If an EU261- or UK261-covered flight reaches your final destination at least three hours late, you may be entitled to fixed compensation of up to EUR 600 or GBP 520 per passenger. A normal delay on a U.S.-only itinerary usually does not create a comparable federal cash claim.

The route, operating airline, final arrival time, and cause matter more than the ticket price. Compensation is separate from meals, hotels, refunds, travel insurance, and reimbursement of reasonable expenses.

Which rule applies to your delayed flight?

Your nationality does not decide whether EU261 or UK261 applies. The airports, airline, and itinerary do. A U.S. airline flying from Paris to New York can still be subject to EU261, while a U.S.-only domestic flight generally is not.

For a codeshare, begin with the airline that operated the delayed flight. If a travel agency or ticketing airline handled payment or a refund, contact that company too.

EU261 and UK261 compensation amounts

The fixed amount is based mainly on flight distance and arrival delay. It isn't calculated from the fare you paid.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority delay guidance sets out the UK amounts and assistance thresholds. EU amounts and eligibility are explained in the Your Europe passenger-rights FAQ.

The maximum figure is not automatic. You generally need all of the following:

• The relevant EU261 or UK261 rule covers the journey.
• You arrived at least three hours late at your final destination.
• The delay was not caused by an extraordinary circumstance.
• You didn't already receive a full settlement for the same loss.

If the airline reroutes you, fixed compensation can sometimes be reduced by 50 percent when the replacement flight arrives within the applicable time limit. Ask the airline to show its calculation rather than accepting an unexplained lower amount.

How to measure the delay

For EU261 and UK261, the relevant delay is usually the difference between the scheduled and actual arrival time at the final destination, not simply the time the aircraft left the gate.

Arrival is generally measured when at least one aircraft door opens and passengers are allowed to leave. Save the airline's recorded arrival time, boarding pass, delay notification, and any reliable flight-tracking evidence.

A missed connection may count if all flights were on one reservation and the delay caused you to reach the final destination at least three hours late. Separate tickets are usually assessed separately, so the first airline may not be responsible for a missed second ticket.

What counts as an extraordinary circumstance?

An airline can avoid fixed EU261 or UK261 compensation when it proves that the delay resulted from an event outside its normal control and that reasonable measures could not have prevented the disruption.

Examples can include:

• Severe weather that makes the flight unsafe
• Air traffic control restrictions
• Airport or external strikes
• Security risks, political unrest, or other events affecting the operation

The label alone isn't enough. Ask the airline to identify the exact event, explain how it affected your flight, and state why the delay could not reasonably have been avoided.

Routine technical problems and maintenance defects arising during normal airline operations normally do not qualify. A delay caused by an earlier flight in the same aircraft also isn't automatically excused just because that earlier flight encountered bad weather. The airline should explain the direct connection.

Even when an extraordinary circumstance defeats a cash-compensation claim, the airline may still owe meals, refreshments, accommodation, and transport under EU261 or UK261.

Meals, hotels, refunds, and expenses

Fixed compensation is only one part of your rights. EU261 and UK261 also provide a right to care after a qualifying departure delay:

Care can include reasonable food and drink, communication, overnight accommodation, and transport between the airport and hotel. The airline should provide vouchers or arrange the service. If it doesn't, buy only what is reasonably necessary and keep itemized receipts.

A departure delay of at least five hours may give you the option of a refund instead of continuing the journey. A refund, expense reimbursement, and fixed compensation are different requests. State clearly which one you want, and don't assume that accepting a refund automatically answers the separate compensation question.

What U.S. passengers can claim

The United States does not generally require airlines to pay a fixed cash amount simply because a flight arrived late. Meals, hotel rooms, rebooking, and travel credits usually depend on the airline's contract of carriage and customer-service commitments.

Check the airline's disruption policy and ask what it will provide when the delay is within the carrier's control. Keep any promise in writing. A voucher is a company offer, not automatically a substitute for a legal entitlement that may apply under another rule.

U.S. Department of Transportation refund protections can apply when an airline cancels a flight or makes a significant change and you don't accept the alternative arrangement. Those refund rules are different from compensation for staying on a delayed flight.

A flight delay can also trigger travel-insurance or credit-card trip-delay benefits. Those benefits are contractual, not EU261-style compensation. Check the policy for the delay threshold, covered expenses, required payment method, and receipt rules.

Montreal Convention claims for international delays

The Montreal Convention may cover an international flight delay when the delay caused a real, documented financial loss. It doesn't usually provide an automatic payment for inconvenience, frustration, or lost vacation time.

A claim might involve reasonable additional costs directly caused by the delay, but you must show the loss and avoid claiming the same expense twice under different rules. The airline may rely on treaty defenses, and liability is subject to a limit denominated in Special Drawing Rights. The U.S.-dollar value of that limit changes, so online dollar figures should not be treated as a guaranteed award.

The Convention generally requires court action within two years. Contact the airline promptly even if you're still collecting documents. A baggage report is not a substitute for a passenger-delay claim: baggage delays have separate notice rules, including a 21-day period for delayed checked baggage.

How to file a flight-delay claim

1. Identify the operating airline and applicable rule

Record the flight number, date, airports, operating carrier, booking reference, and whether the itinerary was one reservation. Then check whether EU261, UK261, U.S. rules, the Montreal Convention, an airline contract, or insurance controls each part of the request.

