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Flight Delay & Cancellation Compensation Calculator

Instant statutory evaluation: calculate your legal cash claim up to €600 ($660 / £520 / $1,000 CAD) per passenger for flight delays, cancellations (< 14 days), missed connections, and denied boarding.

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Enter Flight Itinerary Details

Select your departure and arrival airports to compute exact Great Circle flight distance and legal eligibility.

Originating commercial hub
Final destination airport
LHR London, UK
5,555 km
(3,452 miles)
JFK New York, US
The airline that actually operated the delayed aircraft
Statutory compensation applies per passenger, including children with tickets
✓ Eligible: Claim up to £520 under UK261
Estimated Statutory Compensation
£520 (~€614 / $676)

Total estimated compensation for 1 passenger under statutory air passenger protection laws.

Great Circle Distance: 5,555 km (3,452 miles)
Governing Regulation: UK261 / The Air Passenger Rights Regulations 2019
Statutory Distance Tier: Band 3: Long-Haul (> 3,500 km)
Duty of Care Entitlements: Meals, refreshments, hotel & transport
Rate Per Passenger: £520 (~€614) / person
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Comprehensive Guide to International Flight Delay Compensation

Every year, millions of commercial air travelers forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in statutory compensation simply because airlines fail to inform passengers of their legal rights. Under European Union Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, the United Kingdom Air Passenger Rights Regulations 2019 (UK261), and the Montreal Convention, air carriers face strict legal liability to reimburse passengers for severe delays, unexpected cancellations, and denied boarding.

EU261 Statutory Compensation Tiers

  • Tier 1 (≤ 1,500 km): €250 (~$275) for arrival delays of 3 hours or more.
  • Tier 2 (1,501 km – 3,500 km): €400 (~$440) for arrival delays of 3 hours or more (applies to all intra-EU flights > 1,500 km).
  • Tier 3 (> 3,500 km): €600 (~$660) for arrival delays of 4+ hours, or €300 for delays between 3 and 4 hours.

UK261 Statutory Compensation Tiers

  • Band 1 (≤ 1,500 km): £220 (~$285) for arrival delays of 3 hours or more.
  • Band 2 (1,501 km – 3,500 km): £350 (~$455) for arrival delays of 3 hours or more.
  • Band 3 (> 3,500 km): £520 (~$675) for arrival delays of 4+ hours, or £260 for delays between 3 and 4 hours.

The "Technical Defect" Excuse: What the European Court of Justice Says

Airlines routinely claim that unexpected mechanical problems or component failures constitute "extraordinary circumstances" that exempt them from compensation. However, the landmark European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling in Wallentin-Hermann v. Alitalia (Case C-549/07) definitively established that technical defects are inherent in the routine operation of aircraft and do not relieve airlines of liability, unless caused by hidden manufacturing defects or acts of sabotage.

Similarly, in Sturgeon v. Condor (Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07), the Court ruled that passengers whose flights are delayed by 3 hours or more upon arrival must be treated identically to passengers whose flights were cancelled outright.

Article 9: Mandatory Right to Care

Regardless of the cause of disruption (even during severe weather or air traffic control strikes), the airline is legally obligated under EU261 and UK261 Article 9 to provide passengers with complimentary meals and refreshments commensurate with waiting time, 2 free telephone calls or emails, and overnight hotel accommodations with transfers if the delay extends to the following day.

How to Submit a Successful Flight Delay Claim

  1. Keep All Travel Documents: Retain physical or mobile boarding passes, booking confirmation numbers, luggage tags, and any electronic notifications received from the airline.
  2. Note the Exact Arrival Time: Under EU law, arrival time is officially recorded when at least one aircraft door opens at the gate, not when the wheels touch down on the runway.
  3. Request the Specific Disruption Reason in Writing: Ask the gate agent or airline service desk for a written flight delay report citing the specific flight number and reason.
  4. Save Out-of-Pocket Expense Receipts: If the airline failed to provide meal vouchers or hotel rooms, keep itemized receipts for reasonable food, non-alcoholic beverages, accommodation, and taxi transport.
  5. Use a Zero-Risk Legal Partner: Because airlines frequently ignore individual passenger claims or send automated rejections, legal claim aggregators like Compensair and AirHelp leverage commercial flight radar databases and court enforcement to secure payouts on a 100% no-win, no-fee basis.

Frequently Asked Questions: Flight Delay Compensation

What flights are protected under EU Regulation 261/2004? ↓
EU261 covers: (1) All commercial flights departing from an airport located in an EU/EEA member state (plus Switzerland and Norway), regardless of airline nationality; and (2) All flights arriving into an EU/EEA airport, provided the operating airline is licensed in an EU/EEA member state.
How does Brexit affect flight delay compensation in the United Kingdom? ↓
Following Brexit, the UK transposed EU261 directly into domestic British law under "The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019" (commonly known as UK261). The rights, distance thresholds, and conditions remain identical, with compensation amounts pegged in British Pounds (£220, £350, and £520).
What if I missed my connecting flight due to a minor initial delay? ↓
If your flights were booked under a single booking reference (single ticket), and a minor initial delay of even 15 minutes caused you to miss your connecting flight—resulting in you arriving at your final destination 3 hours or more late—you are legally entitled to full statutory compensation based on the total Great Circle distance to your final destination.
How long do airlines have to process compensation payments? ↓
While regulations do not specify a strict calendar deadline, airlines are expected to resolve claims within 30 to 60 days. In practice, airlines often delay individual claims for 6–12 months. Using an authorized legal partner forces airline legal teams to respond promptly to avoid formal court summons.
Can I claim compensation if the flight delay occurred several years ago? ↓
Yes! In the United Kingdom, statutory claims are enforceable under the Limitation Act for up to 6 years. In Spain, Germany, France, and many European jurisdictions, claims remain valid for 3 to 5 years. You can check any past flight using our calculator.