UK261
UK261 compensation, in sterling and in plain terms
When the UK left the EU it kept Regulation 261/2004 word for word, converted the money to pounds and handed enforcement to the CAA and the UK courts. If your flight left a UK airport, or landed at one on a UK or EU airline, this is your regulation.
Amounts
| Distance | Per passenger |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520, or £260 if you arrived 3 to 4 hours late |
Differences from EU261 that matter
- Currency and courts. Sterling amounts, county court small claims track, and the CAA-listed dispute schemes (or the CAA's own complaints team) as the free escalation routes.
- Coverage of inbound flights. UK261 covers flights into the UK on UK and EU carriers. EU261 covers flights into the EU on EU carriers only, so a UK carrier flying into the EU is covered only by UK261 (because it departed the UK).
- Case law. UK courts apply the pre-2021 European rulings (Sturgeon, Wallentin-Hermann and the rest) and their own: Huzar v Jet2.com on technical faults, Dawson v Thomson on the 6-year limit, Gahan v Emirates on delays at the final destination after a connection outside the UK.
- Limitation. 6 years in England and Wales, far longer than most EU states.
The claim in practice
- Write to the operating airline: flight number, date, booking reference, arrival delay, Article 7, amount per passenger, total.
- Ask for a reply within 28 days. Airlines most often refuse on “extraordinary circumstances”; the burden of proof is theirs.
- Refused or ignored for 8 weeks: refer it to the airline's dispute scheme or, if it is in none, the CAA's complaints team. Free to you. Your check names the right one.
- Still nothing: small claim online, court fee recoverable if you win.
Check a specific flight
Questions
What is UK261?
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as it was kept in UK law at the end of 2020 and amended by the Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Same structure and rights as EU261, amounts converted to sterling, enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority and the UK courts.
How much is UK261 compensation?
£220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, £520 for over 3,500 km (£260 if the long-haul arrival delay was between 3 and 4 hours). Per passenger.
Which flights does UK261 cover?
Any flight departing a UK airport on any airline, and any flight arriving at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline. A Delta flight from New York to Heathrow is not covered; the same flight on BA or Virgin Atlantic is.
How long do I have to claim under UK261?
Six years from the flight in England and Wales (Dawson v Thomson Airways, Court of Appeal 2014), five in Scotland, six in Northern Ireland.
Where do I go if the airline refuses?
The dispute scheme the CAA lists for the airline: AviationADR for easyJet, Ryanair, TUI Airways, Wizz Air, Virgin Atlantic and others; CEDR for British Airways; Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines. Free to passengers. Airlines in no scheme, such as Jet2, Aer Lingus, Emirates and Qatar Airways, go to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team, which cannot make a binding decision. The small claims track in the county court is open in every case.
See also EU261 and your rights in full.