UK Air Passenger Rights Guide

When boarding a plane, how many of us are fully aware of our rights as air passengers? A surprising amount of UK travellers remain oblivious to these crucial protections. Our comprehensive UK air passenger rights guide shines a light on these entitlements, empowering you to know your rights and understand when and how you can enforce them in the face of flight disruptions.

 

Your Rights to Flight Compensation in the UK

If you’re travelling in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you may be eligible for flight reimbursement when your flight is delayed by more than three hours. You can also qualify for compensation if your flight is cancelled or you are denied boarding due to overcrowded flights.

Even though airlines won’t always tell you when you qualify for a refund, there are several instances in the UK where you may be entitled to reimbursement under UK261.

UK261 is the same as the law under which consumers in the EU have been protected. The United Kingdom copied EC261 when it withdrew from the EU.

Since 2004, citizens of European countries have been enjoying consumer protections when they travel by air. The European Parliament passed laws to create balance in the airline industry and protect consumers from unfair business practices.

As a passenger flying in the UK, you are covered under UK261. Your coverage includes departures from a UK airport and an airport in another country travelling to the UK.

You’re protected any time you travel on a UK airline, even if you depart from an airport outside the UK.

You are not covered under UK261 when flying from a country outside the UK/EU on a non-EU/UK airline.

How Is UK261 Different From EU261?

When the United Kingdom broke away from the rest of the European Union, it kept many of the same rules and regulations that protect consumers under the European Commission regulation, EU261.

What Is EU261?

EU261, also known as EC261, is the original set of consumer laws that create a framework for the airline industry.

The consumer protections outlined in EU261 apply in the following situations:

• Your flight is within the EU, including flights operated by airlines outside the EU.
• Your flight arrives in the EU, including flights that departed outside the EU, as long as they are on an EU airline.
• Your flight is on an EU airline, departs from the EU, and arrives in a non-EU country.

You may be eligible for reimbursement if you haven’t already received another form of flight compensation from the airline, such as re-routing or other assistance.

The Differences Between EU261 and UK261

While many people were concerned about how Brexit would affect consumer rights, UK leaders copied the EU261 protections during the transition, and they are essentially the same.

The main difference between UK261 and EU261 is that you will receive compensation from airlines in sterling pounds instead of euros. Also, you will have overlapping coverage if you are on a flight from the UK to anywhere in the EU.

The UK is covered under UK261, but what countries are protected under EU261? Under EU261, your air passenger rights apply when flying on airlines in any of the 27 countries in the European Union.

UK261 Compensation Guidelines

There are three scenarios where your travel plans can be disrupted, creating a situation where the airline will be required to reimburse you.

• Your flight is delayed,
• Your flight is cancelled, and
• You are denied boarding because your flight is overbooked.

Flight compensation is based on the flight type and the delay length. There are set amounts of compensation depending on how long the flight was and how much later you arrived at your destination.

Types of Flights

If your flight was delayed more than three hours, you could receive reimbursement from the airline under UK261. Compensation is calculated based on the distance of the flight.

Type of Flight	Distance of Flight	Length of Flight	Compensation
Type 1	932 miles or more	1-2 hours	£230
Type 2	932 to 2175 miles	2-4 hours	£360
Type 3	More than 2175 miles	More than 4 hours	£540

You can calculate your flight distance bellow.

Delayed Flight Compensation Claims

If your flight is delayed, you may be entitled to compensation. While airlines may be able to claim that events were outside their control, you should know your rights when your flight is delayed.

Two factors affect how much compensation you could receive:

• How badly you were inconvenienced, and
• The cause of the delay.

Extraordinary Circumstances

In some cases, events outside the airline’s control cause your flight to be delayed, and when that happens, the airline is not required to compensate you. However, they must still do everything they can to ensure that you arrive at your destination at the scheduled time.

When you file a claim, the airline might deny it, claiming that extraordinary circumstances prevented it from fulfilling its obligation. There are several different types of events that qualify, including

• Adverse weather
• Political unrest
• Third party strikes, such as air traffic controllers
• Hidden manufacturing defects
• Medical emergencies

Your airline has to do everything it can to get you to your destination on time. If you think they failed in that obligation, you might be entitled to compensation.

Cancelled Flight Compensation Claims

The main difference between flight cancellations and delays is that you have more choices for compensation when your flight is cancelled.

Regardless of the reason for the cancellation, airlines must provide you with one of these options when your flight is cancelled:

• A full refund
• An alternate flight, even one on a different airline or at a different time.

Cancellation Notice is Required

Airlines are required under UK261 to provide cancellation notice as soon as possible if a flight needs to be cancelled.

With respect to UK261, flight cancellations include when your flight was:

• Cancelled before departure and moved to another departure time.
• Your flight departed but was forced to return to the airport from which it departed, and your ticket was transferred to another flight.
• Your flight departed but arrived at an airport that wasn’t your flight destination.

If your flight was cancelled more than 14 days before your departure date, your airline simply needs to offer you one of the cancellation options.

Cancellations With 7-14 Days Notice

For cancellations with less than 14 days notice, you may be re-routed on an alternate flight. If your flight departs earlier or arrives later than the original flight, then you may be entitled to receive compensation.

