If a flight is delayed or cancelled, the first question is not “Which claims company should I use?” It is “Which law applies to this flight, and what remedy does it provide?” EU261, UK261, and U.S. rules are different. A passenger may be entitled to a refund, re-routing, care such as meals or accommodation, fixed compensation, or none of those depending on the facts.
This is general information, not legal advice. Keep your booking, boarding pass, delay notifications, receipts, and the operating carrier's explanation before filing anything.
EU261: who is covered?
EU Regulation 261/2004 generally covers:
- A flight departing from an EU airport, regardless of the airline.
- A flight arriving in the EU from outside the EU when operated by an EU-licensed carrier.
- Connecting itineraries covered by one reservation when the qualifying delay is measured at the final destination.
Passengers do not need to be EU citizens. The official Your Europe guidance explains the coverage, assistance, re-routing, reimbursement, and compensation rules.[1]
EU261 fixed compensation
When the conditions are met, arrival at the final destination three or more hours late, a cancellation with short notice, or qualifying denied boarding can trigger fixed compensation. The standard distance bands are:
| Route distance | Standard compensation |
|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | EUR 250 |
| More than 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500–3,500 km otherwise | EUR 400 |
| Other flights over 3,500 km | EUR 600 |
The amount can be reduced in some re-routing situations. Compensation is not automatic: the airline can avoid it when it proves extraordinary circumstances and a causal link between those circumstances and the disruption. The airline still may owe care, re-routing, or reimbursement even when fixed compensation is excluded.[1]
Examples that may be extraordinary include weather incompatible with safe operation, air-traffic-management decisions, political instability, and external security risks. Your Europe says ordinary maintenance-related technical problems and an airline's own internal staff strike are not automatically extraordinary. The airline must explain the reason and the evidence if it relies on the exemption.[1]
Cancellation choices and duty of care
For a qualifying cancellation, passengers generally choose between reimbursement and re-routing. While waiting for re-routing, the airline may owe reasonable meals, refreshments, communications, and overnight accommodation. Keep receipts and ask the airline to explain any refusal.
Do not confuse “cash compensation” with “care.” A weather event might remove the fixed-payment claim while leaving the airline's assistance obligations in place. A passenger who accepts a voucher should read what rights are being waived before agreeing.
UK261 is separate
UK261 is the United Kingdom's post-Brexit passenger-rights regime. Coverage depends on the departure country, destination, and carrier, and the amounts are in pounds. It should not be described as an automatic copy of EU261 for every itinerary. Check the current UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance and the operating carrier before filing.
U.S. flights: refunds are not delay compensation
The United States generally does not require airlines to pay EU-style fixed cash compensation for an ordinary delay. The U.S. Department of Transportation does require a refund when an airline cancels or significantly changes or delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel or accept the offered alternative, credit, or voucher.[2]
Involuntary denied boarding is different. When a passenger is bumped from an oversold flight, DOT's current table provides compensation based on the one-way fare and arrival delay. For domestic itineraries, the caps are currently up to $1,075 for a one- to two-hour delay and up to $2,150 for a longer delay; international rules and exceptions differ.[3] Those figures do not apply to every cancellation or ordinary delay.
Airlines may voluntarily provide meals, hotels, rebooking, or credits during controllable disruptions under their customer-service commitments. Check the airline's current policy and do not treat a voluntary promise as a federal entitlement.
What to document at the airport
- Save the original itinerary, boarding passes, and every delay or cancellation notification.
- Screenshot the departure board and note the actual arrival time at the final destination.
- Ask the airline for the stated cause in writing, but do not argue about the legal classification at the gate.
- Keep itemized receipts for reasonable meals, lodging, and transport.
- Record whether the itinerary was one reservation or separate tickets.
- Do not sign away a claim or accept a voucher without reading the terms.
Filing directly with the airline
Filing directly is normally the lowest-cost route. Use the airline's claim form, state the itinerary and legal basis, attach evidence, and request a written response. If the airline rejects the claim, ask for the precise reason and the evidence supporting an extraordinary-circumstances defense. The relevant national enforcement body or consumer authority may provide escalation information.
Claim deadlines are not uniform. EU261 does not create one universal limitation period for every country; national law and the applicable procedure can control how long a passenger has to sue or complain. Do not rely on a generic “three years” promise without checking the authority for the country involved.[4]
Using a claims service
Commercial services such as AirAdvisor may submit claims and communicate with airlines. A service can save time, but it may take a percentage of any recovery, charge different rates for legal escalation, and receive sensitive booking and identity data. Read the current contract, commission, assignment-of-rights language, privacy policy, cancellation terms, and dispute process before authorizing it. If you use the link on this page, it may generate an affiliate commission; that does not establish eligibility or guarantee a result.
Compare the service fee with the value of your time. For a simple claim, direct filing keeps the full recovery and your information under your control. For a disputed or complicated claim, professional assistance may be useful, but “no win, no fee” does not mean “no contractual obligations.”
A practical eligibility checklist
Before paying anyone, answer these questions:
- Where did the flight depart, and where did it arrive?
- Which carrier operated the flight?
- Was the itinerary one booking or separate tickets?
- How late were you at the final destination?
- Was the flight cancelled, delayed, or denied boarding?
- When were you notified?
- What reason did the airline give, and can it document it?
- Did you accept a refund, re-routing, credit, or voucher?
- What deadline applies in the relevant country?
If the answers are unclear, request the carrier's records and consult the appropriate official authority before making a legal claim.
Bottom line
EU261 can provide fixed compensation of EUR 250, EUR 400, or EUR 600 in qualifying cases, plus separate care or re-routing rights. UK261 has its own scope and pound-denominated rules. U.S. passengers should distinguish DOT refunds from the narrower denied-boarding compensation rules; an ordinary delay does not automatically produce a cash payment.
File directly when the case is simple, preserve evidence, verify the deadline, and read any claims-service contract before sharing data or assigning the claim.
Official references
Last reviewed: August 2026 by GoodBetterBestReviews editorial team. This page is general information, not legal advice; rules, deadlines, and carrier policies can change.