London to Athens flight delay and cancellation compensation

Compensation on the London to Athens route

London to Athens is a busy corridor that swells sharply in the summer season, served from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. The great-circle distance is approximately 2,400 km, which places the route in the middle compensation band. Compensation becomes payable when you arrive at your final destination three or more hours late, when the flight is cancelled with fewer than fourteen days' notice, or when you are denied boarding involuntarily. Many passengers continue beyond Athens to the Greek islands; where the onward hop is on the same booking, eligibility is measured at the island, not at Athens.

How much you could be owed

Between 1,500 and 3,500 km, so the middle band: £350 per passenger under UK261 for London departures, or €400 under EU261 for Athens departures. The Article 7(2) halving is restricted to flights over 3,500 km and does not apply. Each fare-paying passenger has a separate entitlement, so a family of four disrupted on a summer departure holds four claims, and children on their own paid seats count. The amount is fixed by distance, not by what the ticket cost.

Which regulation applies

Departing London, UK261 governs the flight whichever airline operates it, with the £350 band. Departing Athens, EU261 applies in the same unconditional way, because Greece is an EU member state, with the €400 band. Arrivals are additionally protected in each direction where the operating carrier is a UK or EU/EEA airline — the normal position on this route — so both directions are covered. One claim is brought under whichever framework fits the direction flown.

Airlines flying this route

The pair is typically served by British Airways and Aegean Airlines alongside easyJet and Jet2, with strong seasonal variation in frequency and airport mix. Package and charter flights are common in summer; the regulation applies to them just as it does to scheduled services, and the claim runs against the operating airline rather than the tour operator.

How to claim

Send the flight number and date and we confirm the regulation, the band and whether an island connection on the same booking changes the calculation. Summer disruption on this route is often driven by late inbound aircraft, congested turnarounds, crew duty limits and European flow restrictions — causes within the airline's control that leave a claim intact, as does a strike by the airline's own staff. Severe weather, air traffic control restrictions and security incidents can be extraordinary circumstances, but the airline carries the burden of proving them. The eligibility check is free. If we recover your compensation we charge a fixed €39 success fee — the same whether you're owed €250 or €600. No win, no fee.