Flight Compensation in the UK 2026: Claim €250–€600 Under UK261
UK flight delayed or cancelled? Claim €250–€600 under UK261. Over 90% of court claims succeed. Check your eligibility in 2 minutes — CAA, CEDR, and county court routes covered.
Flight Compensation Rights in the UK: UK261, CEDR, and County Court Guide 2026
Post-Brexit, the UK has its own flight passenger rights regulation: UK Regulation 261/2004 (commonly called UK261), which came into force on 31 December 2020 when EU law ceased to directly apply in the UK. UK261 was created by incorporating EC261's text into UK domestic law via the EU Withdrawal Act, and the two regulations are substantively identical in almost all respects.
UK passengers retain the same compensation rights that EU passengers enjoy under EC261 — same amounts, same triggers, same extraordinary circumstances rules. The difference is the enforcement mechanism: UK passengers escalate to the UK CAA and UK county courts rather than EU bodies.
For the foundational framework (which applies equally to UK261), see our complete EC 261/2004 guide.
Does UK261 Apply to Your Flight?
UK261 applies when:
- Your flight departed from a UK airport (Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Stansted, etc.), OR
- Your flight arrived at a UK airport on a UK-based carrier
EC261 (EU version) still applies when:
- Your flight departed from an EU airport (including post-Brexit) — EU law applies to that departure regardless of your nationality
- You departed from Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, Lisbon — you're under EC261, enforced through EU NEBs
Both: If you flew Heathrow → Amsterdam → New York:
- Heathrow → Amsterdam: UK261
- Amsterdam → New York: EC261 (EU departure)
UK261 Compensation Amounts
| Route Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 per passenger (€250 equivalent at fixed UK261 rate) |
| 1,500–3,500 km | £350 per passenger (€400 equivalent) |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 per passenger (€600 equivalent) |
UK261 amounts are denominated in GBP at the exchange rate fixed when UK261 was implemented. The GBP amounts do not float with exchange rate changes.
Compensation is per passenger, per disrupted flight direction. A delayed outbound and a delayed return are two separate claims.
What Triggers a UK261 Claim?
Delays
Arrival at final destination 3+ hours after scheduled arrival. Established by CJEU Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07, 2009) — UK courts have incorporated this into UK261 interpretation via the Withdrawal Act.
Cancellations
Less than 14 days' notice without adequate re-routing.
Denied Boarding
Involuntary bumping triggers the same fixed compensation.
The UK Airlines: Who You're Most Likely to Claim From
| Airline | UK Hubs | UK261 Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways | Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW) | Full — BA guide |
| easyJet | Luton, Gatwick, Bristol, others | Full |
| Ryanair | Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, others | Full for UK departures |
| Jet2 | Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Edinburgh, others | Full |
| TUI/TUIfly | Manchester, Gatwick, others | Full |
| Virgin Atlantic | Heathrow | Full |
| Wizz Air | Luton, Gatwick, others | Full |
| Norwegian | Gatwick (now reduced) | Full |
UK CAA: The UK's Aviation Regulator
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the UK's regulator and the body responsible for enforcing UK261. The CAA:
- Monitors airline compliance with UK261
- Can investigate systematic failures
- Issues enforcement notices (as it did against Wizz Air in 2023)
- Does not handle individual passenger compensation payments directly
File a complaint at: caa.co.uk → Passengers → Delays, cancellations and compensation
The CAA refers individual complaints to the approved ADR body (CEDR) or advises passengers on court options. Filing with the CAA creates a regulatory record and can trigger investigations into systemic airline non-compliance.
CEDR: UK's Primary Aviation ADR Body
CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) is the UK's main approved ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) body for aviation claims. Most major UK airlines are CEDR members, including:
- British Airways
- easyJet
- Jet2
- TUI/TUIfly
- Virgin Atlantic
- Norwegian
Ryanair and Wizz Air are not CEDR members — for these, see the section on county courts below.
CEDR Process:
- File online at cedr.com/aviation
- CEDR reviews your claim and evidence
- Airline given opportunity to respond
- CEDR adjudicator reviews the case
- Decision issued — binding on the airline if you accept it
- Resolution typically within 90 days
Cost to passengers: Free (airlines pay CEDR's fees) Awards: CEDR can award full statutory compensation (£220–£520) plus consequential losses where applicable
CEDR is generally the fastest and lowest-effort route for UK passengers against participating airlines.
Money Claim Online: County Court for Flight Claims
For airlines not in CEDR (Ryanair, Wizz Air) or where CEDR has failed, the county court route is available and effective.
Money Claim Online (MCOL): gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money
MCOL process:
- Register online at gov.uk
- Enter claim details (defendant: airline name and address, amount, brief description)
- Pay filing fee (£35 for claims up to £300; £70 for up to £500; £105 for up to £1,000; etc.)
