Question 1

What is UK261?

Accepted Answer

UK261 is the United Kingdom's version of EU Regulation EC 261/2004. When the UK left the European Union, it kept the regulation in UK law, now enforced by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. It gives passengers a legal right to fixed cash compensation when a flight is delayed by more than 3 hours at the final destination, cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or when they are denied boarding against their will. Compensation under UK261 is in pounds: £220 for flights under 1,500 km, £350 for flights of 1,500 km to 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km, £260 if the delay is 3 to 4 hours or £520 if it is 4 hours or more.

Question 2

What is EU Regulation EC 261/2004 and how is it different?

Accepted Answer

EC 261/2004 is the European Union regulation that UK261 is based on. The rules are the same, but it applies to flights connected to the EU rather than the UK, and compensation is in euros: €250, €400, €300 or €600, depending on distance and delay. If your flight is covered by EU261, we claim it in euros and pay you in pounds.

Question 3

Which flights are covered?

Accepted Answer

Your flight is covered by UK261 if it departed from a UK airport on any airline, or if it arrived at a UK airport on a UK or EU airline. It is covered by EU261 if it departed from an EU airport on any airline, or if it arrived at an EU airport on an EU airline. For example, a flight from London Gatwick to Malaga on easyJet is covered by UK261 because it departed from a UK airport. A flight from Malaga back to Gatwick on any airline is covered by EU261 because it departed from an EU airport. A flight from New York to London Heathrow on British Airways is covered by UK261 because it arrived in the UK on a UK airline, but the same route on a US airline such as Delta is not covered by either regulation.

Question 4

What types of disruption give me the right to compensation?

Accepted Answer

Three types of disruption give rise to a right to compensation. First, a flight delay where you arrived at your final destination 3 or more hours later than scheduled. Second, a flight cancellation where the airline told you less than 14 days before your scheduled departure date. Third, denied boarding, where the airline refused to let you board a flight for which you had a valid confirmed booking and had checked in on time. UK261 and EU261 recognise the same three types, under the same rules.

Question 5

How much compensation am I entitled to?

Accepted Answer

The amount depends on which regulation applies to your flight and the distance travelled. Under UK261: £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km, £260 if the delay was 3 to 4 hours or £520 if it was 4 hours or more. Under EU261: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km, €300 if the delay was 3 to 4 hours or €600 if it was 4 hours or more. Under both regulations, if the airline provided an alternative flight that arrived within a defined window of your original arrival time, the compensation may be reduced by 50%.

Question 6

Is this compensation in addition to a ticket refund?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The fixed compensation is payable in addition to any refund of your ticket price. They are separate entitlements. If your flight was cancelled, you are entitled to both the compensation and either a full refund of the unused ticket or re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity. We claim the compensation; refunds are not part of our service.

Question 7

My flight was delayed. How is the delay measured?

Accepted Answer

The delay that counts is measured at your final destination, based on when the aircraft doors were opened (not when the wheels touched the ground). If you had a connecting flight, the delay is measured at your final booked destination, not at the intermediate stop. UK261 and EU261 measure delay the same way.

Question 8

My flight was cancelled. Am I definitely entitled to compensation?

Accepted Answer

You are entitled to compensation if you were told about the cancellation fewer than 14 days before your scheduled departure date. If the airline told you 14 days or more in advance, compensation is not payable, though you are still entitled to a full refund of your ticket. You are also not entitled to compensation if the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances that the airline could not have avoided (see below). The same rules apply under UK261 and EU261.

Question 9

What counts as an extraordinary circumstance?

Accepted Answer

Extraordinary circumstances are situations outside the airline's control that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Accepted examples include severe weather that makes flying unsafe, political instability at the destination, air traffic control strikes, security threats, and hidden manufacturing defects that become apparent immediately before the flight. Routine technical faults with the aircraft, operational decisions by the airline, and strikes by the airline's own staff are generally not accepted as extraordinary circumstances and do not remove the right to compensation. UK261 applies the same standard as EU261.

Question 10

How far back can I claim?

Accepted Answer

For a claim under UK261 you generally have 6 years from the date of the flight in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5 years in Scotland. Under EU261 there is no single time limit: it depends on the national law of the country whose courts would hear the claim, and it ranges from around a year in some countries to 6 years in others. We recommend claiming as soon as possible. Contact us with your flight details and we will confirm the deadline that applies to your route.

Question 11

Do I need to live in the UK?

Accepted Answer

This site is for passengers who live in the United Kingdom. Your nationality does not matter for whether your flight qualifies. If you live in South Africa, please use our South African site, flightremedy.com, which pays you in rand. If you live somewhere else, start your claim and we will get in touch to help.

Question 12

What is the Claim Assignment?

