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UK261 compensation and EU261: flight delay rules explained (including Emirates and Qatar)

UK261 compensation and EU261: which flights count, £220–£520 or €250–€600 by distance, the 3-hour rule, Emirates and Qatar flights, and how to claim free.

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  • By Voyfaro

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Your flight lands four hours late. Can you get money back? In the UK and the EU, often yes. UK261 compensation can be up to £520 per person, and EU261 compensation up to €600. These two almost identical laws set fixed compensation for long delays: EU261 (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004) and UK261, the version the UK kept after Brexit. Which one applies depends on where the flight departs and which airline operates it, not on your passport.

We checked every rule below on official EU, UK government and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) pages on 6 October 2026. The links are in the Sources list at the end.

UK261 and EU261: quick answer

  • Delay threshold: EU: you can claim if you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late, a rule the EU’s top court set in the Sturgeon judgment of 19 November 2009. UK: the CAA says you may claim if you arrive more than 3 hours late.
  • EU amounts: €250 (1,500 km or less), €400 (1,500 to 3,500 km, and all flights within the EU over 1,500 km) and €600 (over 3,500 km). For a 3 to 4-hour delay on a flight over 3,500 km, the airline may cut this by half, to €300.
  • UK amounts: £220 (under 1,500 km), £350 (1,500 to 3,500 km) and £520 (over 3,500 km). A 3 to 4-hour delay on a flight over 3,500 km pays £260.
  • Covered flights: any flight departing the EU or UK, on any airline. Flights arriving in the EU or UK only on an EU or UK airline.
  • Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad: covered when they fly out of the UK or EU (London to Dubai). Not covered when they fly in (Doha to Manchester).
  • No pay for “extraordinary circumstances”, such as severe weather, air traffic control strikes or security risks. Most technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff do not count.
  • Claim with the airline first. It is free. If it refuses, use free dispute resolution or the national regulator before court.
  • Time limits: in the UK, 6 years in England and Wales and 5 years in Scotland (CAA). In the EU, each country sets its own.

Who this applies to

These rules protect passengers, whatever their nationality. A Brazilian student, an Indian family, an American retiree and a Kenyan engineer on the same flight have the same rights.

You need a confirmed booking and, unless the flight was cancelled, you must check in on time. The rules do not apply if you flew free or on a reduced fare not available to the public. They do apply to frequent flyer award tickets.

Which flights are covered

Your flight Covered? Which law
Departing an EU airport, any airline Yes EU261
Departing a UK airport, any airline Yes UK261
Arriving in the EU from outside, on an EU airline Yes* EU261
Arriving in the UK, on a UK or EU airline Yes* UK261
Arriving in the EU, on a UK airline Yes* UK261
Arriving in the UK or EU on any other airline (for example Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad) No —

*Not if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance for this journey under the law of the country you flew from.

EU rules also cover flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, according to the EU’s Your Europe portal.

Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and other non-EU airlines

Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines are neither EU nor UK airlines. So the direction of travel decides:

  • Covered: Emirates from London Heathrow to Dubai, Qatar Airways from Paris to Doha, Etihad from Dublin to Abu Dhabi. All depart the UK or EU.
  • Not covered: Emirates from Dubai to Milan, Qatar Airways from Doha to Manchester, Etihad from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam. All arrive on a non-EU, non-UK airline.

So on one return trip, the outbound leg can be covered and the return leg not. A Filipino traveller flying Manchester–Doha–Manila and back on Qatar Airways is covered on the trip out of Manchester, not on the way back.

Connecting flights. The EU says you may claim for a missed connection if the flights were booked as a single reservation, EU rules apply, and the cause was not extraordinary. The delay is measured at the final destination on your original booking. You cannot claim if you missed the connection because of security queues or because you did not respect the boarding time.

How much compensation

The amount depends on flight distance and how late you arrive. Distance is measured in a straight line (the “great circle” method) to your final destination. You get a fixed sum per passenger, whatever the ticket cost.

EU261 amounts

Flight distance Delay at arrival Compensation
1,500 km or less 3 hours or more €250
Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500 to 3,500 km 3 hours or more €400
Over 3,500 km (between the EU and a non-EU country) 3 to 4 hours €600, which the airline may cut by half to €300
Over 3,500 km (between the EU and a non-EU country) 4 hours or more €600

UK261 amounts

Flight distance Delay at arrival Compensation
Under 1,500 km More than 3 hours £220
1,500 to 3,500 km More than 3 hours £350
Over 3,500 km 3 to 4 hours £260
Over 3,500 km More than 4 hours £520

Two examples: a family flying London to Madrid (under 1,500 km) who arrive 3.5 hours late can claim £220 each under UK261. A passenger flying Frankfurt to Toronto on Air Canada who arrives 5 hours late can claim €600 under EU261, because the flight departs the EU.

Where the 3-hour rule comes from

The regulation itself only sets compensation for cancellations and denied boarding. In Sturgeon (joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07), the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that delayed passengers may be treated like passengers whose flight was cancelled. They can claim if they reach their final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. For UK261, the CAA says you may be entitled to compensation if you arrive more than three hours late.

Extraordinary circumstances: when airlines do not pay

An airline owes no compensation if it can prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures.

Likely to count, according to the regulation, the EU and the CAA:

  • weather that makes the flight unsafe
  • air traffic management decisions
  • strikes not involving the airline, such as airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control or border force
  • political or civil unrest
  • security risks, terrorism or sabotage
  • hidden manufacturing defects, such as a recall that grounds a fleet

Usually does not count:

  • Most technical problems. Sturgeon ruled that a technical problem is not extraordinary unless it comes from events outside the airline’s normal activity and actual control. The CAA adds that courts found the early failure of an aircraft component was not extraordinary either.
  • Strikes by the airline’s own staff. The EU lists these as not extraordinary.

