Flight delay compensation in United Kingdom

What triggers a payment

• Arrival delay of three hours or more
• Cancellation with less than fourteen days' notice
• Being denied boarding on an overbooked flight

How much

Fixed by distance, not by ticket price: roughly £220 up to 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500–3,500 km, and £520 beyond that. A cheap ticket on a long flight is worth the same as an expensive one.

When it is not payable

"Extraordinary circumstances" — which in practice covers most weather, air traffic control strikes, and security incidents. It does not cover crew shortages, most technical faults, or an aircraft arriving late from an earlier leg, all of which are the airline's own problem and therefore payable.

How to claim

Ask the airline directly first, in writing, with your booking reference and the actual arrival time. Almost every valid claim is settled at this stage. Claim companies take a quarter to a third, and are worth considering only after an airline has refused a claim you believe is good.