim.