London to Lisbon flight delay and cancellation compensation

Compensation on the London to Lisbon route

London to Lisbon is a busy year-round leisure and business corridor served from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. The great-circle distance is approximately 1,560 km — and that figure matters more here than on most routes, because it sits just above the 1,500 km threshold that separates the two lower compensation bands. Compensation is triggered by an arrival at your final destination three or more hours late, a cancellation notified with less than fourteen days' warning, or involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight, and it is payable per passenger regardless of the fare.

How much you could be owed

Because the route exceeds 1,500 km, the middle band applies: £350 per passenger under UK261 for a London departure, or €400 under EU261 for a Lisbon departure. Airlines occasionally quote the lower band on routes near the boundary, so the distance is worth verifying rather than taking on trust — the figure that counts is the great-circle distance between the two airports. The Article 7(2) halving is confined to flights over 3,500 km and does not arise on this pair.

Which regulation applies

Leaving London, UK261 governs the flight whichever airline operates it, and the sterling band of £350 applies. Leaving Lisbon, EU261 applies in the same unconditional way, because Portugal is an EU member state, and the band is €400. Arrivals are also protected in each direction when the operating carrier is a UK or EU/EEA airline — which on this route is every regular operator — so the corridor is covered both ways. You claim once, under whichever framework fits your direction of travel.

Airlines flying this route

The pair is typically served by British Airways and TAP Air Portugal alongside easyJet and Ryanair, with the mix depending on the London airport and the season. Codeshares occur, and on leisure itineraries the ticket may have been sold by a tour operator; either way, the compensation obligation belongs to the airline that operated the flight.

How to claim

Send us the flight number and date. We confirm the direction, verify that the distance puts the claim in the £350 or €400 band, and assess the airline's likely defence. Late inbound aircraft, tight turnarounds, crew duty limits and strikes by the airline's own staff are within the carrier's control and support a claim. Severe weather, air traffic control restrictions and security incidents can be extraordinary circumstances, but the airline must prove both the event and that it took all reasonable measures. 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.