- Defendant served — 14 days to respond
- If airline doesn't respond: default judgment in your favour
- If airline defends: case progresses to small claims track (free, no lawyers needed at hearing)
Key advantages:
- Default judgment if airline ignores (Ryanair has been successfully defaulted in UK courts)
- Enforceable immediately — you can use enforcement mechanisms (attachment of earnings, charging order)
- Court fee is recoverable if you win
- No legal representative required
Filing fee note: Filing fees for UK261 claims (£220–£520) typically run £35–£70. These are recovered from the defendant if successful.
Step-by-Step Claim Process for UK Passengers
Step 1: Verify Your Claim
Check actual arrival time on Flightradar24. Confirm 3+ hour delay at final destination. Screenshot everything.
Step 2: Check Eligibility with FlightOwed
Submit your flight at /check. Instant assessment, full claim management.
Step 3: Submit to the Airline
Use airline's online claim form. Keep reference number and all correspondence.
Step 4: 8-Week Follow-Up
If no satisfactory response after 8 weeks, escalate.
Step 5: CEDR or County Court
- Airline in CEDR scheme → file at cedr.com/aviation
- Airline not in CEDR (Ryanair, Wizz Air) → Money Claim Online
Extraordinary Circumstances Under UK261
UK261 incorporates the same extraordinary circumstances defence as EC261 Article 5(3). Post-Brexit, UK courts apply the same test established by EU case law, including:
- Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (C-549/07, 2008): Technical faults are not extraordinary
- Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07, 2009): 3-hour delay rule applies
- Krüsemann v TUIfly (C-195/17, 2018): Pre-announced strikes are not extraordinary
UK judges continue to cite CJEU precedent as "persuasive" even post-Brexit, given that UK261 was created from EU law. The same legal principles apply in practice.
For detailed extraordinary circumstances analysis, see our extraordinary circumstances guide.
UK Airports: Common Disruption Causes
| Airport | Common Issues |
|---|---|
| Heathrow (LHR) | Slot capacity, cascading BA delays, ATC sequencing |
| Gatwick (LGW) | Single-runway capacity, peak congestion |
| Stansted (STN) | Ryanair hub congestion, ATC restrictions |
| Manchester (MAN) | Weather, peak holiday traffic |
| Edinburgh (EDI) | Scottish weather, fog |
| Birmingham (BHX) | General congestion, weather |
Claim Limitation Period
In the UK, UK261 claims are contractual. The Limitation Act 1980 provides a 6-year limitation period. Claims from 2020 onwards are still within the window.
This is one of the most generous limitation periods in Europe — UK passengers can claim for delays back to 2020 (or earlier for EU-departing flights under EC261 with EU limitation periods).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My flight from Heathrow was delayed — BA says it was Heathrow's ATC, not their fault. What should I do? A: Check whether the ATC restriction was sudden and unforeseeable, or predictable Heathrow congestion. If predictable, BA's defence is weak. File with CEDR for BA; they assess independently of BA's stated reason.
Q: I'm EU-based but my flight departed from the UK. Can I claim under UK261? A: Yes. UK261 rights apply to passengers regardless of nationality or residence. If your flight departed from a UK airport, you have UK261 rights — claimable via CEDR or county court.
Q: Ryanair is ignoring my MCOL claim. What happens? A: After 14 days without Ryanair defending, you can request a default judgment. MCOL will issue the judgment. You then apply for enforcement — a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against Ryanair, enforceable against their UK bank accounts or assets.
Q: I used CEDR and they ruled against me. Can I still go to court? A: CEDR decisions are binding only if you accept them. If CEDR rules against you, you can reject the decision and proceed to county court for an independent adjudication.
Q: Can I claim for an airline delay that happened before Brexit (before 31 December 2020)? A: Yes. Flights before Brexit operated under EC261. UK courts applied EC261 before Brexit and many have continued to handle pre-Brexit claims on the same basis. UK261's 6-year limitation period also applies (Limitation Act 1980).
Q: Virgin Atlantic says my long-haul delay was extraordinary. How do I challenge this? A: Request the specific evidence Virgin Atlantic is relying on. What was the extraordinary event? What reasonable measures did they take? CEDR and county courts expect airlines to provide this evidence — vague assertions are not sufficient.
Q: TUI says my package holiday delay is covered by their in-house complaints process, not CEDR. Is that right? A: No. EC261/UK261 rights are statutory and independent of the package holiday complaints process. You have a separate right to EC261 compensation for the flight delay, regardless of the overall package holiday complaint.
Claim Your UK Flight Compensation
Check your UK flight at FlightOwed →
We handle UK261 claims including CEDR submissions and county court filings. Free to check, no win no fee.
Related guides:
Free Guide: Your Complete EU Flight Compensation Rights
Everything you need to claim up to €600 — what qualifies, how to file, what airlines don’t want you to know. PDF guide, instant download.
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