The four passenger-rights regimes
Air passenger compensation is not one law but four, each covering a different patch of the map and paying on a different basis. These are the ones worth knowing.
The four regimes
EU, EEA and Switzerland
EU261 — €250 – €600
The strongest passenger-rights law in the world. Covers any flight leaving the EU/EEA, and flights into it on an EU airline.
United Kingdom
UK261 — £220 – £520
The retained UK version of EU261. Same structure, sterling amounts, and one extra tier most checkers get wrong.
Canada
Canada APPR — CA$125 – CA$1,000
Pays by how late you land rather than how far you flew, and the amount depends on the size of the airline.
United States
US DOT — $0 for delays
There is no US right to compensation for a delay. What you do have is a cash refund right, and a real payment scale for being bumped.
Which one covers your flight
Work through it in this order, because more than one can apply and you only claim once:
- Did the flight leave the EU, EEA or Switzerland? EU261, whoever you flew.
- Did it leave the UK? UK261, whoever you flew.
- Did it arrive in the EU or UK from outside? Covered only if the operating airline is European.
- Did it touch Canada? The APPR applies to every airline on the route.
- Did it leave the United States? No delay compensation, but refund rights and a real payment for being bumped.
If two apply, claim under the one that pays more or is easier to enforce — usually where the airline is based. The calculator does this comparison for you.