The run-up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of year at UK airports. Flights are full, there's little spare room on later departures, and winter weather can arrive at any point. When something goes wrong, it can feel like Christmas plans are at the mercy of the airline.
They aren't. UK261 gives you clear rights over the festive period, exactly as it does the rest of the year. Here's what you're owed and how to make sure you get it.
If your Christmas flight is cancelled
If the airline cancels your flight, you can choose between:
- A full refund, paid within 7 days, or
- A new flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date that suits you
"Earliest opportunity" matters at Christmas. If the airline's own next flight with space is on 27 December, but another airline can get you there on the 23rd, the airline may have to book you on that one. Don't accept a much later flight without asking. Our guide to refunds and compensation explains your options.
When you can also get compensation
On top of the refund or new flight, you may be owed compensation if:
- Your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, and the replacement got you there more than a set time late, or
- Your flight arrived 3 or more hours late
The amounts are:
- £220 per passenger for flights under 1,500km, such as London to Dublin, Belfast or Amsterdam
- £350 per passenger for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, such as Manchester to Lapland, Lanzarote or Krakow
- £520 per passenger for flights over 3,500km, such as Heathrow to New York, Dubai or Lagos (£260 if 3 to 4 hours late)
It's per person, so a family of five on a cancelled Lapland trip could be owed £1,750. See our guide to short-notice cancellations for the exact timings.
"It's the weather" isn't always the end of it
Snow, ice and fog are genuine problems in December, and when they really stop a flight operating, the airline doesn't have to pay compensation. But the airline still has to show the weather caused your delay. Common situations worth challenging:
- The snow was the day before, and your flight was delayed because crew or aircraft were out of position
- Other airlines flew the same route on time
- The reason changed from weather to a technical fault or missing crew
- De-icing delays at an airport the airline should have prepared for
Our guides to winter weather delays and fog delays go into more detail.
What about strikes over Christmas?
If the airline's own staff go on strike, such as its pilots or cabin crew, you can usually claim compensation. Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport staff who don't work for the airline are normally extraordinary circumstances. Either way, the airline still has to rebook or refund you and look after you while you wait.
Food, drink and a hotel
If you're delayed 2 hours or more on a short flight (3 hours on a medium flight, 4 on a long one), the airline has to provide food and drink. If you're stuck overnight, it has to provide a hotel and transport to it. This applies even when the weather was genuinely to blame. With hotels near airports filling up quickly in December, if the airline can't arrange one, book something reasonable and keep the receipt. Our guide to hotel and meal rights explains what you can claim back.
Package holidays and ski trips
If your flight was part of a package, such as a Lapland day trip or a ski holiday, you can still claim flight compensation from the airline. If you lost days of your holiday, you may also have a separate claim against the tour operator. See our guides to package holiday delays and ski holiday delays.
What to save on the day
- Screenshots of the delay or cancellation reason in the app and on the boards, every time it changes
- Emails and texts from the airline, especially anything offering a new flight
- The time you actually arrived at your final destination
- Receipts for food, hotels, taxis and any replacement flight you had to buy
Check your flight
If your Christmas flight is cancelled or delayed, check it with Klaimly. We look at what really happened to the flight and whether the airline's reason stands up. We charge a flat 5% fee, only if we win, with nothing to pay upfront. You have up to 6 years to claim, so past Christmas delays are worth checking too.
