Flights & Travel RightsCalculator
EU261 and UK261 flight delay compensation checker
DaddyNoteAdded 14 Oct 2026Sources checked 14 Oct 2026
Pick where your flight left from and landed, who ran it, the distance and how late you arrived. The checker shows which rules cover the flight and the fixed amount each one sets.
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and UK261, as in force
Your flight
Fixed compensation per passenger
£220
EU261 · Regulation (EC) 261/2004
Does not apply
Flights into the EU from outside are covered only when an EU airline operates them.
UK261 · UK version of the regulation
£220
The flight departs from the UK (any airline).
Table row used: Under 1,500 km, 3 hours or more.
When both rules cover a flight
A flight from London to Paris on an EU airline is covered by UK261 because it leaves the UK, and by EU261 because it lands in the EU on an EU airline. You claim once. Your Europe says EU rules apply only if you have not already received benefits for the same problem under a non-EU country’s law.
How to claim
Compensation is not paid automatically. Claim from the airline that operated the flight first. In the UK, the CAA says that if the airline does not answer within eight weeks or you disagree with its final reply, you can go to the airline’s ADR scheme, or to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if the airline is not in one.
Under EU261, Your Europe says that if the airline has not replied within 2 months, or you are not satisfied with the reply, you can complain to the national authority in the country where the incident took place. Only the airline that operated the flight is responsible.
Cancellations and denied boarding
Under EU261 the same €250, €400 and €600 amounts apply to cancellations and denied boarding, but there is no compensation if you were told more than 14 days before departure, and shorter notice can also rule it out if the airline offered a close enough re-routing. The timings are on the Your Europe page. This checker does not work them out yet.
The new EU passenger rights law
On 13 July 2026 the Council of the EU gave final approval to a law amending Regulation 261/2004. It enters into force 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal, so it is not yet in force. Until it applies, the current amounts above stay the ones used here. The new amounts and delay thresholds were not checked against the published text for this version.
How it is calculated
This version checks long delays on arrival only. Cancellations and denied boarding use other conditions, explained below.
| Item | Rule used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EU261 coverage | Flights departing the EU on any airline, and flights arriving in the EU from outside on an EU airline. Also flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. | Your Europe (europa.eu) — Air passenger rights |
| EU261 amounts | €250: 1,500 km or less, 3 hours or more · €400: more than 1,500 km within the EU, and other flights of 1,500–3,500 km, 3 hours or more · €300: more than 3,500 km, 3 to under 4 hours · €600: more than 3,500 km, 4 hours or more. | Your Europe (europa.eu) — Air passenger rights |
| UK261 coverage | Flights departing the UK on any airline; flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline; flights from outside Europe into the EU on a UK airline. | UK CAA — Does UK law apply to your flight incident? (PDF) |
| UK261 amounts | £220: under 1,500 km · £350: 1,500–3,500 km · £260: over 3,500 km, 3 to 4 hours late · £520: over 3,500 km, more than 4 hours late.The CAA page words the bands as “under 1500” and “between 1500 and 3500”. Exactly 1,500 km is put in the lower band here, as in EU261. | UK Civil Aviation Authority — Delays |
| Legal text | Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council. | EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 |
This calculator gives general information from published rules. It is not financial, tax or legal advice. Nothing you type is stored.