The amounts of compensation are set according to how much earlier your flight departed or how much later your flight arrived than the original flight.

Type of Flight	Depart Early or Arrive Late	Compensation
Type 1 (932 miles or more and 1-2 hours)	Depart 2 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£110
Type 1 (932 miles or more and 1-2 hours)	Arrive 4 or more hours later than original arrival time	£230
Type 2 (932 to 2175 miles and 2-4 hours)	Depart 2 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£175
Type 2 (932 to 2175 miles and 2-4 hours)	Arrive 4 or more hours later than original arrival time	£360
Type 3 (More than 2175 miles and more than 4 hours)	Depart 2 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£260
Type 3 (More than 2175 miles and more than 4 hours)	Arrive 4 or more hours later than original arrival time	£540

Cancellations With Less Than 7 Days Notice

When your flight is cancelled with less than 7 days notice, then the amounts are set as follows:

Type of Flight	Depart Early or Arrive Late	Compensation
Type 1 (932 miles or more and 1-2 hours)	Depart 1 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£110
Type 1 (932 miles or more and 1-2 hours)	Arrive 2 or more hours later than original arrival time	£230
Type 2 (932 to 2175 miles and 2-4 hours)	Depart 1 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£175
Type 2 (932 to 2175 miles and 2-4 hours)	Arrive 2-3 hours later than original arrival time	£175
Type 2 (932 to 2175 miles and 2-4 hours)	Arrive 3 or more hours later than original arrival time	£360
Type 3 (More than 2175 miles and more than 4 hours)	Depart 1 or more hours earlier than original departure time	£260
Type 3 (More than 2175 miles and more than 4 hours)	Arrive 2-4 hours later than original arrival time	£260
Type 3 (More than 2175 miles and more than 4 hours)	Arrive 4 or more hours later than original arrival time	£540

Compensation When Your Flight is Overbooked

If you are denied boarding because your flight is overbooked, you might be bumped to another flight, in which case you could be eligible to receive reimbursement for your delay.

When flights are overbooked, airlines must first ask if any passengers want to give up their seats in return for another benefit. If no one volunteers to take another flight, and you are denied boarding, you must be offered flight cancellation options.

If your airline cannot find a seat on a booked flight, you may be entitled to compensation, accommodation, and refreshments.

Other Accommodations Provided by Airlines Under UK261

UK airlines are required to provide other accommodations where your flight is delayed or cancelled. Airlines must inform you as soon as possible of delays and cancellations, and they are required to provide flight information to you.

Airlines are required to provide you with at least two emails, faxes, or phone calls when there is a significant delay or cancellation, and meals and refreshments may also be required, depending on the length of your flight and the delay.

If your flight delay or cancellation is long enough, you may be entitled to “duty of care” expenses, such as overnight accommodations, including transport to and from your hotel.

The guidelines for the types of flights and the lengths of delays are as follows:

Type of Flight	Distance of Flight	Length of Flight	Delay Length
Type 1	932 miles or more	1-2 hours	Longer than 2 hours
Type 2	932 to 2175 miles	2-4 hours	Longer than 3 hours
Type 3	More than 2175 miles	More than 4 hours	Longer than 4 hours

Frequently Asked Questions

There’s a lot to know when it comes to flight compensation claims and the rules and regulations of UK261. Here is a helpful list of FAQs to help determine your next steps.

How Do I Ask For Flight Compensation?

Even though they must post the rule, airlines aren’t required to tell you when you are owed compensation. It’s up to you to know your rights and file a claim.

If you feel you’re owed flight compensation, the first step is to fill out UK261 compensation claim form and send it to your airline.

What Do I Need When I File a Claim?

You’ll need as much information as you can gather to file the best claim. Keep all ticket stubs and documentation, and when you fill out a claim, provide the following:

• Contact information, including physical address, email, and phone number;
• The names and addresses of all passengers;
• Information about your travel plan, including dates and reference numbers;
• Booking reference numbers from your flight numbers;
• Departure dates, times, and locations;
• Destination dates, times, and locations;
• Details about your flight delays;
• The names of any airline or airport staff that you spoke to;
• UK261 compensation claim form;

The more information you have, the better your claim will be.

Was My Flight Late?

Your flight must be three hours late or more to qualify for reimbursement. Calculate how late your flight was by using the time the plane doors opened, not when the plane landed.

Until the airplane doors are open, you are not technically free to disembark.

What Happens if the Airline Denies My Claim?

If you’re eligible, you should receive your claim compensation right away. In some instances, airlines will deny your claim because of extraordinary circumstances.

When that happens, you can seek legal advice or assistance from a flight compensation companies. There are instances when there are legitimate reasons for your flight delay, though. You may need guidance on determining the legitimacy of the airline’s denial of your claim.

Conclusion

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, flight disruptions can be costly. Every airline passenger should know their rights and understand the basics of flight compensation laws.

When you book a flight, you enter into a contract with an airline. There are many moving parts in the airline industry, and it can be challenging for airlines to fulfil their obligations, but that’s what is required of them.

Consumers need to be able to rely on airlines to provide dependable air travel, and that’s why UK261 is essential to maintaining a positive balance in the airline industry.