Delayed three hours or more? EU261 pays €250 to €600 and UK261 up to £520, while US DOT rules now force automatic cash refunds for cancelled or significantly delayed flights. Here is exactly what airlines owe you and how to claim it.
Cover image: airport departures board showing delayed flights — photo by Jun Jie Yam, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Passengers who arrive at their destination three hours late or more on a flight departing the European Union, or arriving in the EU on an EU carrier, can claim €250 to €600 in cash compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004, the EU's air passenger rights law. The United Kingdom mirrors those rules as UK261, paying £220 to £520 per passenger. The United States has no equivalent delay-compensation law, but under the US Department of Transportation's automatic refund rule, finalised in April 2024, airlines must now issue automatic cash refunds when a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed (three hours domestic, six hours international) and the passenger does not accept rebooking. Bumped from an oversold US flight? DOT rules require cash of up to 400% of your one-way fare, capped at $2,150. Despite a reform deal agreed by EU lawmakers on 12 June 2026, the three-hour threshold and the €250 to €600 amounts remain unchanged, with new rules not expected to apply before the second half of 2027.
How much is EU261 and UK261 flight delay compensation?
Compensation under both regimes is fixed by flight distance, not ticket price, according to the European Commission's Your Europe passenger rights guidance and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It applies to delays of three hours or more at arrival, to cancellations announced less than 14 days before departure, and to involuntary denied boarding.
| Flight distance | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | £220 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km (arrival 3–4 hours late) | €300 | £260 |
| Over 3,500 km (arrival 4+ hours late) | €600 | £520 |
Beyond cash, airlines owe a duty of care during long delays: meals and refreshments, two free communications, and hotel accommodation with transfers if an overnight stay becomes necessary. If a delay stretches past five hours, passengers may abandon the journey and demand a full refund. Those duties apply even during strike-hit periods, a point worth remembering as Europe's summer 2026 strike wave disrupts schedules.
What does the US DOT automatic refund rule cover?
The DOT's final rule, announced in April 2024, shifted the burden from passengers to airlines. Carriers flying to, from or within the US must refund the ticket automatically, in the original form of payment, when a flight is cancelled or "significantly changed" and the passenger neither accepts rebooking nor takes vouchers or miles.
- Significant change defined: arrival three or more hours late on domestic flights, six or more hours on international flights, plus departure or arrival airport changes, added connections, or downgrades.
- Deadlines: refunds within seven business days for credit card purchases, 20 calendar days for other payment forms.
- Bag fees: checked-bag charges must be refunded if a bag is significantly delayed, and fees for unprovided extras such as Wi-Fi or seat selection must be returned.
Note the crucial difference: the US rule delivers your money back, not compensation on top. There is still no US statute paying passengers for the inconvenience of a delayed flight that eventually operates. Travellers wanting cover for consequential costs, such as missed hotel nights, still need travel insurance that covers delays and missed connections.
How much do airlines pay for denied boarding?
Involuntary bumping is the one area where US law does mandate cash. Under DOT oversales rules (14 CFR Part 250, with caps last adjusted in October 2024), a passenger bumped from an oversold flight and rebooked to arrive one to two hours late domestically (one to four hours internationally) is owed 200% of the one-way fare, up to $1,075. Arrive later than that, or with no rebooking offered, and the figure doubles to 400% of the one-way fare, up to $2,150, payable by cash or cheque on the day. In the EU and UK, involuntarily bumped passengers get the standard €250 to €600 or £220 to £520 immediately, plus a refund or re-routing. A companion guide to overbooking and denied boarding rights covers volunteering strategy in detail.
What counts as extraordinary circumstances?
Airlines escape EU261 and UK261 cash compensation, though never the duty of care, when the disruption stems from extraordinary circumstances outside their control. European Commission case-law summaries and Court of Justice of the EU rulings have drawn the line clearly. Severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security threats and strikes by third parties such as ATC or airport staff generally qualify. By contrast, the court held in Wallentin-Hermann (2008) that routine technical faults are not extraordinary, and in later rulings that strikes by an airline's own pilots or cabin crew do not exempt the carrier either. Airlines must also prove they took all reasonable measures, including rebooking on rival carriers, before invoking the defence.
How do I claim flight delay compensation?
Compensation is not paid automatically in Europe; the CAA is explicit that passengers must claim from the airline first. A practical sequence:
- Keep evidence: boarding passes, delay notifications, receipts for meals and hotels.
- Claim in writing via the airline's compensation form, citing EU261 or UK261 and the arrival delay length.
- Escalate to the national enforcement body or an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme (the CAA in the UK) if the airline refuses or stalls. Claim deadlines vary by country, so act promptly.
- Mind the fee if using claims agencies, which typically keep a large cut of the payout for work most passengers can do themselves.
The reform agreed by EU member states and the European Parliament in June 2026 obliges airlines to give passengers clearer instructions on how to claim, but earlier proposals for automatic payouts were dropped. With airline margins already wafer-thin, carriers lobbied hard against costlier obligations, and the compensation amounts set in 2004 were left untouched.
Frequently asked questions
Does EU261 apply to my flight if I fly a US airline?
Yes, if the flight departs from an EU airport, regardless of the airline's nationality. Flights into the EU from outside are covered only when operated by an EU carrier. A Delta flight from Amsterdam to New York is covered; the same route flown into Amsterdam is not.
Can the airline pay me in vouchers instead of cash?
Only with your signed agreement under EU261 and UK261; you are entitled to insist on money. Under the US refund rule, refunds must come in the original form of payment unless you actively choose a voucher or miles.
Do I get compensation if the delay was caused by weather?
No cash compensation, because severe weather counts as an extraordinary circumstance. The airline still owes you meals, communications and a hotel if you are stranded overnight, and a full refund if a cancellation means you choose not to travel.
Is the EU going to change the three-hour rule?
Not for now. The reform agreed on 12 June 2026 keeps the three-hour threshold and the €250 to €600 amounts, adds a guaranteed second piece of cabin baggage, and is not expected to take effect before the second half of 2027.
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