Accepted Answer

The Claim Assignment Agreement is the document you sign electronically to transfer (assign) your compensation claim to Flightremedy. Once we have told the airline, it must pay us, not you. In exchange, we are contractually bound to pay you 70% of what is recovered, in full, and we cover all bank and conversion costs; our fee is the remaining 30%, including VAT. The same agreement also lets us pursue the claim in your name, on the same terms, if an airline will not accept the transfer or to take it to a dispute resolution scheme. If we stop pursuing your claim, we tell you by email and assign it back to you, and you owe us nothing.

Question 13

What happens after I submit my claim?

Accepted Answer

We assess your flight against UK261 and EU261. As soon as you sign your Claim Assignment Agreement, we start work and submit your claim to the airline, together with formal notice that the claim now belongs to Flightremedy. We don't wait for fellow passengers: their claims follow as soon as they sign. You can follow progress in your account, and you can still cancel free within 14 days of signing.

Question 14

How long does the process take?

Accepted Answer

Straightforward cases where the airline cooperates typically resolve within 6 to 12 weeks. If the airline rejects the claim and we need to escalate to a dispute resolution scheme, the Civil Aviation Authority or court, the process can take between 6 and 18 months. We will always keep you informed and we will never abandon a claim we believe to be valid.

Question 15

What happens if the airline rejects my claim?

Accepted Answer

We push back, and if needed take the claim to the airline's alternative dispute resolution scheme, the Civil Aviation Authority, or court, all at our cost and with no change to our 30% fee. If every avenue fails, you pay nothing. If we conclude a claim can't succeed, we tell you and assign it back to you, so you are free to pursue it yourself.

Question 16

Can I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can cancel within 14 days of signing, without giving a reason and free of charge, even if we have already submitted your claim. Email info@flightremedy.com or use the model cancellation form at the end of our Terms and Conditions. If the airline later pays compensation for that claim, all of it is yours. You can also cancel after 14 days: if we have not yet submitted your claim you owe us nothing, and if we have, our 30% fee applies to any payment the airline makes to you within 12 months as a result.

Question 17

How much does it cost to use Flightremedy?

Accepted Answer

Nothing unless compensation is paid. No upfront costs, no admin fees, no extra fee if we go to court, and nothing if your claim fails. If compensation is paid, our fee is 30% including VAT, and you receive 70% in full; we cover all bank and conversion costs. A fee can also be due if the airline pays you directly, or if you cancel more than 14 days after signing once we have submitted your claim and the airline then pays.

Question 18

What is your success fee?

Accepted Answer

30% of the compensation paid, including VAT, worked out in pounds. You receive the other 70%, in full; we bear all bank, transfer and conversion charges. We charge no fee on vouchers or travel credit. Every payout comes with a settlement statement, and worked examples are in the Fee and Payout Schedule in our Terms and Conditions.

Question 19

When and how will I receive my compensation?

Accepted Answer

Within 10 business days of the airline's payment clearing in our account and being matched to your claim. We pay by bank transfer, in pounds, to your UK bank account (for a child, to the parent or guardian who gave authority), with a settlement statement showing the full calculation.

Question 20

What if the airline pays me directly instead of paying Flightremedy?

Accepted Answer

It happens: some airlines pay the passenger even after they have been told the claim belongs to us. If so, tell us within 5 business days and pay us our 30% fee within 7 business days, based on the amount the airline paid. If it paid in a currency other than pounds, we use the Bank of England rate for that date. The other 70% is yours to keep.

Question 21

What documents do I need to submit a claim?

Accepted Answer

Your boarding pass for the disrupted flight, or your booking confirmation if you no longer have it. Any correspondence from the airline helps but is not essential. We only ask for a copy of your passport or ID if the airline needs it, or to check your identity before we pay you. If anything else is needed, our team will contact you.

Question 22

What if I do not have my boarding pass?

Accepted Answer

Please submit what you have. In many cases, a booking confirmation or a screenshot of your airline account showing the booking is enough. Your airline's own records can also be used to show that you were on the flight. Contact us if you are unsure and we will advise.

Question 23

Is my personal data safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We handle your personal information under the UK GDPR, as our Privacy Notice (UK) explains. Identity documents are encrypted at rest, shared only with the airline and, if needed, the body dealing with your claim, and deleted when your claim closes. We never sell your information.

Question 24

Can I claim for other passengers on the same booking?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Add every passenger when you submit the claim. Each adult must sign their own Claim Assignment Agreement, because you can't authorise another adult's claim; we email each one a personal signing link. A parent or guardian gives authority for children under 18. Your claim goes to the airline as soon as you sign; it doesn't wait for your fellow passengers.

Question 25

I accepted a food or travel voucher from the airline. Can I still claim cash compensation?

Accepted Answer

Meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation during the disruption don't affect your right to cash compensation; you can still claim in full. A travel voucher offered instead of cash compensation is different: if you accepted one in full and final settlement before signing with us, the claim may already be settled, and we'll assess this. If a voucher is offered during our process, the choice to accept is always yours. We charge no fee on vouchers, and if you accept one we assign the claim back to you.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding UK261 and EU261