UK261 Explained: Your Complete Guide to Flight Compensation
A plain-English guide to UK261: what it covers, how much you can claim, which flights qualify, and how to enforce your rights against airlines.
UK261 is the law that gives passengers the right to compensation when flights are delayed, cancelled, or overbooked. It applies to millions of passengers every year, but most people have never heard of it.
This guide explains everything in plain English.
What is UK261?
UK261 is the UK's version of EU Regulation 261/2004, retained into UK law after Brexit. It sets out minimum standards of passenger protection and entitles you to compensation when airlines disrupt your journey.
Which flights does UK261 cover?
UK261 applies to you if:
- Your flight departs from a UK airport (on any airline), or
- Your flight arrives at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline
This means flights with Ryanair, EasyJet, British Airways, Jet2, TUI, Wizz Air, and most airlines you'd use from UK airports are covered.
What situations are covered?
- Delays where you arrived at your destination 3 or more hours late
- Cancellations where the airline cancelled your flight
- Denied boarding where you were bumped due to overbooking
How much can you claim?
- £220 for flights under 1,500km delayed 3+ hours
- £350 for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km delayed 3+ hours
- £520 for flights over 3,500km delayed 4+ hours
These amounts are per passenger. If you were travelling with family, each person on the booking is entitled to the same amount.
What are extraordinary circumstances?
Airlines don't have to pay compensation if the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside their control. This includes:
- Severe weather making it unsafe to fly
- Political instability or security threats
- Air traffic control strikes
- Hidden manufacturing defects discovered for the first time
However, airlines frequently misuse this excuse. The following do not count as extraordinary circumstances:
- Routine technical faults
- Staff shortages
- Commercial decisions such as low passenger numbers
- Late-arriving aircraft from a previous flight
How far back can you claim?
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland you can claim up to 6 years back. In Scotland it is 5 years. This means flights from as far back as 2020 may still be claimable today.
How to claim
You can claim directly with the airline by submitting a compensation request through their website. If the airline rejects or ignores your claim, you can escalate to their approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. Most UK airlines use CEDR or Aviation ADR.
If ADR fails, your final option is the small claims court, which costs a small fee but is straightforward for amounts under £10,000.
Alternatively, services like Klaimly handle the entire process for a 5% fee, only charged if you win. That is the lowest fee in the market.
Common airline tactics to avoid
- Offering vouchers instead of cash. You are entitled to cash and can refuse vouchers.
- Claiming extraordinary circumstances without evidence. You can challenge this.
- Ignoring your claim. If they don't respond within 8 weeks, escalate to ADR immediately.
- Offering a lower amount. The compensation amounts are fixed by law and are not negotiable.
Ready to claim?
Klaimly handles UK261 claims for just 5% of the compensation amount, only charged if we win. Submit your flight details in under 2 minutes.