Flight Delay Compensation and Baggage Rules for UK Flyers

Under UK261, the CAA's figures for flight delay compensation are £220, £350 or £520 per person, by distance, for arriving more than three hours late (£260 on long flights at three to four hours). Baggage limits are set by each airline. Read on 31 October 2026.

This hub covers two things that go wrong on a flight from the UK: a delay or cancellation, and a bag that is lost, delayed or damaged. Both are set out on the Civil Aviation Authority's own pages, which we read on 31 October 2026 and quote with their figures. We sell no tickets, run no claims service and take no payment from airlines.

Where a CAA page was silent on a point, such as the deadline for a claim, we say so instead of filling the gap from another website or from memory. Check your airline's page and your booking confirmation before you rely on any figure.

The CAA says your rights when a flight is delayed are set out in UK Regulation (EU) No. 261/2004, known as UK261. Compensation is due when you arrive more than three hours late at your destination airport. The amount is fixed by flight distance and is not linked to the price of your ticket.

When the airline can say no

Airlines need not pay compensation if they consider the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. The CAA's cancellation page gives the same warning: if it was not the airline's fault, do not expect any compensation, and it names extreme weather and airport or air traffic control employee strikes as examples.

Distance is measured by the Great Circle Route method. On a connecting booking, care and compensation depend on the distance between your first and last airports, and arriving late at the connection point does not count. On a self-transfer booking, made as separate tickets, the CAA says there is no statutory right to care, compensation or onward transport if you miss a connection.

Care does not depend on who caused the delay. It starts when your flight is delayed beyond its scheduled departure time by two, three or four hours, depending on distance. Airlines usually provide a food voucher.

If the airline does not organise a hotel, the CAA says you may arrange your own and claim the cost back, keeping itemised receipts. It adds that airlines are unlikely to accept alcohol, luxury hotels or luxury meals as reasonable. If the delay is more than five hours, you may decline to travel and get a refund for the flights you have not used, which the CAA advises against if you still want to travel.

The CAA says your airline must let you choose between two options. You can get your money back for all parts of the ticket you have not used, or the airline must find you an alternative flight, on the soonest date or on a later date that suits you. Care and assistance apply too, until the airline can fly you to your destination. Compensation depends on how much notice you were given.

The CAA page lists compensation only where you had less than 14 days' notice. The airline's refund or rerouting duty applies in every case.

Compensation is not automatic. CAA, Claiming for costs and compensation tells you to contact your airline directly, and the CAA's delays page says compensation and expenses may need separate forms. Neither page we read gives a filing deadline, so check the airline's own claim page for one.

1. Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation and itemised receipts for any food, drink or hotel you paid for.
2. Claim from the airline first, on its own form. Ask for compensation and for your expenses.
3. If you are unhappy with the final answer, or the airline has not replied after eight weeks, escalate. If the airline belongs to an alternative dispute resolution scheme, use it. If not, the CAA says its PACT team handles the case.
4. If your claim is rejected, the CAA also lists taking the airline to court as an option.

The CAA warns that not all airlines will deal with your complaint if you use services such as Resolver or claims management companies. You can make the same claim yourself, directly with the airline.

The CAA says airlines are liable for losses on lost, delayed or damaged hold luggage. You must report the problem at the airport and keep a copy of the Property Irregularity Report, then contact the airline in writing. A report is no guarantee that the airline will accept your claim.

The CAA states that no rules fix the amount of compensation you should receive. It gives an approximate maximum of around £1,000 and says it would be very rare to receive that much. If a damage claim is accepted, the airline may pay for repair or provide a replacement bag. Claims for lost or damaged items need proof of value, such as receipts or card records.

Each airline does. GOV.UK sets no bag size or weight: its hand luggage page says to check with your airline how many bags, and what size, you can take on the plane. Its separate rules on liquids apply at security whichever airline you fly; see GOV.UK, Hand luggage restrictions: liquids.

Cabin bag and hold bag limits, the free allowance and the fee for an extra bag therefore differ between easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, British Airways, Wizz Air and TUI, and they can change after you book. Read the airline's own baggage page and the allowance on your booking confirmation, and measure the packed bag before you leave home.

• How much flight delay compensation can you get in the UK?

  On the CAA page we read on 31 October 2026, £220 for flights under 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500 km to 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km £260 if you arrive three to four hours late or £520 if you arrive more than four hours late. The amount is per person.

• How late must a flight be for compensation?

  You must arrive more than three hours late at your destination airport. A shorter delay can still start your right to care while you wait.

• Is compensation linked to the price of the ticket?

  No. The CAA says the amounts are fixed and not linked to the ticket price.

• What if the airline blames extraordinary circumstances?

  Airlines need not pay compensation if they consider the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. The CAA says that if it was not the airline’s fault, you should not expect compensation.

• What does the airline owe you while you wait?

  Food and drink in line with the delay, two phone calls or emails, and overnight accommodation with transport if needed. Care starts after a delay of two, three or four hours, depending on distance.

• Can you get a refund for a long delay?

  The CAA says that if the delay is more than five hours you may decline to travel and get a refund for the flights you have not used.

• What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?

  The airline must let you choose between a refund of the unused parts of the ticket and an alternative flight. With under 14 days’ notice you may also be able to claim compensation, unless the cancellation was not the airline’s fault.

• What if the airline does not answer a claim?

  The CAA says to escalate if you are unhappy with the final response or the airline takes more than eight weeks. An airline in an alternative dispute resolution scheme goes to that scheme; otherwise the CAA’s PACT team handles it.

• How long do you have to report a lost or damaged bag?

  The CAA says to contact the airline in writing within seven days for lost, stolen or damaged bags, and within 21 days of receiving a delayed bag. Report it at the airport and keep the Property Irregularity Report.

• Who sets the size of a cabin bag?

  Your airline. GOV.UK says to check with your airline how many bags, and what size, you can take on the plane.