Flight Delay Compensation Calculator: Find Out What You’re Owed (US, EU & UK)

The single biggest factor determining what you’re owed after a flight disruption isn’t how long you waited — it’s where your flight operated. US travelers and European travelers have dramatically different rights, and many people flying between the two regions don’t realize which ruleset applies to them.

EU rules (EC 261/2004) are the strongest passenger protection framework in the world. If your flight departed from any EU airport — regardless of which airline you were flying — you’re covered. Fixed cash compensation of up to €600 per person is legally required for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding when the airline is at fault.

UK 261 is the post-Brexit equivalent of EC 261 and mirrors it almost exactly. Flights departing UK airports, or arriving at UK airports on UK carriers, fall under this framework. Compensation amounts are identical, denominated in pounds rather than euros.

US DOT rules work differently. Rather than fixed cash compensation for delays, the 2024 DOT rules focus on automatic cash refunds for significant delays and cancellations. Involuntary denied boarding is the one area where US law requires mandatory cash compensation — calculated as a percentage of your one-way fare.

The key difference between the systems: under EU/UK law, a 4-hour delay caused by a mechanical issue could put €600 per person in your pocket. Under US rules, the same delay would entitle you to meal vouchers and a refund option — but not cash compensation. Knowing which framework applies to your specific flight is the starting point for any claim.

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EC 261 Compensation: The EU Rules Explained

EC Regulation 261/2004 has been in force since 2005 and remains the most powerful passenger rights law in the world. It applies to any flight departing from an EU member state airport, plus flights arriving in the EU operated by an EU-based carrier.

Which Flights Are Covered

EC 261 covers you if:

• Your flight departed from any EU country (any airline qualifies)
• Your flight arrived in an EU country on an EU-based carrier (e.g. Lufthansa, Air France, KLM flying from New York to Frankfurt)

It does not cover flights arriving in the EU on a non-EU carrier. If you fly Delta from Atlanta to Amsterdam and your flight is disrupted, EC 261 does not apply on the inbound leg.

Compensation Amounts

Compensation under EC 261 is fixed by flight distance — not ticket price. The tiers are:

Flight Distance	Compensation
Under 1,500 km	€250 per person
1,500 km to 3,500 km	€400 per person
Over 3,500 km	€300 per person (if delay under 4 hours)
Over 3,500 km	€600 per person (if delay 4 hours or more, or cancelled)

These amounts apply per passenger, per flight. A family of four on a cancelled long-haul flight could be entitled to €2,400 in total compensation.

What Triggers Compensation

EC 261 compensation applies in three situations:

Delays: Your flight arrives at the destination 3 or more hours late. Note that it is your arrival delay that counts — a departure delay that recovers time in the air does not qualify.

Cancellations: Your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice. If the airline notifies you more than 14 days in advance, compensation is not owed — though your refund rights still apply.

Denied boarding: You are involuntarily bumped from a flight you had a confirmed booking on.

Extraordinary Circumstances

Airlines are exempt from paying cash compensation if the disruption was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” — events outside the airline’s control that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Qualifying extraordinary circumstances include severe weather, air traffic control strikes, political instability, and security threats. Importantly, an airline’s own staff strike is generally not considered an extraordinary circumstance under EU case law — pilots or cabin crew walking out is the airline’s responsibility.

Your Right to Care

Regardless of whether extraordinary circumstances apply, airlines must always provide:

• Meals and refreshments during the wait
• Hotel accommodation for overnight delays
• Two free phone calls, emails, or faxes
• Free transport between the airport and hotel

The right to care cannot be waived by the extraordinary circumstances defense.

Filing Deadline

EC 261 claims can typically be filed up to 2 to 3 years after the flight, depending on which country’s courts have jurisdiction. French courts allow 5 years; UK courts allow 6 years under UK 261. Do not assume you have missed the deadline without checking the specific rules for your departure country.

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UK 261: Post-Brexit Flight Compensation Rules

When the UK left the EU, it retained EC 261 in domestic law as UK Regulation 261/2004 — commonly referred to as UK 261. The rules are nearly identical, with the primary differences being currency (compensation is denominated in pounds rather than euros) and jurisdiction.

UK 261 applies to:

• Flights departing from any UK airport (any airline)
• Flights arriving in the UK on a UK-based carrier (e.g. British Airways flying from New York to London)

Compensation tiers mirror EC 261:

Flight Distance	Compensation
Under 1,500 km	£220 per person
1,500 km to 3,500 km	£350 per person
Over 3,500 km	£260–£520 per person

For UK 261 claims, the enforcement body is the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). If your airline rejects a valid claim, you can escalate to the CAA or to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme such as CEDR or Aviation ADR.

The filing deadline under UK law is 6 years — longer than most EU countries — so even older disruptions may still be claimable.

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US DOT Rules: What Airlines Are Actually Required to Do

US passenger protection law is less prescriptive than EC 261 but has been significantly strengthened by DOT rulemaking in 2024. Understanding the distinction between what is legally required and what airlines voluntarily offer is essential.

