Which flights are covered

Coverage depends on two things: where the flight departed from, and which airline operated it. This is the first question an airline's claims team asks, and often the only one they need.

  • Departing the EU/EEA/SwitzerlandCovered under EU261 on any carrier, including non-European airlines. A US carrier flying out of Amsterdam is covered.
  • Arriving in the EUCovered only if an EU/EEA carrier operates the flight.
  • Departing the UKCovered under UK261 on any carrier.
  • Arriving in the UKCovered under UK261 if a UK carrier operates the flight.
  • Flights outside bothNot covered, even if you are an EU or UK citizen. Nationality does not create coverage.

Passport does not equal protection

A British or EU passport does not entitle you to compensation on a flight between two non-EU countries. Coverage follows the route and the carrier, not the passenger's nationality. This surprises a great many travellers.

The three rights, and when each applies

What applies depends on the type of disruption, not only on how long you waited.
DisruptionCare & assistanceRefund / reroutingCompensation
Delay of 2+ hoursYes, by distance bandAfter 5 hours waitingIf arrival is 3+ hours late
CancellationYesAlways your choiceSubject to notice period
Denied boardingYesAlways your choiceYes, if involuntary
Missed connectionYesYes, if rerouting neededIf arrival is 3+ hours late

Compensation amounts

Fixed by distance, not by fare. Full detail is in compensation amounts explained.

  • €250 / £220 — flights up to 1,500 km.
  • €400 / £350 — 1,500–3,500 km, and longer flights wholly within the EU.
  • €600 / £520 — over 3,500 km between the EU and a non-EU country.

The amount is owed per passenger. A family of four on a qualifying long-haul flight is looking at four times the fixed sum.

Care: the right most often forgotten

Care obligations are triggered by waiting time, not by fault. A two-hour delay on a short flight, three hours on a medium one and four hours on a long-haul flight each trigger assistance, whatever caused the delay.

  • Meals and refreshments proportionate to the wait.
  • Two calls, emails or messages at the airline's cost.
  • Hotel accommodation and transfers for an unplanned overnight stay.

If the airline offers nothing and you pay for a hotel, keep the receipt. Reasonable costs are normally recoverable afterwards.

Extraordinary circumstances

This is the airline's main defence against compensation. It applies where the disruption was caused by an event outside the airline's control that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures.

  • Usually accepted: severe weather, airspace closure, air traffic control restrictions, security threats, political instability, air traffic control strikes.
  • Usually rejected: technical faults, crew shortages, late incoming aircraft, turnaround errors, IT failures, the airline's own staff strikes.

Critically, extraordinary circumstances remove only the compensation obligation. Care, refunds and rerouting survive.

How to enforce it

  1. Claim in writing to the airline, with the facts and the amount.
  2. Wait for the two-month response deadline.
  3. Escalate to the national enforcement body for the departure country, or the CAA for UK departures.
  4. Consider the small claims track or an approved ADR scheme where the amount is disputed.

The full process is in how to claim directly.

Frequently asked questions

Does EU261 still apply to UK flights after Brexit?

UK261 replaced EU261 in the UK, retaining a very similar structure but with sterling amounts. For flights departing the EU, EU261 still applies regardless of the passenger's residence.

Are children entitled to compensation?

Yes. A child with their own confirmed seat is a passenger and is entitled to the same fixed amount. Infants travelling on an adult's lap without a seat are generally treated differently.

Can I claim for a flight I did not take?

Where a flight was cancelled and you chose a refund, compensation may still be due depending on the notice you received. Where you simply did not turn up, no.

Official sources