Air passenger rights, explained clearly
Air passenger rights protect you when an airline delays, cancels, overbooks or diverts your flight. Under EU261 and UK261 the airline can owe you €250 to €600 (or £220 to £520) by distance, plus care and a refund or rerouting. Swiss rules, the Montreal Convention and US rules work differently.
What happened to your flight?
Which laws protect air passengers?
How do you enforce your claim in each country?
Enforcement bodies, free dispute resolution and time limits differ across Europe. Pick the country your flight departed from.
How much EU261 and UK261 compensation can you get?
Set by flight distance — not your ticket price. Payable when the disruption was within the airline's control.
| Flight distance | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600(€400 within the EU) | £520 |
Per passenger. Flights within the EU over 1,500 km pay €400. Long-haul delays of 3–4 hours, and re-routed cancellations or bumpings in any band that arrive close to schedule, may be reduced by 50% (Article 7(2)). Illustrative until eligibility is verified.
Air passenger rights: what should you do in the first hour?
Most claims are won or lost by what you collect at the airport. Five things, in order.
- 1Ask the airline, at the desk or in writing, why the flight is delayed or cancelled. The reason decides whether compensation applies at all, and airlines are far more candid in the first hour than in a claim letter three weeks later.
- 2Photograph the departure board showing the delay or cancellation, and keep your boarding pass and booking reference.
- 3Take the care the airline owes you: meals and refreshments once the wait passes two hours, and a hotel plus transfers if it runs overnight. Ask for the vouchers, and keep receipts if you pay yourself.
- 4Decide between rerouting and a refund before you leave the airport, and get the choice in writing. Accepting a refund does not give up your compensation claim.
- 5Note your actual arrival time at your final destination — not the departure delay. Every compensation rule turns on when you got there.
How do EU261 rights and UK261 rights compare?
What do EU261 rights cover?
EU261 rights cover every flight leaving an EU or EEA airport, whoever operates it, and every flight arriving in the EU or EEA on an EU or EEA airline. They give you fixed compensation of €250 to €600 for cancellations and arrival delays of three hours or more, a choice between a refund and rerouting, and care while you wait. The airline escapes the fixed payment only by proving extraordinary circumstances, or by having given you 14 days' notice.
What do UK261 rights cover?
UK261 rights are the same scheme, retained in UK law after Brexit and expressed in sterling: £220, £350 and £520 by distance. They cover flights leaving the UK on any airline, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU carrier. A flight from London to Madrid can fall under both schemes, and you claim under one of them, not both.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — the regulation itself, in every EU language
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — passenger rights — the UK regulator's own guidance and complaint route
Common questions
Which law applies to my flight?
It depends on where you departed, where you arrived, and which airline operated the flight. Flights leaving the EU/EEA or UK, flights arriving in the EU/EEA on an EU/EEA airline, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline are usually covered by EU261 or UK261. The Montreal Convention covers baggage and certain international damages worldwide.
How much could I be owed?
Under EU261/UK261, fixed compensation is €250, €400 or €600 per passenger depending on the flight distance, when the disruption was within the airline's control. Baggage and US claims work differently.
Is compensation the same as a refund?
No. Compensation is a fixed payment for the disruption; a refund returns your ticket cost when you don't fly. You can sometimes be entitled to both.
How far back can I claim?
Limitation periods vary by country, from 1 year in Poland to 6 years in the UK. The EU261 reform approved in July 2026 will replace these national limits with one 9-month deadline across the EU, expected from the second half of 2027; until then the national limits apply. It's best to check as soon as you can.
Not sure if you qualify?
Check your flight for free. You receive the airline's compensation and pay only our fixed €39 fee after success.
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