UK Flight Downgrade Compensation

Airline downgrade compensation in the UK.

Are you entitled to it? How much can you claim? What are the conditions?

What if you book a first class ticket, but at the airport you learn, that you’ll have to fly in a lower class — business or even economy? What if you book a business class ticket, and at the airport you are asked to fly in economy instead? There are very specific rules when it comes to that. And, yes, you can get compensation from airline. This applies to most flights to and from the UK.

This compensation has to be paid right on the spot. 

It applies to flights with UK, EU and also other airlines.

1. UK Flight Downgrade Compensation

In the United Kingdom, all air passengers are protected.

Passengers’ rights in the UK are strictly regulated.

• If your flight is delayed, you can get flight delay compensation.
• If your flight is cancelled –- flight cancellation compensation.
• If your flight is overbooked –- denied boarding compensation.

And, if you are downgraded, you are protected by law too. In case of a downgrade, you can get UK flight downgrade compensation. The amounts of involuntary downgrade compensation you can get from your airline vary between 30 to 75% of the price of the ticket, depending from the distance of the flight. It has no affect on your baggage allowance — it isn’t your fault after all.

What are the conditions?

• If it’s a UK airline, it applies to all flights to and from the UK and EU, as well as to flights within the UK and EU.
• If it’s a EU airline, it applies only to flights to and from the UK. On the rest of the flights you’re protected by the EU regulation EC261/2004.
• If it’s a non-UK, non-EU airline, it applies to all flights departing from the UK. If your flight departs from the EU, you’re protected by the EU regulation EC261/2004. In the rest of the situations you aren’t protected by neither of the laws. 

In some cases you can refer to any of the two laws (UK261 and EU Regulation 261/2004) when making a compensation claim against the airline, in others — only to one.

See all the possible scenarios below.

You’re flying with a UK airline:

	Regulation UK261	Regulation EC261/2004
EU – EU	✓	✓
EU – UK	✓	✓
EU – Third Country	✓	✓
UK – EU	✓	–
UK – UK	✓	–
UK – Third Country	✓	–
Third Country – EU	✓	–
Third Country – UK	✓	–

You’re flying with a EU airline:

	Regulation UK261	Regulation EC261/2004
EU – EU	–	✓
EU – UK	✓	✓
EU – Third Country	–	✓
UK – EU	✓	✓
UK – UK	✓	–
UK – Third Country	✓	–
Third Country – EU	–	✓
Third Country – UK	✓	–

You’re flying with other airlines (non-EU, non-UK): 

	Regulation UK261	Regulation EC261/2004
EU – EU	–	✓
EU – UK	–	✓
EU – Third Country	–	✓
UK – EU	✓	–
UK – UK	✓	–
UK – Third Country	✓	–

Read more:

• You Are Flying With a UK Airline: Which Laws Protect You as a Passenger?
• You Are Flying With a EU Airline: Which Laws Protect You as a Passenger?
• You Are Flying With a Non-EU, Non-UK Airline: Which Laws Protect You?

By Europe and EU here on this website, we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

2. How to Claim Flight Downgrade Compensation?

Flight downgrade compensation has to be paid on spot.

Normally, you don’t have to do anything to get flight downgrade compensation from your airline. It is offered to you right after the fact when you are downgraded.

If that hasn’t happened, make sure to contact your airline and file a claim. Otherwise, if you do nothing, you get nothing. Remember that unless you’re being given a refundable coupon that you can exchange for cash, this compensation should be transferred to your bank account. You don’t have to accept flight coupons or vouchers. In case of any issues, refer to Regulation UK261.

3. How Much Can You Claim?

The compensation amounts are regulated by the UK government.

Here is how you can calculate your flight downgrade compensation:

• 30%, if the distance of your flight is up to 1,500 kilometres,
• 50%, if the distance of your flight is between 1,500 – 3,500 kilometres,
• 75%, if the distance of your flight is more than 3,500 kilometres.

The percentages are of the total price you paid for your flight.

UK and Other Airlines

So, now we know that with UK airlines it’s very simple.

It’s equally as simple with EU airlines. Because the EU regulation is very similar to the one in the UK. After Brexit the UK Government wrote EU Regulation 261 into UK law, making only very small changes. So, if your flight is with a EU airline (such as KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, etc.), you are protected by the EU law.

What if you fly with Qatar Airways or Turkish Airlines?

In these situations all of this apply only to flights departing from the UK / EU. While with the UK airlines, these rules apply to all commercial flights both from and to the UK. If you are flying with other airline, like Turkish Airlines or Qatar Airways, these rules apply only to their flights from the UK, but not the other way around. In the rest of the situations you’ll have to rely on the local laws of the country you are flying from and airline policies regarding downgrading.

Frequently Asked Questions

UK – Third Country Flights, Tourists

Do you still have questions about air passenger rights in the UK? About flight compensations? Ask in the comments.

Featured photo by mentatdgt from Pexels