A reliable assessment of Flight flight disruption starts with the complete itinerary, scheduled and actual times, notice received, operating carrier and the explanation given for the disruption.
This guide sets out the practical claim path, the evidence normally needed and the legal questions to separate before choosing the next route.
Current position: the existing EU261 framework remains the rule used for present-day eligibility checks. Standard EU compensation bands remain €250, €400 and €600, subject to route, final-arrival impact, exclusions and possible reductions after rerouting.
Upcoming EU reform: revised rules were finally approved in July 2026, but they do not apply immediately. They enter into force 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal. Until that effective date is known and reached, this site treats the existing rules as current law.
Calculate the legal band before estimating a claim
The headline amount is based primarily on flight distance and the legal regime that covers the journey. It is not based on the ticket price. Before selecting a band, identify the operating carrier, route, final destination and actual arrival impact.
EU261 compensation amounts
| Flight category | Standard EU amount |
|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | €250 |
| Intra-EU over 1,500 km, and other flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| Other flights over 3,500 km | €600 |
These are standard bands, not automatic payments. Final-arrival delay, cancellation notice, rerouting, the operating carrier, route coverage and extraordinary circumstances can change the result. In some rerouting scenarios the amount can be reduced by 50%.
Check Your CompensationUK261 amounts for covered UK journeys
| UK261 flight category | Standard amount |
|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km and arrival 3–4 hours late | £260 |
| Over 3,500 km and arrival more than 4 hours late | £520 |
UK261 coverage depends on the route and operating carrier. A British airline name on the booking does not by itself answer every jurisdiction question, especially where a journey involves multiple carriers or an EU departure.
Why rerouting can reduce the amount
Where the airline reroutes the passenger and the replacement journey arrives within specified time windows, the standard sum can be reduced by half. The exact window depends on distance. Record the arrival time at the final destination, not only the departure delay of the original flight.
Compensation is not the same as expenses
Fixed-sum compensation addresses qualifying disruption. Reimbursement covers an unused ticket or an abandoned journey in defined circumstances. Expense claims concern reasonable meals, accommodation or transport where the airline did not provide required care. These remedies should be documented and submitted separately when the airline’s process requires it.
Worked assessment example
A passenger on a covered 1,200 km flight who reaches the final destination more than three hours late may fall into the €250 EU band, but only if the other conditions are met and no valid extraordinary-circumstances defence applies. A 3,800 km UK261 flight arriving three hours and thirty minutes late uses a different long-haul UK amount than one arriving more than four hours late.
Match every fact to a claim question
Do not begin with a demand for the maximum amount. First identify route coverage, operating carrier, disruption type, notice, final-arrival impact and cause. Place the evidence beside the question it proves so that a reviewer can follow the logic without reconstructing the booking from scattered attachments.
Prepare a concise chronology
Use one timeline showing the original schedule, first notice, airport events, replacement travel and final arrival. Quote the exact wording used by Flight and attach the message rather than paraphrasing it. Where times conflict, explain which source each time came from.
Submit separate remedies clearly
A fixed-compensation request should not hide a refund or expense request inside one unexplained total. Label compensation, ticket reimbursement, rerouting cost and care expenses separately. This makes it easier to challenge a partial response and reduces the risk that one approved item is treated as settlement of everything.
Analyse a rejection before escalating
Classify the rejection: no coverage, insufficient arrival delay, timely cancellation notice, extraordinary circumstances, wrong carrier, missing evidence or expired time limit. The next submission should answer that reason with relevant facts rather than repeat the original wording.
Choose an escalation route deliberately
ADR, national enforcement, court and commercial claims services do not perform the same function. Check jurisdiction, powers, deadline, fee model, evidence requirements and whether the route can issue a binding outcome. Keep the carrier’s final response because many escalation processes ask for it.
Protect personal and financial information
Use only the airline’s verified portal or an approved secure service. Review authority-to-act terms, percentage fees, VAT, cancellation rights and court-cost provisions before sending identity documents. A preliminary eligibility page should not be treated as a secure document-upload channel.
Amount-specific claim step: show the distance calculation, the applicable EU or UK band, the final-arrival category and any rerouting reduction separately. Do not use ticket price as the statutory calculation.
Practical scenarios
The following examples show how the same headline disruption can lead to different claim paths. They are illustrations, not automatic results.
Short covered EU journey
A flight of 1,200 km that reaches the final destination more than three hours late can point to the €250 band. The amount still depends on coverage, cause and the other legal conditions; it is not confirmed by distance alone.
Long EU journey with fast rerouting
A journey over 3,500 km may point to €600, but rerouting that limits the final arrival delay can permit a 50% reduction in defined circumstances. Compare the original and replacement final-arrival times carefully.
Covered UK long-haul journey
Under UK261, a flight over 3,500 km uses different standard amounts for a final arrival delay of three to four hours and for a delay exceeding four hours. The route and operating carrier still determine whether UK rules apply.
Build a reliable evidence timeline
Create one chronology from booking to final arrival. Record the original schedule, when the first change was communicated, each revised departure estimate, boarding or offloading events, replacement travel and the time the journey actually ended. A clear timeline is more useful than a folder of unexplained screenshots.
