UK261: the £220–£520 rule, explained straight.

If your flight departed the UK — or arrived there on a UK or EU airline — and you reached your destination 3+ hours late for reasons within the airline's control, UK law owes you fixed cash compensation. No percentage taken by anyone, if you file yourself.

The amounts

Cash compensation starts at a 3-hour arrival delay. On flights over 3,500 km, a 3–4 hour arrival delay pays half (£260). Cancellations and denied boarding use the same bands. UK261 is the UK's post-Brexit version of EU261 — the amounts were converted to pounds, the structure is the same.

Who UK261 covers

Any flight departing the UK, on any airline — and any flight arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline. A London departure on a US carrier is covered; a New York departure to London on that same US carrier is not (that's where US DOT rules, or EU261 on an EU carrier, may apply instead — the checker tests all of them at once). Distance is measured on the whole journey, and the delay that counts is arrival at your final destination.

The escape hatch: "extraordinary circumstances"

No compensation is owed when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that reasonable measures couldn't have avoided — severe weather, air-traffic control restrictions, security events. Crew shortages, most technical faults, and knock-on delays from the airline's own network are not extraordinary; UK and EU courts have ruled so consistently. The airline carries the burden of proof when it invokes the excuse.

How to claim

1. Claim with the airline first, in writing: flight, date, arrival delay, and the £ amount for your distance band. Keep the boarding pass and the disruption notice.
2. No payment, or a brush-off? Escalate: most UK airlines belong to an ADR scheme (such as AviationADR) that decides disputes free for passengers — the airline's final response letter will name its scheme.
3. If the airline has no ADR scheme, the CAA's PACT service handles the complaint.
4. Deadlines are generous (generally 6 years in England and Wales, 5 in Scotland) — but evidence is freshest now, so file promptly.

Separately from compensation: a cancellation always offers a refund-or-rebooking choice, and long waits trigger care — meals, communication, and a hotel if you're kept overnight — whatever the cause.

Information only, not legal advice. Amounts are the statutory figures; the disruption's cause decides real cases. Delay Wages is not affiliated with any airline or regulator.