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Check Your Compensation →Does EU261 Still Apply After Brexit?
Yes — in two ways. First, EU261 itself still applies to any flight departing from an EU airport, regardless of airline or passenger nationality. Second, the UK has adopted the regulation almost word-for-word as 'UK261' (technically The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing Regulations 2019), so departures from UK airports and arrivals into the UK on UK/EU airlines are equally protected.
What EU261 Covers
- Long delays (3+ hours at arrival)
- Cancellations notified less than 14 days before departure
- Denied boarding due to overbooking
- Missed connections caused by an earlier delay on the same booking
- Right to care: meals, refreshments and accommodation during disruption
Compensation Amounts
| Flight Distance | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | £520 |
Time Limits to Claim
In the UK you have six years from the date of the disrupted flight. In most EU member states the deadline is three years. Don't wait — evidence and witness recall fade quickly.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Airlines avoid paying compensation when the disruption was caused by 'extraordinary circumstances'. Examples: severe weather, ATC strikes (not airline staff strikes), security threats, political instability. NOT extraordinary: airline staff strikes, technical issues, routing problems.
How to Claim
You can claim directly with the airline or use a no-win-no-fee service. Direct claims keep 100% of the compensation but require persistence. A service like AirHelp handles the legal work for a percentage fee and dramatically improves success rates against airlines known for rejecting valid claims.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Accepting vouchers or 'goodwill' offers instead of cash compensation
- Letting the six-year deadline pass without action
- Assuming weather is automatically an extraordinary circumstance
- Forgetting that connecting flights on the same booking count as one journey
Where to Claim
Our recommended flight compensation service.
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