Qantas flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a Qantas flight

Qantas is the flag carrier of Australia, a member of the oneworld alliance, flying long-haul routes that connect Australia with Europe via a small number of European gateways. It is not an EU or UK carrier, so your rights depend on the airport you leave from, not on the airline.

Because Qantas holds no EU or UK licence, protection attaches to the departure airport only:

• Departing any EU/EEA airport on Qantas — EU261 applies, as it does to any operating carrier leaving Europe.
• Departing the UK on Qantas — UK261 applies.
• Arriving into the EU/EEA or the UK on Qantas — not covered, because Qantas is not a Community carrier and the inbound limb requires an EU or UK airline.

A London departure onward toward Australia is protected; the same aircraft arriving into London is not. Because Qantas' European services are ultra-long-haul, most eligible claims sit firmly in the top band.

How much you could receive

The figure is set by route distance, not by the fare or the cabin, and each passenger with a confirmed booking claims separately.

• EUR 250 — flights of 1,500 km or less
• EUR 400 — flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km
• EUR 600 — flights over 3,500 km, which covers Qantas departures from Europe

UK261 claims use GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520. Under Article 7(2), the airline may pay half the top figure where a re-routed long-haul flight arrives under four hours late, so the exact arrival time at your final destination matters.

When Qantas doesn't have to pay

No compensation is due where the airline proves extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures — severe weather, ATC flow restrictions, airport closures, security incidents or a bird strike.

Two points are widely misunderstood:

• The airline carries the burden of proof. A generic "operational reasons" line is an assertion, not evidence.
• A strike by the airline's own crew is generally not extraordinary, while strikes by third parties such as air-traffic controllers or airport handlers usually are.

Routine technical faults found during ordinary maintenance normally remain the airline's responsibility.

How to claim from Qantas

Keep the booking reference, boarding passes for every leg, and any message announcing the delay or cancellation. For a missed connection, note the actual arrival time at your final destination — that is the figure the regulation uses.

We prepare and run the claim, chase the airline and handle any appeal from start to finish.

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.