Qatar Airways flight delay and cancellation compensation

Your rights on a Qatar Airways flight

Qatar Airways is the state carrier of Qatar, hubbed at Doha and a member of the oneworld alliance. It is not an EU or UK carrier, so your rights turn on the airport you leave from, not on the airline.

Because Qatar Airways holds no EU or UK operating licence, coverage lands on the departure side only:

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

A London, Paris or Rome departure to Doha is protected; the return sector from Doha into Europe is not. As Qatar's European flying is almost entirely long-haul, most eligible claims fall in the highest band.

How much you could receive

The sum is fixed by route distance, not by the fare or the cabin, and every named 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 most Qatar Airways departures from Europe

UK261 claims pay GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520 on the same distance bands. Article 7(2) lets the airline halve the top figure where a re-routed long-haul flight lands under four hours late, so the arrival time is worth checking.

When Qatar Airways doesn't have to pay

Compensation falls away where the airline proves extraordinary circumstances outside its control and unavoidable even with all reasonable measures — severe weather, ATC restrictions, airport closures, security incidents or a bird strike.

Two things are commonly misstated:

• Qatar Airways must prove the defence. A bare reference to "operational reasons" or weather is not evidence, and should be tested against the conditions actually recorded that day.
• Own-crew strikes are generally not extraordinary, whereas strikes by air-traffic controllers or third-party airport staff usually are.

Routine technical faults discovered during normal maintenance are normally the airline's risk.

How to claim from Qatar Airways

Keep the booking reference, boarding passes for every leg, and any email or app notification about the change. For a missed connection, record the actual arrival time at your final destination — that is the figure the regulation uses.

We handle the submission, the follow-up and 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.