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What it pays
| Flight distance | Compensation | Reduced amount |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | £220 | — |
| 1,500–3,500 km | £350 | — |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 | £260 if 3–4h late |
The CAA publishes £260 for an arrival three to four hours late on a flight over 3,500 km, with the full £520 only beyond four hours. Checkers that quote a flat £520 for any long-haul delay are overstating the claim.
Who it covers
Any flight departing a UK airport, whichever airline operates it. And any flight arriving in the UK from outside, but only on a UK or EU airline — which means a delay flying home from New York is claimable on British Airways or Virgin Atlantic and not on an American carrier.
Gibraltar sits inside the UK regime. The position of the Crown Dependencies — Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man — is less settled, and we have left them out of the calculator rather than assert a figure we cannot stand behind.
The sterling amounts
The UK fixed its amounts in pounds rather than tracking the euro, so the two regimes have drifted apart. On a long-haul flight, EU261 pays €600 and UK261 pays £520; which is worth more depends on the exchange rate on the day. Where both regimes reach a flight — London to Dublin, say — it is worth checking both, and the calculator does.
The route that makes the UK different: ADR
Most UK airlines have signed up to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, and the decisions bind the airline. It is free to use, takes a couple of months, and you do not have to go near a court. If the airline has not signed up to a scheme, the CAA will look at the complaint itself.
This genuinely matters, because it removes the main reason people hand a third of their claim to a claim company — the fear of having to sue. If an airline refuses you, ADR is the next step, not a claim firm.
Going to court
For a clear-cut claim, Money Claim Online is quick and the fee is added to your claim if you win. Airlines settle a meaningful share before any hearing, because defending costs them more than paying. You have six years in England and Wales and five in Scotland, which is far longer than most of Europe — so a UK claim from several years ago may well still be live.
Care while you wait
The same duty of care as EU261: food and drink, and a hotel plus transport if you are kept overnight. It applies even when compensation does not, so a weather cancellation still has to be looked after. Keep receipts and claim them separately.
Put your flight through the calculator
All four regimes checked at once, with the article each number comes from.