Booking and operating-carrier evidence
Keep the e-ticket, booking reference, passenger names and every segment. Where a codeshare is involved, identify the airline that operated the aircraft. For a connection, show whether all segments were issued on one reservation or were purchased separately.
Disruption and notice evidence
Save messages from Flight, airport notifications and app screenshots with visible dates and times. For cancellation, the notice timestamp can be decisive. For delay, the final-arrival record is usually more important than the first departure estimate.
Cause and response evidence
Record the exact reason given, who gave it and when. Ask what alternative aircraft, crew, route or transport was considered. If the explanation later changes, preserve both versions rather than replacing the older screenshot.
Expenses and assistance
Request care from the carrier before buying replacement services where reasonably possible. Keep itemised receipts, explain why each expense was necessary and avoid unrelated or luxury spending. A card statement alone may not show what was purchased.
Final-destination proof
For a through journey, record the actual arrival at the destination shown on the booking. Replacement boarding passes, baggage records, hotel receipts and timestamped messages can help reconstruct a missed connection and later arrival.
Compare the available remedies
Label each request correctly before submission. A strong claim package can still fail if fixed compensation, ticket value and expenses are mixed together without explanation.
| Remedy | What it addresses | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed compensation | Qualifying delay, cancellation or denied boarding under the applicable regime | Route, distance, final arrival, notice and cause |
| Rerouting | Travel to the final destination at the earliest opportunity or, where applicable, at a later chosen date | Options offered, replacement itinerary and communications |
| Ticket reimbursement | Unused travel or an abandoned journey in defined circumstances | Ticket price, unused segments and refund request |
| Care and expenses | Meals, accommodation, communication and necessary ground transport during the wait | Requests for assistance and itemised reasonable receipts |
The fixed compensation band is not a cap on every possible expense request. Equally, the cost of a replacement ticket does not automatically increase the statutory compensation amount.
Questions to put to Flight
Written answers make the later assessment clearer. Keep the request focused and ask for facts rather than a generic promise of payment.
- What was the precise operational cause of the disruption?
- Which airline operated the affected segment?
- What rerouting options were available and when?
- What meals, accommodation or transport were offered?
- What was the recorded final-arrival time?
- Which claim or reimbursement form should be used for each remedy?
- Can the carrier provide its written decision and supporting reason?
- Which ADR or escalation route is named in the final response?
Case-check checklist before submission
Work through every point before relying on a headline amount or sending documents. Missing one item does not always end a case, but it can change the evidence needed and the appropriate route.
- Confirm the complete route and final destination on the booking.
- Identify the operating carrier for the disrupted segment.
- Record scheduled and actual departure and final-arrival times.
- Save the notice time and the exact reason communicated by Flight.
- Separate fixed compensation from refund, rerouting and expenses.
- Keep boarding, check-in, replacement-flight and receipt evidence.
- Check whether the journey is covered by EU261, UK261 or another regime.
- Verify the applicable national time limit before relying on an older case.
- Use distance and final-arrival category rather than ticket price.
Using departure delay instead of final arrival
The legal threshold can depend on arrival at the final booked destination, particularly where a protected connection is missed. Record the whole journey rather than one airport-board time.
Treating every remedy as the same claim
Compensation, ticket reimbursement, rerouting and reasonable expenses answer different questions. Identify each request and attach the evidence that supports it.
Accepting a vague disruption reason
A phrase such as “operational reasons” does not explain whether an event was internal, external or avoidable. Ask Flight for the specific cause and retain the response.
Sending original documents without keeping copies
Store copies of forms, attachments, receipts and confirmation numbers. Where a secure external service is later used, review its terms and fee model before submitting personal documents.
Assuming a calculator result guarantees payment
A preliminary check can organise the case but cannot replace the carrier, ADR body, court or specialist assessment. Do not describe an estimate as an approved claim.
Choose the appropriate next route
Start with a complete, clearly labelled submission to Flight and retain the confirmation. If the response is rejected, incomplete or unreasonably delayed, review the stated reason and the available ADR, enforcement, court or approved specialist route for the relevant country. These routes do not have identical powers, fees or deadlines.
Before using an external claims service, read its percentage fee, VAT treatment, cancellation terms, authority to act, data-protection notice and whether court costs or adverse costs can arise. A commercial service should never be presented as the only possible route.
Is compensation based on the ticket price?
No. Fixed EU and UK amounts are generally based on distance and delay category, subject to the other legal conditions.
Can care be owed when compensation is not?
Yes. Meals, accommodation, rerouting or reimbursement can remain relevant even when extraordinary circumstances remove fixed compensation.
Should I claim from the travel agent?
The operating carrier is normally the first target for EU261 or UK261 disruption compensation, although an agent may remain relevant for ticket or package-travel issues.
What should I keep before contacting Flight?
Keep the booking, boarding or check-in evidence, airline messages, actual arrival details, replacement-flight information and itemised receipts.
General information only: this guide is not legal advice and cannot determine an individual claim. The operating carrier, an enforcement body, a court or an approved specialist may reach a different conclusion after reviewing the full itinerary and evidence.
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