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Regulations regarding delayed flight compensation
Everything started with the European Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, also called the Flight Compensation Regulation. Its introduction was one of the biggest wins for air passengers in Europe, forcing airlines to pay compensation in case of a cancelled flight. In 2009, the regulation started also covering flight delays of at least 3 hours.
Thankfully for the British residents, the EU regulation was adapted into the UK law after Brexit. The new law is called 'The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019’.
Flying outside of the UK and EU? Your flight might also be covered!
Delayed flight compensation : How much can I get?
This depends on the distance between your point of origin and your point of arrival.
| Distance of your flight | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Flights shorter than 1,500 km | €250 per passenger |
| Flight between 1,500 and 3,500 km | €400 per passenger |
| Flights of over 1,500 kilometres within the EU | €400 per passenger |
| Flights of over 3,500 kilometres outside of the EU | €600 per passenger |
Remember that in order to get the compensation, your flight must have been delayed by at least 3 hours.
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Can I get flight delay compensation for a flight outside of the UK or EU?
Yes, but only in some cases.
The compensation is only eligible for the flight from the UK/EU that was delayed by at least 3 hours. You are not eligible for compensation if you are flying with an airline not headquartered in the UK or EU.
See the table below for more details.
| Type of flight | Example | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Flying with a British carrier | Tokyo to London with British Airways | Yes |
| Flying with a EU carrier | Amsterdam to London with KLM | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier from the UK | London to Tokyo with Japan Airlines | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier to the UK | Tokyo to London with Japan Airlines | No |
Can the airline deny me flight delay compensation?
Unfortunately, many airlines still decide to deny compensating their passengers for delayed flight. They often believe that the passenger — especially one not aided by a legal professional — will not decide to pursue the case to court.
At Flight-Delayed.com, we have legal teams in 9 countries and over 10 years of experience in getting passengers the money they are owed. In many cases, we are able to process the compensation of delayed flight claims faster thanks to our knowledge of the industry and airlines; and if mediation doesn’t work, we will fight for you in court. All this is handled on the ‘no win, no fee’ basis — you don’t have to pay us anything until the airline issues the compensation of your delayed flight.
However, keep in mind that there are also the so-called extraordinary circumstances in which the airline can rightfully deny the flight delay compensation:
- Extreme weather conditions
- Natural disasters
- Strike within the aviation industry (Strike of a specific airline/their crew is not eligible for compensation)
- Passenger who refuses to follow the airline regulation
- Passenger who feels unwell
- Political circumstances, such as terrorist attack
- Another aircraft, birds, or foreign objects colliding with the passenger aircraft
- Extraordinarily long queues for security check/passport control
Be aware, though, that airlines often claim that the flight delay happened because of extraordinary circumstances when, in fact, that wasn’t the case. To make sure if you are eligible for compensation, check it now with our free Claim Calculator.
How long do I have to submit my flight delay compensation claim in the UK?
The United Kingdom has some of the longest periods to submit a compensation claim for the delayed flight — you have to 6 years to do so.
If the UK is not part of your itinerary, different local regulations may apply. For example, in France, you have 5 years to submit your compensation claim for the delayed flight, but in Poland, you have only 1 year.
When claiming compensation for the delayed flight, the passenger has the right to choose between three laws: the law in force in the country where the passenger is flying from, the law in force in the country where the passenger is flying to, and the law in force in the country where the airline used is headquartered.
For example, if you are flying with Eurowings from France to the UK, three laws apply:
- German law, as Eurowings is a German airline — up to 3 years to submit a compensation claim.
- French law, as France is the point of departure — up to 5 years to submit a compensation claim.
- British law, as the UK is the point of arrival — up to 6 years to submit a compensation claim.
When submitting a compensation claim for delayed flight, you can choose the most favourable law. We recommend using our free Claim Calculator — it will automatically pick the best option applicable to your case.
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Can additional expenses due to a delayed flight also be reimbursed?
Yes! Not only could you be entitled to the compensation for delayed flight, but you could also get your money back for unexpected expenses. Additional expenses can include unexpected hotel bookings due to very lengthy delays or sudden cancellations, food in airport restaurants, as well as spendings on taxis or car rentals.
If you decide to submit your flight delay reimbursement claim with Flight-Delayed.com, you can upload all the bills to our online system. We’ll carefully review them and include them in your case against the airline.
How long will it take to get my delayed flight compensation?
Thanks to our extensive experience in the industry and good relationship with many airlines, we are able to process your compensation claim fast and get it the much-needed attention. If our legal team manages to settle your claim directly with the airline, you can expect the payout within a few weeks or months.
Unfortunately, if the airline is unresponsive or the case has to be taken to court, the process of getting your compensation for delayed flight might take significantly longer, up to a few years. However, rest assured that we will always keep you well informed on any updates regarding your flight delay claim and fight for your rights until the very end.
We have won 98% of court cases against airlines and work exclusively on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
How to claim flight delay compensation?
With over 10+ years of experience, full focus on flight claims, legal teams in 9 countries, and a 98% success rate in courts, Flight-Delayed.com is the best option when it comes to claiming compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Our process is as streamlined as possible — you can submit your claim using our Claim Calculator and then upload all your documents into your online account. We also keep everything mobile-friendly — you can go through the whole process using only your phone!
After your delayed flight compensation claim is submitted, we will take care of the legal work for you. This includes any paperwork, mediation with the airline, and eventual court case. As we work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, we’ll only collect our fee after the airline issues your delayed flight compensation.
Learn more about our fees on our Price List page or simply start the claiming process right away.
Why claim with Flight-Delayed
1m passengers helped
9 legal teams in 9 countries
98% of court cases won
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