If an airline rejects your claim on these grounds, ask it to explain exactly what happened. You can challenge the decision using the steps below.

Your right to care while you wait

Care is separate from compensation. The airline must provide it even when the cause is extraordinary. It starts when the airline expects your flight to leave late by:

  • 2 hours or more on flights of 1,500 km or less
  • 3 hours or more on flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km (and EU flights over 1,500 km)
  • 4 hours or more on longer flights

You must be offered, free of charge: meals and refreshments in proportion to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel plus transport if you have to stay overnight.

If the delay is 5 hours or more, you can choose not to travel and get a refund. Your Europe says “at least 5 hours”. The CAA’s delays page uses both “at least five hours” and “more than five hours”, so if your delay is right on 5 hours, check with the airline. If the airline gives you no care, pay reasonable costs yourself and keep every receipt, so you can claim them back.

How to claim, step by step

1. Claim directly with the airline (free)

Compensation is not automatic. Claim from the airline that operated the flight, using its claim form if it has one. The CAA suggests email if there is no form, so you have a record. Include your booking reference, flight number and date, every passenger’s name, your actual arrival time, the amount claimed, and receipts for any care costs.

You do not have to accept vouchers. The regulation says compensation is paid in money, and in vouchers only with your signed agreement. If you accepted less because you were not told your rights, you can still claim the difference.

2. If the airline says no or stays silent

UK261:

  • After a rejection, or eight weeks without a reply, go to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The CAA says ADR is free and usually decides within three months. The CAA-approved schemes include AviationADR and CEDR in the UK and Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr in Germany. Your airline’s response should tell you which one it uses.
  • If your airline is not in an ADR scheme, the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) may help, but it cannot make a binding decision. PACT will not take a complaint if less than a year is left before the court time limit.
  • The last step is the small claims court.

EU261:

  • After two months without a reply, or an answer you disagree with, complain to the national enforcement body in the country where the incident happened. The European Commission publishes the list.
  • Your Europe says ADR is only available to EU residents.
  • For a court claim, use the European Small Claims procedure or national courts.

3. Time limits

  • UK: the CAA says the limit to issue a court claim is 6 years from the incident in England and Wales and 5 years in Scotland. The CAA pages we checked do not give the Northern Ireland limit, so check with the court service there. If you live in Northern Ireland, the CAA says to contact the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland instead of the CAA.
  • EU: the limit depends on national law in each EU country, according to Your Europe. Claim as soon as you can.

Claims firms: do you need one?

No. Claims management companies file for you but keep part of the payout. The CAA warns that a claims company may deduct a significant proportion of an ADR award as its fee, and that not all airlines deal with complaints sent through such services. Claiming yourself, ADR, the CAA and EU enforcement bodies cost nothing.

Voyfaro does not file claims and does not take a cut of any compensation.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Measuring the delay at departure. For compensation, what counts is how late you arrive at your final destination.
  • Assuming every flight into Europe is covered. Emirates, Qatar Airways or Etihad flights into the UK or EU are not.
  • Claiming from the airline that sold a codeshare ticket instead of the one that operated the flight.
  • Accepting vouchers without reading them. You are entitled to money unless you agree in writing.
  • Throwing away receipts for meals, taxis or a hotel you paid for.
  • Paying an upfront fee to anyone who promises “guaranteed” compensation. No one can guarantee the outcome.
  • Giving up after one “no”. ADR, the CAA and EU enforcement bodies exist for disputed claims.

The EU rules are changing

The EU has revised EU261. Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 was published in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026. The European Commission says the revised rules apply 12 months after adoption and publication, so from October 2027. We could not confirm the exact day on an official page. The Commission says the 3-hour threshold and the €250, €400 and €600 amounts stay. It also says airlines must proactively inform passengers “within 96 hours” of their rights and how to claim compensation. Until then, the current rules in this guide apply. UK261 is not affected.

How Voyfaro can help

FAQ

What is UK261 compensation?

UK261 is the UK’s version of EU Regulation 261/2004, kept after Brexit. It pays £220, £350 or £520 per person, depending on distance, if you arrive more than 3 hours late and the cause was not extraordinary. It covers flights departing the UK on any airline and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline.

Can I claim compensation from Emirates or Qatar Airways?

Only on flights departing the UK or EU, such as London to Dubai or Rome to Doha. Their flights into the UK or EU, such as Dubai to London, are not covered, because they are not UK or EU airlines.

How late does my flight have to be?

Under EU261, you must reach your final destination 3 hours or more late. Under UK261, the CAA says more than 3 hours late. Care, such as meals and calls, starts earlier: from 2, 3 or 4 hours of delay at departure, depending on distance.

Is a technical fault an extraordinary circumstance?

Usually not. The Court of Justice ruled in Sturgeon that technical problems are not extraordinary unless they come from events outside the airline’s normal activity and control. The CAA gives hidden manufacturing defects and sabotage as exceptions.

How long do I have to claim?

In the UK, the CAA says 6 years in England and Wales and 5 years in Scotland. In the EU, it depends on each country’s national law. Either way, claim as soon as you can.

Do I need a claims company?

No. You can claim from the airline for free, then use free ADR or the national enforcement body if it refuses. Claims companies deduct a fee from any payment.

Does my nationality matter?

No. The rules depend on the route and the airline, not your passport. Mexican, Nigerian, Japanese and Pakistani passengers on the same flight have the same rights.

Can Voyfaro file my claim?

No. Voyfaro does not file claims or act for passengers. Contact your airline directly, then use ADR, the CAA or the EU national enforcement body if needed.

Sources

Official pages we checked on 6 October 2026:

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