Automatic Cash Refunds (2024 DOT Rules)

The most significant recent change to US passenger rights is the DOT’s 2024 automatic refund rule. Airlines are now required to automatically issue cash refunds — to the original form of payment — when:

• A domestic flight is delayed 3 or more hours from the scheduled arrival time and you choose not to travel
• An international flight is delayed 6 or more hours and you choose not to travel
• Your flight is cancelled, regardless of the reason
• The airline makes a significant change to your itinerary (different departure or arrival airport, added connections, significant downgrade in cabin class)

The critical point: you must choose not to travel and request the refund. If you accept rebooking, you waive the refund. And airlines must now process refunds within 7 business days for credit card payments and 20 days for other payment methods.

Involuntary Denied Boarding

This is the one area where US law requires mandatory cash compensation similar to EC 261. If you are involuntarily bumped from a flight you had a confirmed reservation on and checked in for on time, the airline must pay:

• 200% of your one-way fare (maximum $775) if the airline gets you to your destination within 1 hour of original arrival (domestic) or 4 hours (international)
• 400% of your one-way fare (maximum $1,550) if the delay is longer

This must be paid in cash or check at the gate — not a voucher. You are also entitled to a written statement of your rights.

What Airlines Are NOT Required to Do

Under US law, airlines are not legally required to:

• Provide hotel accommodation for weather-related delays or cancellations
• Provide meal vouchers for any delay
• Rebook you on a competing carrier

These amenities are governed by each airline’s voluntary Customer Service Plan, which they are required to publish but not legally bound to specific standards on. In practice, most major carriers provide meal vouchers after 3-hour controllable delays and hotel accommodation for overnight controllable cancellations — but this is goodwill, not law.

The DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard

The DOT publishes a public dashboard showing exactly what each major US airline commits to in its customer service plan. This is the single most useful resource for understanding what your specific airline will and won’t provide. You can view it at transportation.gov.

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Which Airlines Have the Best Delay Policies?

Since US law doesn’t mandate most delay amenities, airline policies vary significantly. Here is how the major US carriers compare on voluntary commitments for controllable delays and cancellations:

Airline	Meal Voucher	Hotel (Overnight)	Partner Rebooking
American Airlines	After 3hr delay	Yes	Yes
Delta Air Lines	After 3hr delay	Yes	Yes
United Airlines	After 3hr delay	Yes	Yes
Alaska Airlines	Significant delays	Yes	Yes (Oneworld)
JetBlue	After 3hr delay	Yes	Limited
Southwest Airlines	After 3hr delay	Yes	No (no interline)
Spirit Airlines	Inconsistent	No	No
Frontier Airlines	Inconsistent	No	No
Allegiant Air	No	No	No

The gap between legacy carriers and ultra-low-cost carriers is significant. If you fly Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant, your protections in a disruption are essentially limited to the DOT’s refund rules — there is no meaningful voluntary safety net.

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How to Claim Flight Compensation Yourself

If you have a valid claim and prefer to handle it without a third party, here is the process for each jurisdiction.

Claiming Under EC 261 or UK 261

Step 1: Document everything. Save your booking confirmation, boarding pass, and any communications from the airline about the disruption. Screenshot the flight status if possible.

Step 2: Submit a written claim to the airline. Email the airline’s customer relations department — not the general customer service line. Clearly state the regulation you are claiming under, your flight details, and the compensation amount you are owed. Give them 14 days to respond.

Step 3: Escalate if necessary. If the airline rejects your claim or doesn’t respond within 14 days, escalate to your country’s National Enforcement Body (EU) or the Civil Aviation Authority (UK). These bodies can compel airlines to pay.

Step 4: Consider small claims court. For UK flights, small claims court is a straightforward and low-cost option. Many passengers have successfully recovered compensation this way without legal representation.

Claiming Under US DOT Rules

Step 1: Request your rights at the airport. For denied boarding situations, ask for your Denied Boarding Compensation in writing before leaving the gate area. Do not sign any waivers.

Step 2: Submit a refund request in writing. For cancellations or significant delays, put your refund request in writing via the airline’s website or a follow-up email. State that you are requesting a cash refund to your original form of payment under the DOT’s 2024 refund rules.

Step 3: Dispute with your credit card. If the airline fails to process your refund within 7 business days, file a dispute with your credit card issuer. Most issuers will act quickly on airline refund disputes.

Step 4: File a DOT complaint. The DOT tracks complaints and uses them to identify patterns and enforce compliance. Filing a complaint at transportation.gov/airconsumer costs nothing and puts formal pressure on the airline.

When to Use a Compensation Service Like AirHelp

If you have a valid EC 261 or UK 261 claim and the airline has rejected it or is unresponsive, a compensation recovery service like AirHelp is worth considering. They work on a no-win, no-fee basis — typically taking around 35% of any recovered compensation — and handle all communication and legal escalation on your behalf. Given that airlines reject a significant percentage of valid claims knowing most passengers won’t pursue them, professional recovery services have a strong track record.

Frequently Asked Questions