LOT Polish Airlines Delay or Cancellation? What Compensation You Can Claim

LOT Polish Airlines operates frequent routes between the UK and Warsaw, serving one of the largest European diaspora communities in Britain, plus onward connections across Central and Eastern Europe through its Warsaw hub. As a Polish, and therefore EU, carrier, LOT is covered by EU261 on every flight it operates, whichever direction you're flying.

LOT is covered both ways

Unlike a non-EU airline such as Emirates or Turkish Airlines, where coverage depends on which direction you flew, LOT is an EU carrier, so EU261 applies to its flights departing the UK, departing Poland, or flying between any two points in its network. You don't need to check the direction of travel the way you would with a US, Gulf, or Asian airline. If your LOT flight was delayed or cancelled, whichever way you were flying, the same protection applies.

How much can you claim?

• £220 or €250 for flights under 1,500km delayed 3+ hours (most UK-Poland direct routes)
• £350 or €400 for flights 1,500-3,500km delayed 3+ hours
• £520 or €600 for flights over 3,500km delayed 4+ hours, if Warsaw was a connection to a longer LOT route further east

UK to Warsaw is a short-haul route, so most direct claims fall into the lowest band. If Warsaw was a connecting point on a single booking to a longer LOT destination, distance is measured to your final stop, which can move a qualifying claim into a higher band.

Missed connections through Warsaw

LOT's Warsaw hub connects onward to destinations across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond. If a delayed inbound leg from the UK caused you to miss a connecting LOT flight, and both legs were on the same booking, it counts as one journey. What matters is your final arrival time at your ultimate destination, not the length of the first delay.

Winter weather and Eastern European air traffic

Poland's winters bring genuine de-icing and snow-related delays, which can be a valid extraordinary circumstance. Airlines sometimes stretch this to cover delays that were really caused by aircraft rotation, crew scheduling, or a technical fault though, and LOT carries the burden of proving the specific cause of your delay, not just citing "weather" in general terms for the day.

How far back can you claim?

You have 6 years to bring a claim in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland.

How to claim

Klaimly checks the distance band your route actually falls into and handles the LOT Polish Airlines claim end to end for a flat 5% fee, only if we win. No VAT, no minimum fee, and nothing to pay unless your claim succeeds.