Flight delayed? How to claim compensation in 2026 (EU, UK, Canada and US)
Up to €600, £520 or CAD 1,000 per passenger for a long delay. Which flights qualify, what you are owed and how to claim it yourself, step by step.
Updated · 5 min read
If your flight landed three hours or more late, there is a good chance the airline owes you money: up to €600 under EU rules, £520 under UK rules or CAD 1,000 in Canada, per passenger. Airlines rarely pay it unless you ask, and the asking is simpler than most people think. This guide covers who qualifies, how much, and exactly what to send.
What you can get
The amount depends on where you flew, how far and how late you arrived at your final destination. Arrival time means the moment a door opens, not the moment the wheels touch down.
| Rules | Delay on arrival | Amount per passenger |
|---|---|---|
| EU (EU261) | 3 hours or more | €250 up to 1,500 km; €400 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, or any flight over 1,500 km inside the EU; €600 over 3,500 km (€300 if 3 to 4 hours late) |
| UK (UK261) | 3 hours or more | £220 up to 1,500 km; £350 for 1,500 to 3,500 km; £520 over 3,500 km (£260 if 3 to 4 hours late) |
| Canada (APPR), large airline | 3 hours or more | CAD 400 for 3 to 6 hours; CAD 700 for 6 to 9 hours; CAD 1,000 for 9 hours or more |
| Canada (APPR), small airline | 3 hours or more | CAD 125, CAD 250 or CAD 500 for the same bands |
| United States | Any | No cash compensation by law for delays. You can get a refund if you choose not to travel (see below) |
Distance is measured from the first airport on your booking to the last. A missed connection on the same booking counts by when you reach your final destination.
Which flights are covered
EU rules cover every flight that leaves an airport in the EU, on any airline, and flights into the EU on an EU airline. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are included.
UK rules cover every flight leaving the UK, on any airline, and flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline.
Canadian rules cover flights to, from and within Canada, including connecting flights. The amount depends on whether the airline is large (2 million passengers a year or more) or small.
In the US there is no law that pays cash for a delay. Since October 2024, though, if a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed (more than 3 hours on a domestic flight, 6 hours international) and you decide not to travel, the airline must give you a cash refund. Some airlines also promise meals, hotels or credits in their own customer service plans, so check yours.
When the airline does not have to pay
Under EU and UK rules the airline is let off if the delay came from extraordinary circumstances: things it could not have avoided with reasonable measures. Typical examples are air traffic control restrictions, severe weather, security risks and political unrest.
Most of the excuses passengers hear are not extraordinary. A technical fault with the aircraft, a crew shortage or the airline's own staff on strike are normally the airline's problem, and it still has to pay. The airline has to prove the circumstance applied, not you.
Canada uses three categories: within the airline's control (you get compensation), within its control but needed for safety (no compensation, but you still get food, a hotel where needed and rebooking or a refund), and outside its control (no compensation).
How to claim, step by step
- Gather your proof. Booking reference, boarding passes, the time you actually arrived, and any messages from the airline about the delay. A photo of the arrivals board helps.
- Ask the airline for the reason in writing. At the airport or straight after. The reason decides whether you are owed money.
- Claim directly from the airline. Use its online claims form or email its customer relations team. You do not need a claims company. They take a share of your money for sending the same message you can send yourself.
- Keep it short and specific. Flight number, date, booked and actual arrival times, the rule you are claiming under, the amount, and the bank details or payment method you want. Give a date for a reply.
- Escalate if they say no or go quiet. In the UK, if the airline rejects you or has not answered in eight weeks, go to its dispute body (ADR) or, if it has none, the Civil Aviation Authority. In the EU, complain to the national enforcement body in the country where it happened if you have no answer in two months. In Canada, if there is no answer within 30 days, complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency.
Here is the kind of message that gets paid:
Subject: Compensation claim, flight XX1234 on 14 June 2026, booking ABC123
Flight XX1234 from London Gatwick to Lisbon on 14 June 2026 was due to arrive at 11:40 and arrived at 15:25, 3 hours 45 minutes late. The crew said the delay was caused by a technical fault.
Under UK261 I claim £350 for each of the two passengers on this booking, £700 in total. Please pay it to the card used for the booking, or tell me the reason you believe an extraordinary circumstance applies, by 12 July 2026.
How long you have
- England and Wales: up to six years. Scotland: five years.
- EU: set by each country's law, so it varies. Claim as soon as you can.
- Canada: one year from the delay or cancellation.
What you get even without compensation
Whatever caused the delay, EU and UK rules say the airline must look after you while you wait: food and drink, a way to make calls, and a hotel and transfers if you are stuck overnight. Keep receipts if you pay yourself, and claim them back. If the delay passes five hours and you decide not to fly, you can ask for a refund instead.
What changes with the EU reform
The EU agreed a reform of the rules in 2026. It keeps the three-hour threshold and the €250, €400 and €600 amounts, and it is not expected to apply until around 2027. Once it does, there will be a set window to file a claim with the airline. Until then, today's rules and time limits apply to every flight, including flights you took in 2025 and 2026.
The short version
Late by three hours or more on arrival, on a flight covered by EU, UK or Canadian rules, and not because of something truly out of the airline's hands: you are very likely owed money. Claim it yourself, in writing, with the numbers, and give a date.
Questions
Is compensation per booking or per passenger?
Per passenger. A family of four on a delayed flight from London to Lisbon can claim four times the amount, children included if they had their own seat.
The airline blamed the weather. Is that the end of it?
Not always. Bad weather can be an extraordinary circumstance, but the airline has to show it caused your delay, not just that there was weather somewhere that day. Ask for the reason in writing and which flight or airport it affected.
Can I still claim for a flight from last year?
Usually yes. In England and Wales you have up to six years, five in Scotland. Under EU rules the time limit is set by each country. In Canada it is one year from the delay.
The airline offered me vouchers. Should I take them?
Only if you want them. Under EU and UK rules compensation is cash, and you can only be given vouchers if you agree to them in writing. Say no and ask for the money.
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on where you live: check the official source before you rely on a date or an amount.
Sources
The pack for this
Flight Delay Compensation$12Claim for a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight. It checks the compensation rules in the EU, UK and Canada and your refund rights in the US and Australia, works out the amount and writes every message to the airline.
Travel Kit$29Six Problem Packs: flight and train delays, lost luggage, hotel refunds, car rental charges, cancelled events.6 packs, $72 if bought one by one
Related guides
- TravelFlight cancelled or delayed by a strike? What the airline owes youStrike cancelled your flight? You always get a refund or another flight, plus meals and a hotel. Airline staff strike: up to €600 or £520 on top.
- TravelTrain cancelled by a strike? Your refund and compensation rights in the EUStrike stopped your train? EU law gives a full refund within 30 days, or 25% to 50% back from 60 minutes late. Staff strikes are no excuse.