Flight delayed or cancelled: up to £520 compensation, a free hotel and refunds — UK passenger rights

A delayed or cancelled flight in Britain is not just ruined plans — it is money the airline owes you by law: up to £520 compensation per person, food and a hotel at the carrier’s expense, and a full refund after a long enough delay. The rules apply automatically, but only those who claim get paid.

Here are the rules as Citizens Advice explains them: when compensation is due, how much exactly, what the airport must give you free — and how to get it all.

Which flights do the UK rules cover?

Four cases: departing from the UK — on any airline; departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland — on any airline; arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline; arriving in the EU on a UK airline. A New York — Los Angeles flight, or flying to Europe on Qantas, is outside the scheme — there the airline’s own rules and the route’s countries decide.

What must you get free at the airport?

Once the delay is long enough, the airline must provide food and drink, access to calls and email, and — if you are stuck overnight — a hotel plus transfers. The threshold depends on distance: under 1,500km — from 2 hours; 1,500–3,500km — from 3 hours; over 3,500km — from 4 hours. Usually it comes as vouchers; if none appear, keep receipts and claim later. Only “reasonable” expenses get repaid — alcohol, expensive meals and luxury hotels do not.

How much is the compensation for a delay?

Compensation is due if you arrive at your destination 3 or more hours late and it is the airline’s fault (a technical fault, overbooking). The amounts are fixed: under 1,500km — £220; 1,500–3,500km — £350; over 3,500km — £520 (or £260 if a long-haul arrival is between 3 and 4 hours late). Bad weather or a security risk count as extraordinary circumstances — no compensation there.

What about connecting flights?

A missed connection is usually covered if both legs were bought as a single booking, you reached the final destination 3+ hours late, and the airline was at fault. The classic example: London — Melbourne via Dubai, the second leg falls through — you are still protected.

What changes at a 5-hour delay?

You may refuse to fly. The airline must then refund the ticket in full, refund unused flights in the same booking (a return or onward leg), and — if you are stranded mid-journey — fly you back to your original departure airport free. The refund is due within 7 days. If you fly anyway, the usual compensation table up to £520 still applies.

Your flight is cancelled — what are your rights?

The choice is yours by law: a full refund (including unused flights in the booking) or a replacement flight to your destination. Plus care at the airport (food, calls, a hotel) if the cancellation delays you by 2 hours or more. Compensation is separate: it is due when you were told less than 14 days before departure, the replacement delays you, and the cause sat with the airline.

How do you actually get the money?

Nothing is paid automatically — claim from the airline via its website form or customer services. Keep it short: flight number, date, actual arrival time, the rule you rely on, the amount. Refused or ignored — escalate: most airlines belong to an independent arbitration scheme, and we covered how to build a complaint that cannot be brushed off in a separate guide. Claims up to £10,000 can also go through the small claims track.

What should you do right there at the airport?

Fix the facts: photograph the departure board, keep the airline’s texts, note the actual arrival time. Ask for meal vouchers — a right, not a favour. Keep every receipt. Sign nothing that waives claims in exchange for a coffee voucher. And remember: compensation claims have a long limitation period — you can file months later.