Who is eligible for UK flight compensation?
Do you need to be a UK citizen to get compensation? Are children and babies entitled to compensation too? If your flight qualifies, every affected passenger – regardless of nationality, age, ticket price, or insurance – is entitled to UK flight compensation. You can get compensation if your flight is significantly delayed, canceled at the last minute, or overbooked, as long as the disruption is due to the airline’s error.
Continue reading to learn more about your rights.
Who Is Eligible for UK Flight Compensation?
Who is eligible for UK flight compensation?
Every affected passenger – regardless of nationality, age, ticket price, or insurance – is entitled to UK compensation for delayed flights, cancelled flights and overbookings.
As long as the flight is disrupted due to the airline’s fault.
1. Non-UK Citizens
Is it possible to seek compensation as a non-UK citizen?
Yes, definitely. If your flight is significantly delayed and you arrive at your destination at least 3 hours late, you can claim UK flight delay compensation, no matter your citizenship. These rules apply to all travellers, whether they are UK citizens, EU citizens or tourists from other nations.
The same goes for other UK flight compensations – like UK flight cancellation compensation and UK denied boarding compensation.
2. Children (Including Infants and Infants Without an Assigned Seat)
Age doesn’t matter. Your child can also receive UK flight compensation.
Regulation UK 261 and EU Regulation 261/2004 apply to all passengers without distinction. If you are entitled to compensation due to a substantial flight delay, overbooking, or cancellation, the same applies to your child, even if you are travelling with a lap infant.
Both adults and children receive the same compensation amount: £220, £350, or £520, depending on the flight distance.
Read more: UK Flight Compensation for Babies and Children
3. People Without Travel Insurance
You don’t have travel insurance. Can you get UK 261 compensation?
Yes, you can still get flight compensation. UK flight compensation rules (Regulation UK 261) protect passengers regardless of their insurance status. If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked due to reasons within the airline’s control, you are entitled to compensation.
Read more: Travel Insurance and UK Air Passenger Rights: What UK Laws Cover and What They Don’t
4. People Traveling on Low-Cost Airlines (e.g., Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet, Etc.)
If your flight on Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, or another low-cost airline is disrupted due to the airline’s error, you could qualify for compensation.
Yes, you can get compensation. If you are travelling on a low-cost airline, you are protected under UK Regulation 261 and EU Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004. These regulations apply to all airlines, whether budget or full-service, so your rights remain the same.
Low-cost airlines must meet the same standards and provide the same level of compensation as any other airline in the EU.
5. Travellers With Cheap Flight Tickets
You can get UK compensation for cancelled flights/delayed flights even if your flight ticket was cheap. The cost of your flight ticket does not affect your right to compensation under the Regulation UK 261.
This regulation, based on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, guarantees compensation for passengers experiencing flight disruptions like overbookings, delays or cancellations due to the airline’s fault, regardless of their ticket cost. Whether you bought a cheap or discounted ticket, redeemed frequent flyer miles, or booked a last-minute deal, your compensation entitlements remain unchanged.
Learn more: Your Wizz Air Flight Was £5. Can You Get UK Flight Compensation?
6. Passengers Traveling on EU Airlines
If your flight on an EU airline like Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, or Iberia is disrupted due to airline faults (e.g., technical issues, strikes, staffing problems), you might be eligible for EU flight compensation. Rules are similar to UK airlines, with compensation amounts in Euros.
While flying on an EU airline, there are instances where you may refer to either UK 261 or EU 261 laws, depending on the situation.
Read more: Regulation EC261 vs UK261
7. Passengers on Certain Non-UK, Non-EU Airline Flights
You are protected on UK and EU airline flights, as well as some non-European airline flights.
For non-UK and non-EU airlines, this protection covers flights from EU and UK airports.
If your flight with airlines like Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, Etihad, or Pegasus is disrupted due to the airline’s fault, you could be eligible for UK flight compensation.
Flight Compensation – UK Regulations
Following Brexit, the UK has implemented a fresh regulation known as “The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019”.
It is based on the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. On this website, we call this new UK law – Regulation UK 261.
According to the UK 261, you are protected if:
- Your flight is delayed by 3+ hours.
- Your flight is cancelled 0-14 days before departure (last-minute flight cancellation).
- You are denied boarding due to overbooking.
Condition: the disruption must be the airline’s fault.
The amount of compensation varies depending on the distance of your flight. In most situations, you can receive £220, £350 or £520 per passenger.
To seek compensation from the airline, you have two choices: either lodge a complaint directly with the airline or seek help from a third-party service, like a flight compensation company. For a straightforward and stress-free process, we recommend opting for a flight compensation company.
Read more:
Do you have questions about who is eligible for UK flight compensation? Or questions about your rights as a UK air passenger? Feel free to ask in the comments.
Featured photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels