Flight delayed 3 hours or more: the compensation you're owed and the letter to claim it

By the PromptLeadz editorial team. Last reviewed 20 September 2026. General information, not legal advice.

If your flight landed three hours or more late, was cancelled at short notice, or you were bumped, there's a good chance the airline owes you a fixed amount of cash. Not a voucher, not an apology email. Cash, per passenger, set by law. Most people never claim it, and the airlines know that.

This guide covers the EU rule (EU261) and its UK copy (UK261): who qualifies, how much, the excuses airlines use, and a claim letter you can send today.

Does your flight count?

The rules apply to:

• Any flight leaving an EU airport, on any airline.
• Any flight arriving in the EU on an EU airline.
• The same pattern for the UK under UK261: flights leaving the UK, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline.

So Paris to New York on an American airline is covered (it left the EU). New York to Paris on that same American airline is not. New York to Paris on Air France is.

How much you're owed

Flight distance	EU261	UK261
Up to 1,500 km	EUR 250	GBP 220
1,500 to 3,500 km (or any flight within the EU over 1,500 km)	EUR 400	GBP 350
Over 3,500 km	EUR 600	GBP 520

That's per passenger, children included. A family of four on a delayed Paris to Rome flight is owed EUR 1,000.

You qualify when:

• You arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late. The clock stops when a door opens and you could get off, not when the wheels touch.
• Your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice (unless they rebooked you on a flight that got you there close to the original time).
• You were denied boarding because the flight was overbooked.

The amount can be cut by half if the airline rebooked you and you arrived only a little late (within 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on distance).

The excuse you'll hear: "extraordinary circumstances"

Airlines don't owe compensation if the delay came from something outside their control that they couldn't have avoided. The problem is that many use this phrase by reflex. Here's roughly how it splits:

Usually counts (no compensation)	Usually doesn't count (you're owed)
Severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or strikes, security threats, bird strikes, political unrest	Most technical faults, crew shortages, a strike by the airline's own staff, the plane arriving late from an earlier flight because of the airline's own problems

If they say "weather", ask which airport, what time, and whether other flights left. If they say "technical", that's usually not a valid reason. Ask them to state the exact cause in writing.

What else they owe you on the day

Separately from compensation, the airline has a duty of care when you're stuck: meals and drinks for long waits, a hotel and transport if you're stuck overnight, and a way to contact people. If they didn't provide it and you paid yourself, keep the receipts and claim the reasonable costs back. On a cancellation you also get the choice of a full refund or a new flight.

Worked example

Camille flew Paris to Rome with her partner. The flight landed 3 hours 40 minutes late. The airline's app said "technical problem".

• Distance: about 1,100 km, so the first band.
• Delay at arrival: over 3 hours.
• Reason: technical, which usually doesn't count as extraordinary.
• Owed: EUR 250 each, EUR 500 total, plus EUR 38 for two meals at the airport with receipts.

The claim letter

Send it through the airline's official claims form or complaints email, not social media. Keep a screenshot.

Subject: EU261 compensation claim, booking [reference], flight [number] on [date]

I was a passenger on flight [number] from [city] to [city] on [date], booking [reference], with [names of passengers]. The flight arrived [x hours y minutes] late at our final destination.

Under Regulation (EC) 261/2004, as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, passengers arriving 3 hours or more late are entitled to compensation. For a flight of this distance that is EUR [amount] per passenger, EUR [total] in total. I was told the cause was [reason]; this is not an extraordinary circumstance. If you disagree, please give the exact cause in writing.

I also claim EUR [x] for meals during the delay (receipts attached).

Please pay EUR [total] to [bank details or card] within 14 days. If I don't hear from you by [date], I will refer the claim to [the national enforcement body or mediator] and consider a court claim.

[Name, address, phone]

If they say no or go silent

• France: the Médiateur Tourisme et Voyage (free), and the DGAC for enforcement complaints.
• UK: the airline's approved dispute scheme if it has one, otherwise the Civil Aviation Authority's complaints team. Then the small claims court.
• Another EU country: its national enforcement body, or the European Consumer Centre for cross-border help.

Claim companies do the same steps and keep 25 to 35% of your money. For a clear case, one good letter and a bit of patience usually does it.

Questions people ask

How far back can I claim? It depends on the country where you claim: 6 years in England and Wales, 5 in Scotland, 5 in France. Other countries set their own limits.

My connecting flight made me miss the next one. If both flights were on one booking, the delay is measured at your final destination and the distance is the whole trip.

They offered a voucher. You're entitled to cash. Only accept a voucher if you actually want it.

It was 2 hours 55 minutes. Check the door-opening time on a flight tracker. Under 3 hours at arrival, there's no fixed compensation, though care and costs can still apply.

Sources and further reading

• UK Civil Aviation Authority: passenger rights
• Your Europe: air passenger rights (EU261)
• US Department of Transportation: air consumer protection
• Citizens Advice: consumer help (UK)