Photo: Alf van Beem, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
British Airways · EU261 · UK261 · APPR
British Airways delay & cancellation compensation
You could be owed
€600
per passenger, set by law
British Airways compensation calculator
British Airways compensation calculator
How claiming works
- 1Check your flightUse the calculator: route, how late you arrived and how many of you travelled.
- 2Claim from British AirwaysFree with the airline’s own form, or hand it to a no-win, no-fee service.
- 3Get paidA fixed amount per passenger, set by law and not linked to your ticket price.
- Amounts set by law
- Free to claim yourself
- No win, no fee option
At a glance
Which rules cover British Airways
- ●British Airways is based in United Kingdom, so EU261 covers its flights departing the EU (98 EU/EEA/Swiss airports in its network), not its flights into the EU.
- ●As a UK airline, UK261 covers its flights from the UK and its flights into the UK.
- ●Canada’s APPR covers its flights to, from and within Canada (3 Canadian airports).
- Based in
- United Kingdom
- EU/EEA/Swiss airports
- 98
- EU261 applies
- UK airports
- 12
- UK261 applies
- Canadian airports
- 3
- APPR applies
Set by law
British Airways compensation amounts
Arrived 3+ hours late? The longer the flight, the more you get
- Under 1,500 kme.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam€250 / £220
- 1,500–3,500 kme.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh€400 / £350
- Over 3,500 kme.g. London to New York€600 / £520
Per passenger. Over 3,500 km, arriving 3–4 hours late pays half (€300 / £260); EU flights over 1,500 km within the EU pay €400.
EU261
EU Regulation 261/2004
- Up to 1,500 km€250
- Intra-EU over 1,500 km, or 1,500–3,500 km€400
- Over 3,500 km€600
Covers flights departing the EU (any airline), and flights into the EU on an EU airline. Source: Your Europe (European Union): air passenger rights.
UK261
UK Regulation 261/2004 (UK261)
- Up to 1,500 km£220
- 1,500–3,500 km£350
- Over 3,500 km£520
Covers flights departing the UK (any airline), and flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline. Source: UK Regulation 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk).
APPR
Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations
- Large airline, 3–6 h lateC$400
- Large airline, 6–9 h lateC$700
- Large airline, 9 h+ lateC$1,000
Covers flights to, from and within Canada, on any airline. Source: Canadian Transportation Agency: Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Hour by hour
What British Airways owes you, and when
- 2 h late
Care starts
Food and drink and two phone calls or emails, from 2 hours on flights under 1,500 km (3 hours up to 3,500 km, 4 hours beyond).
- 3 h late
Cash compensation
Arrive 3 hours or more late for a reason within the airline’s control and you can claim a fixed amount per passenger.
- 5 h late
Refund option
Delayed 5 hours or more and no longer want to travel? You can ask for a refund and, if needed, a flight back to where you started.
- Overnight
Hotel and transfers
Delayed overnight? The airline owes you a hotel and transport between the airport and the hotel, whatever caused the delay.
While you wait
Food, calls and a hotel: British Airways’s duty of care
| Flight distance | Care starts after a delay of |
|---|---|
| Under 1,500 kme.g. Glasgow to Amsterdam | 2 hours |
| 1,500–3,500 kme.g. East Midlands to Marrakesh | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 kme.g. London to New York | 4 hours |
Delay measured against the scheduled departure time. Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority: delays.
What the airline must give you
Whatever caused the delay.
- Food and drink in line with the wait
- Two phone calls or emails
- A hotel and transfers if you are delayed overnight
Who pays
When British Airways has to pay, and when it doesn’t
British Airways usually has to pay for
- ✓Ordinary technical faults, such as a failed component or wear and tear
- ✓Strikes by the airline’s own staff
- ✓Overbooking (denied boarding)
Extraordinary circumstances (no cash)
- Bad weather that makes flying unsafe
- Air traffic control restrictions and decisions
- Security risks and political instability
- Strikes by staff outside the airline (for example, air traffic controllers)
Even then, the airline still owes you care (food, drinks, a hotel if needed) and a refund or rerouting for cancellations.
Know the small print
Situations that change what you’re owed
It’s the arrival time that counts
Compensation depends on how late you reach your final destination, not how late you took off. Time made up in the air can take you under 3 hours.
Rerouted? The amount can be halved
If the airline reroutes you and you arrive within 2 hours (under 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500–3,500 km) or 4 hours (longer flights) of your original arrival time, it may cut the compensation by 50%.
Source: UK Regulation 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk)
Connecting flights on one booking
Distance is measured from your first airport to your last, and only your arrival at the final destination counts. Miss a connection because the first flight was late and the airline still owes you care, including a hotel if you wait overnight.
Cancellations: how much notice you got
14 days’ notice or more: no compensation. 7 to 14 days, or under 7 days: you may be owed compensation, depending on how close the replacement flight’s times are to your original ones. You can always choose a refund or a new flight instead.
Two ways
How to claim from British Airways
Free, do it yourself
Claim directly with British Airways
- 1. Keep your boarding pass, booking reference and any receipts.
- 2. Ask staff in writing what caused the delay or cancellation.
- 3. Use British Airways’s complaint or claim form on its website.
- 4. No answer in 2 months, or a refusal you disagree with? Complain to the national enforcement body, or use dispute resolution or small claims.
No win, no fee
Let a claims company handle it
- They check eligibility for free and chase British Airways for you, including in court.
- They keep a share of the payout only if they win: check their fee before you start.
If British Airways says no
What to do if your claim is refused
- Step 1
Claim from the airline
Compensation isn’t paid automatically. Use the airline’s claim form; expenses may need a separate claim.
- Step 2
Wait up to 8 weeks
No answer within 8 weeks, or a final answer you disagree with? You can take it further.
- Step 3
Go to ADR or the regulator
In the UK: the airline’s Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme if it has one, otherwise the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team. In the EU: the national enforcement body.
- Step 4
Court, within the time limit
In the UK you can take a claim to court within 6 years in England and Wales, or 5 years in Scotland.
Good to know
British Airways compensation: questions
How much compensation can I get from British Airways?+
EU261: €250, €400, €600; UK261: £220, £350, £520; APPR: C$400, C$700, C$1,000, per passenger, depending on distance (or, under APPR, how late you arrive).
Does EU261 apply to British Airways?+
Only on flights departing an EU/EEA/Swiss airport. British Airways is based in United Kingdom, so its flights into the EU are not covered by EU261.
Can I claim if my British Airways flight was cancelled?+
Usually, if you were told less than 14 days before departure and the cause was within the airline’s control, unless you were rerouted close to your original times. You can also choose a refund or rerouting.
How do I claim compensation from British Airways?+
Claim free through British Airways’s complaint or claim form on its website, keeping your boarding pass and booking reference. If it refuses or doesn’t answer within 2 months, go to the national enforcement body, or use a no-win, no-fee service such as AirHelp.
What if British Airways says it was extraordinary circumstances?+
Bad weather, air traffic control decisions and security risks are genuine exceptions. Most technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff are not, so ask for the reason in writing and challenge a refusal you think is wrong.
Other airlines based in United Kingdom
Popular airline claims
Rules and amounts from the official sources: Your Europe (European Union): air passenger rights; UK Regulation 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk); Canadian Transportation Agency: Air Passenger Protection Regulations. British Airways’s airports from Wikipedia’s destination list; home country from Wikidata. Distances are straight-line. General information, not legal advice. AirConnect may earn a commission if you claim through our links, at no extra cost to you.