We’ll look at what compensation you might be entitled to, whom to approach and when, the legal protections you have, and how to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible in the airport.
Remember: being friendly and remaining calm can help others relax in a stressful situation and give airline staff an easier job in a high-pressure environment. Always bring a pen and paper with you.
Getting flight delay compensation
There are some situations where you are automatically entitled to various forms of compensation if your flight is delayed.
The rules on getting compensation for flights to or from EU countries or operated by an EU-based airline haven’t changed since the end of the UK’s Brexit transition period.
These rules have now been written into UK law and apply if you are:
- Departing from the UK
- Arriving in the UK with either a UK or EU airline
- Arriving in an EU country with a UK airline
The only difference is that if you claim for delay under UK law any payment you receive will now be in pounds rather than euros.
If you fly between EU countries or on an EU-regulated flight that’s not linked to the UK, you can still claim flight delay compensation under regulation EU261. You don’t have to be an EU citizen.
When can’t you claim for compensation?
There are some caveats that come with these rules. To be entitled to compensation, the delay has to be the fault of your airline rather than due to events beyond the airline’s control.
There’s no compensation available in ‘extraordinary circumstances’ such as bad weather, political unrest, security or safety issues, technical problems caused by ‘out of the ordinary’ events (such as a manufacturing defect), or air traffic management decisions (such as grounding flights due to volcanic ash clouds).
There’s also no compensation for industrial action by air traffic controllers, airport staff or ground handlers, as they’re beyond the airline’s control. However, you may be able to claim for strikes by the airline’s own crew and staff, as their action may be deemed within the carrier’s control.
