United Airlines flight delayed or cancelled? Get compensation and a refund!

United Airlines delayed or cancelled flight — what are my passenger rights?

When you fly with United Airlines from the UL/EU, your rights are protected under EU Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, also known as EU261. This regulation states that if your flight departing from the EU is delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to flight compensation.

Were you flying from the UK with United Airlines? In that case, the 'The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019' protect your rights even further. It's the British version of EU261, enacted after Brexit.

• If your United Airlines flight experienced a delay for at least 3 hours, it is highly likely that you are eligible for flight compensation.

• If your United Airlines flight was cancelled and you did not opt for an alternative flight provided by the airline, you have the right to a refund. Moreover, if the flight cancellation occurred within 14 days of the scheduled departure, you may be entitled to compensation for the cancelled United Airlines flight.

• Irrespective of the cause or nature of the flight disruption, United Airlines is obligated to offer passengers special assistance known as the "right to care." This assistance includes provisions such as food and beverage vouchers, communication services, and, if necessary, accommodations and transportation. You can claim these directly at the airline's service desk. You also have the option to personally purchase the necessary items and expenses, United Airlines is then obliged to reimburse you for these reasonable expenses.

Please note that if your United Airlines flight was delayed or cancelled due to "Extraordinary Circumstances," you may not be eligible for flight compensation. In such cases, the airline must be responsible for the flight disruption in order to provide compensation to affected passengers.

United Airlines delayed flight compensation — get up to £520

Were you more than 3 hours late because of a United Airlines flight delay? Then you could be eligible for up to £520 in United Airlines flight compensation. 

Cancelled United Airlines flight — refund and compensation rules

Depending on the circumstances of your United Airlines flight's cancellation, you may be entitled to a ticket refund, compensation of up to £520, or both.

When can I claim compensation for a cancelled United Airlines flight?

You may be eligible for flight compensation if:

1. Your flight was departing from the UK/EU

2. Your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure date.

You must also consider unusual circumstances such as a natural disaster that prevents the flight from taking off — if these extraordinary circumstances apply to your flight, you may be ineligible for compensation.

When can I claim a refund for my cancelled United Airlines flight?

If your flight was cancelled and you did not take the airline's alternative flight, you may be eligible for a United Airlines ticket refund. You are also entitled to a ticket refund if you were not offered an alternative flight.

Note that to be able to benefit from the refund and compensation under British and European regulations, your flight needs to be departing from the UK/EU.

United Airlines is offering me a travel voucher instead of a refund — should I accept it?

We do not advise accepting a travel voucher in lieu of a refund. This is for two main reasons:

1. Accepting a travel voucher binds you to fly with the same airline again. In addition, the airline usually assigns a time limit for redeeming the voucher.

2. If the airline declares bankruptcy, you may be unable to convert your voucher into a cash refund — in other words, your money will be lost.

=> Have you already accepted a United Airlines travel voucher? You might be able to change it for a monetary refund.

Can I receive flight compensation if I cancel my United Airlines flight?

If you initiate the cancellation, you may not be eligible for flight compensation according to the air passenger rights regulations. It is advisable to review United Airlines' specific policies or contact their customer service for further details regarding flight cancellation compensation.

United Airlines missed connection flight due to delay or cancellation

If you have missed a connecting flight due to a delay or cancellation of your United Airlines flight, and both flights were booked under the same reservation, you may be eligible for compensation and/or a refund for the entire trip if the delay or cancellation meets the specified criteria.

United Airlines overbooked flight — get a refund, compensation and extra care

Overbooking is common for airlines. They frequently sell more tickets than there are available seats on the plane, and if there aren't enough volunteers to give up their reservations, passengers may be denied boarding against their will.

=> Learn more about your rights in the event of United Airlines overbooking 

United Airlines is a non-EU airline. Can I still claim compensation?

You can — in certains circumstances. As United is a non-EU airline, the European regulations apply only to the United Airlines flights departing from Europe and the UK.

See table below for more information.

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

How much compensation can I get for a delayed United Airlines flight?

You must be departing from the UK/EU to be eligible for flight compensation under European and British laws.

The amount of compensation depends on the flight distance.

Distance of your flight	Compensation
Flights shorter than 1,500 km	Get £220 per passenger
Flight between 1,500 and 3,500 km	Get £350 per passenger
Flights of over 1,500 kilometres within the EU	Get £350 per passenger
Flights of over 3,500 kilometres outside of the EU	Get £520 per passenger

Extraordinary circumstances — can United Airlines deny me compensation?

Extraordinary circumstances are used to describe situations in which the airline is not to blame for the delay or cancellation. If any of the following conditions apply to your United Airlines flight delay or cancellation (this list is not exhaustive), you may be ineligible for flight compensation:

• Bad weather conditions, such as thick fog, heavy rain, or thunderstorms.

• A strike, most often specifically within the aviation industry (for example, a strike of air traffic control workers at a specific airport).

  However, a strike of the airline's crew is not considered an extraordinary circumstance!

• Political circumstances, such as a terrorist attack or general security risk due to political unrest.

• Natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions and hurricanes.

• A collision between the aircraft and birds or other foreign objects.

• An ill or unruly passenger.

• Flight delays caused by the airport staff, such as extraordinarily long queues to security checks.

How long do I have to claim my United Airlines compensation and refund?

If you are flying from the United Kingdom, you have 6 years to file a claim for United Airlines flight compensation or a United Airlines flight refund. Scotland is an exception, as you have 5 years to claim.

Different national laws will apply if your itinerary does not include the United Kingdom.

Check out our free Claim Calculator to see if you are still eligible for United Airlines compensation and refund.

=> Check if you can still claim United Airlines compensation and refund

How long will it take to get my United Airlines compensation / United Airlines refund?

Passengers who claim flight refund and flight compensation with us generally receive their funds within a few weeks or months.

If, on the other hand, the airline fails to respond and/or the claim must be filed in court, the wait time could be months or even years.

Regardless of how long your claim takes, our legal experts will keep you informed of any significant changes to your claim.

How to claim United Airlines compensation / United Airlines refund?

Determine whether you are eligible for flight compensation or a refund first. You can do it in under a minute with our Claim Calculator!

If you are entitled to flight compensation and/or a refund, you can choose to delegate the rest of the process to our team of experts, allowing you to relax while we ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

You'll need just a few minutes to upload all of the required documents to our platform. Our legal team will then evaluate your claim, prepare legal documentation, contact decision-makers at the airline, and, if necessary, take your claim to court.

About United Airlines 

United Airlines is one of the main American airlines. They are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1926, United Airlines offers 4,500 daily flights to over 300 cities on five continents. With over 200 domestic destinations, the airline has a large network in the United States.

Last year, United Airlines was the 4th most punctual airline in the United States. According to OAG in 2021, the airline had an on-time performance level of 83.5%.

Useful links

• More details on delayed flight compensation
• More details on cancelled flight compensation
• Rules regarding missed flight compensation
• Rules regarding flight compensation in the case of denied boarding
• Claim Calculator — check if you are eligible for compensation