2. Establish the actual delay

Write down the scheduled arrival and the recorded arrival at the final destination. Save boarding passes, booking confirmations, airline emails, text messages, screenshots, and evidence of a missed connection.

3. Ask for the cause in writing

If the airline says the delay was caused by weather, air traffic control, a strike, or another extraordinary event, request the specific event and its effect on your flight. Don't rely on a generic phrase such as operational disruption without asking for details.

4. Calculate separate amounts

List the fixed compensation, care expenses, refund request, and any insurance claim separately. Attach receipts to expense requests and explain why each purchase was necessary.

5. Submit the claim directly

Use the operating airline's official claim form or customer-relations channel. Keep a copy of everything and save the claim reference. Don't send bank details in an unsolicited email. Provide payment information only through a verified airline channel or after the airline confirms how it will pay.

6. Follow up and escalate

If the airline rejects the claim, request a written explanation and challenge the specific reason. If it doesn't respond, send a dated follow-up and keep proof of delivery. There's no universal EU or UK rule requiring every airline to answer within 14 days, so don't treat that period as a statutory deadline.

Delay-compensation letter template

Subject: EU261/UK261 delay compensation request - [flight number], [date]

I traveled from [origin] to [final destination] on flight [flight number] on [date]. The scheduled arrival time was [time], and the recorded arrival time was [time], making the delay at the final destination approximately [hours and minutes].

Because this journey is covered by [EU261/UK261], I request the applicable fixed compensation of [EUR or GBP amount] for each eligible passenger.

I also request reimbursement of these reasonable care expenses: [list expenses]. I have attached the itemized receipts.

If you reject the compensation, please identify the specific extraordinary circumstance relied on, explain how it caused this delay, and provide the basis for your decision.

Please confirm receipt and provide a claim reference. I prefer payment by [payment method].

Regards,
[Full name]
[Booking reference]
[Email and postal address]

Change the amount and legal reference if you're making a U.S. refund, insurance, or Montreal Convention claim instead.

Deadlines and escalation routes

EU and UK limitation periods can depend on national law, so there's no single EU deadline that applies to every claim. File as soon as possible, and don't assume that an airline's internal complaint process pauses a court deadline.

For an EU claim, contact the relevant national enforcement body when the airline has rejected the claim or failed to deal with it. For a cross-border dispute, the European Consumer Centre may provide guidance. The Citizens Advice guidance on delayed or cancelled flights explains evidence and complaint options for UK consumers.

For a UK claim, check whether the airline belongs to an approved alternative-dispute-resolution scheme. The CAA guidance can help you identify the next complaint route, but an individual case may ultimately require court action.

For a U.S. claim, use the airline's customer-relations process first. A complaint to the Department of Transportation can report a possible consumer-protection or refund violation, but it isn't the same as a private compensation award.

You don't need a claims company. If you use one, read its commission, cancellation, authority, and court-action terms before signing. Try the airline's own process first when the facts are straightforward.

Travel insurance and credit-card benefits

Travel insurance and card benefits may reimburse meals, hotels, transportation, or other covered costs, but each policy sets its own delay threshold and exclusions. Before submitting:

• Check whether the ticket had to be paid with the card.
• Confirm whether the delay was long enough to trigger coverage.
• Keep receipts and proof of the delay.
• Claim only expenses not already reimbursed by the airline.
• Check whether the policy is primary or pays only after another source.

A card billing dispute is not a general substitute for flight-delay compensation. A delay by itself doesn't necessarily make the original ticket charge a billing error. Ask the card issuer about its trip-delay benefit or dispute rules instead.

Common questions

Does a five-hour delay guarantee EUR 600 or GBP 520?

No. A five-hour delay may satisfy the time requirement for an EU261 or UK261 claim, but the route, distance band, operating carrier, and cause still matter. EUR 600 and GBP 520 are maximum amounts, not universal payments.

Does bad weather always defeat a claim?

No. Weather may be an extraordinary circumstance, but the airline should connect the weather event to your flight and explain why reasonable measures could not prevent the delay. The right to care may still apply.

Can I claim for a delayed connection?

Usually, the strongest claim involves flights on one reservation and a delay of at least three hours at the final destination. Separate tickets make the connection issue more complicated and may leave you claiming only for the affected flight or documented losses.

Who should receive the claim?

For fixed EU261 or UK261 compensation, start with the airline that operated the delayed flight. If a travel agency or ticketing carrier controls a refund, send that request to the relevant seller as well.

Is the Montreal Convention the same as EU261?

No. EU261 and UK261 can provide fixed compensation when their conditions are met. The Montreal Convention concerns proven financial damage from international carriage and doesn't create the same automatic payment.

What should I do after a denial?

Ask the airline to identify the precise cause and evidence behind the denial. Then use the appropriate ADR, national enforcement, consumer-assistance, regulator, or court route before the applicable deadline.

Useful official guidance

• Your Europe air-passenger-rights FAQ
• UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance on flight delays
• Citizens Advice: delayed or cancelled flights
• European Parliament passenger-rights factsheet

Before submitting, check the rule for the flight's route, confirm the final arrival time, and attach evidence that supports each amount you request.