Delayed Flight Compensation UK 2026: What You're Owed

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How Long Must the Delay Be?

The clock starts when the aircraft door opens at your destination — not when wheels touch down. If the door opens three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, you qualify (subject to extraordinary circumstances).

What You're Owed

Right to Care During the Delay

Separate from compensation, the airline must provide assistance during long delays:

• 2+ hour delay (short haul): meals and refreshments
• 3+ hour delay (medium haul): meals, refreshments and two phone calls
• Overnight delay: hotel accommodation and transport to/from the hotel

What Counts as Extraordinary Circumstances?

Airlines will often blame 'extraordinary circumstances' to avoid paying. They're only valid for events truly outside the airline's control — severe weather, security incidents, ATC strikes. Technical faults, crew shortages and overbooking do NOT count, regardless of what the airline says.

How to Claim Compensation for a Delayed Flight

1. 1Save your boarding pass, booking reference and any delay notification
2. 2Note the actual arrival time (when the door opened)
3. 3Check eligibility with a free tool
4. 4Either write to the airline or appoint a service to handle it
5. 5If rejected, escalate via the CAA or a no-win-no-fee specialist

Why Most People Don't Claim

Airlines bank on you giving up. Direct claims often get a templated rejection citing extraordinary circumstances even when none apply. A service like AirHelp pushes back legally — which is why their success rate dwarfs that of self-claims against budget airlines.