JetBlue flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a JetBlue flight

JetBlue crossed the Atlantic in 2021 and now links New York and Boston with London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Edinburgh. It is licensed in the United States, which makes it a non-EU carrier — and that splits its transatlantic network exactly down the middle:

• Departing the EU/EEA — Paris, Amsterdam or Dublin to New York or Boston — EU261 applies, because the regulation covers any carrier departing an EU airport.
• Departing the UK — London or Edinburgh to the US — UK261 applies.
• Departing the US — not covered. A delayed New York to London flight has no EU261 or UK261 claim, because it departs a non-EU, non-UK country on a non-EU, non-UK carrier. US law requires refunds for cancellations but no fixed delay compensation.

On covered departures, the triggers are a three-hour-plus arrival delay at your final destination, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, or involuntary denied boarding.

How much you could receive

Every JetBlue route touching Europe is transatlantic and comfortably over 3,500 km, so the top bands apply:

• EUR 600 per passenger for a covered EU departure — Paris, Amsterdam or Dublin to the US
• GBP 520 per passenger for a covered UK departure — London Gatwick or Edinburgh to the US
• The lower EUR 250 / EUR 400 (GBP 220 / GBP 350) bands exist in the rules but do not arise on this network

If rerouting still delivers you under four hours late, the airline may halve the amount. Compensation is per passenger with a confirmed seat, and a basic Blue fare qualifies like Mint.

When JetBlue doesn't have to pay

Compensation falls away for extraordinary circumstances — North Atlantic weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, airport closures, security alerts — but only where the airline proves they were unavoidable despite all reasonable measures.

The burden of proof is on JetBlue for covered flights. A strike by its own staff is generally not extraordinary under the European case law; third-party strikes usually are. Routine technical faults remain the airline's responsibility, and a late inbound aircraft from New York does not automatically excuse the European departure.

How to claim from JetBlue

Confirm the departure airport first — it decides whether a claim exists. Keep the booking reference, boarding passes and delay notifications, and note your actual gate arrival time. US carriers deal with EU261 less often than European ones, so refusals are worth challenging. We submit the claim, chase it, and escalate to the enforcement body of the departure country or the UK CAA.

What it costs

The eligibility check is free. If we recover your compensation we charge a fixed EUR 39 success fee — the same whether you're owed EUR 250 or EUR 600 — and the airline's payment goes to you. No win, no fee.