Checked 14 Sep 2026 · every figure sourced to the act
Delayed or cancelled flight? You could be owed up to £520 or €600.
Three hours late at your final destination earns £220–£520 under UK261 or €250–€600 under EU261 — per passenger, in cash, not vouchers. We tell you the exact figure, the law it rests on and how to claim it from the airline yourself, for free.
- Free · no sign-up · no commission
- UK · EU · Canada · US · Montreal
- 1,141 primary sources, cited in text
What went wrong?
My flight was delayedMy flight was cancelledDenied boarding, strike or lost bagFind out how much you're owedAnswer drawn from UK261, EU261, APPR or US DOT — stated with its currency
- 190guides across 5 legal regimes
- 1,141primary-source citations, in visible text
- 64airlines, one claim page each
- £0to use — the free DIY route is always shown first
Free instant check
Is your flight eligible? Two minutes, no account.
The calculator names the regime that applies, the exact band and the deadline — and links the article it is drawn from. It works without JavaScript and never converts currencies.
Stansted, 3 h 20 min late · 471 km
EU airport, operated by an EU-licensed carrier.
Irish limitation rules.
Ryanair directly (free) →How it works
Three steps to the money the airline owes you
Airlines pay when they are asked correctly. Most passengers never ask.
Check your flight in 2 minutes
Route, airline, how late. The calculator names the regime and the exact band — £220, €400, C$1,000 — with the article of law behind it.
Claim from the airline yourself
Every airline card links the carrier's own claim form, and the calculator turns your result into a fill-in letter. Free — you keep 100%. The airline has to answer, and we list which refusal reasons hold up.
Escalate if they say no
ADR scheme, CAA, CTA, DOT complaint or small claims — the free ladder, in order. If you'd rather hand it off, the comparison below says when a claim service is worth it.
CAA, 
CTA, DOT complaint or small claims — the free ladder, in order. If you'd rather hand it off, the comparison below says when a claim service is worth it.How much can you get?
The longer the route, the higher the fixed amount. It does not depend on what you paid for the ticket. UK261 pays in pounds and EU261 in euros — they are never converted, and one regime applies to one flight.
Canada and 
US rules →Five regimes. One applies to your flight.
Side-by-side comparison table →
UK, or arriving on a Common flight problems
What each problem pays, and where to start
The honest comparison
Claim it yourself, or use a claim service?
The free route is always first: every airline page links the carrier's own claim form and names the legal entity that owes you, before any third party is mentioned.
Claim yourself
Free · start here
England and 
Wales issue fees run from Claim service
Third party · commissionWhy trust this site
A reference, not a sales funnel.
We are not a claims company. Every amount, threshold, deadline and enforcement body on the site is traceable to a primary source, and the site speaks only as an organisation.
How we verifyBy airline
Your airline, in one page
Who operated the flight, what it pays under each regime, its own claim form, which refusal reasons hold up, and how long it takes to pay.
Air Canada: from approval) to payment, from dated passenger reports. “United initially denied the claim, citing “environmental damage” as an extraordinary circumstance.”
United initially denied the claim, citing “environmental damage” as an extraordinary circumstance.”By airport
Where you are standing now
Heathrow
GatwickOriginal research
Datasets nobody else publishes
How these were collectedFAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers, number first. Each links to the guide with the full rule and its source.
Is there a time limit to claim?
6 years in England and Wales and 5 in Scotland under UK261; EU261 sets no deadline of its own, so the member state's national law decides; 1 year to the airline under Canada's APPR; 2 years under the Montreal Convention. A 2021 flight can still be claimed in the UK today. Full answer and sources →
Scotland under UK261; EU261 sets no deadline of its own, so the member state's national law decides; 1 year to the airline under Which law applies to my flight?
UK261 covers flights departing the UK on any airline, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU carrier. EU261 works the same way for EU airports and EU carriers. Nationality never matters; the route and the operating carrier's licence decide. Full answer and sources →
Do US flights get delay compensation?
No. US DOT rules require a refund when a flight is cancelled or significantly changed, and 200–400% of the fare (up to $2,150) if you are bumped, but there is no cash compensation for a delayed US domestic flight. Full answer and sources →
The airline blamed the weather. Is that the end of it?
Not necessarily. Weather is extraordinary only if it actually affected your aircraft on that day and the airline took all reasonable measures. Technical faults are not extraordinary (Jet2 v Huzar, 2014). Full answer and sources →
Jet2 v Huzar, 2014). Can I claim for the people I travelled with?
Yes. Compensation is per passenger with a confirmed reservation, including children with their own seat. A family of four on a 3-hour-late long-haul UK261 flight is owed £2,080. One claim form can usually list every passenger on the booking. Full answer and sources →
Most passengers never check. The ones who do get paid.
Two minutes. No account. The number, the law and the next step.