Routes / LHR–JFK
5,540 km great circle · Over 3,500 km
London LHR to New York JFK delay compensation
London Heathrow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport is 5,540 km by great circle, United Kingdom to United States. Under UK261 that is £520 per passenger when you arrive 3+ hours late.
- 1London LHR
- 2New York JFK
- 3Great circle 5,540 km
- 4UK261 band £520
Which rules cover LHR–JFK
London → New York
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by UK261 (the flight departs from the UK (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline) and US DOT (the flight arrives in the United States (14 CFR 260.2, "covered flight")).
New York → London
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by US DOT (the flight departs from the United States (14 CFR 260.2, "covered flight")). On an EU airline or a UK airline it is also under UK261.
What you could be owed by hours late
Arrival delay at JFK (or LHR on the return), for a delay caused by the airline, per passenger, where each rule applies:
| Hours late | UK261 | US DOT |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | £0 | Nothing |
| 3 h 30 min | £260 | Nothing |
| 4 h 30 min | £520 | Nothing |
| 6 h 30 min | £520 | Refund if you decline |
| 9 h 30 min | £520 | Refund if you decline |
At 5,540 km this is a long-haul flight, so the first hour of compensation is reduced: arriving 3 to 4 hours late pays £260, and the full £520 starts at 4 hours. The US column is the refund right only: an international itinerary needs 6+ hours.
The distance and the band
EU261 and UK261 measure distance "by the great circle route method" between the departure airport and the final destination. From the published coordinates of London Heathrow Airport (51.470748, -0.459909) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (40.639722, -73.778889) that is 5,540 km. The nearest band boundary is 3,500 km, 2,040 km below this route, so the band is not in doubt. Among the 18 routes on this site in the over 3,500 km band, it is number 11 by length.
Other routes from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) on this site: Los Angeles (8,760 km), Toronto (5,707 km), Dubai (5,498 km), Boston (5,240 km), Dublin (449 km), Paris (347 km), Frankfurt (654 km), Amsterdam (370 km), Athens (2,427 km), Helsinki (1,848 km), Edinburgh (534 km), Glasgow (555 km).
Other routes from John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) on this site: Paris (5,834 km), Frankfurt (6,189 km), Amsterdam (5,848 km), Rome (6,866 km), Toronto (588 km), Los Angeles (3,974 km), Cancún (2,506 km).
If LHR–JFK is only one leg of your booking, measure to the final destination instead: a connection that makes you late at the end is compensated over the whole journey's distance.
Help at the airport while you wait
On a flight of this length, meals and refreshments are owed once the departure is 4 hours late under UK261, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight — whatever caused the delay. US law sets no meal or hotel duty; the large US airlines' published commitments do, and they are on the airline pages. Keep receipts for anything you buy: it is claimed back separately from any compensation.
Claiming on this route
Claim from the operating airline directly — it costs nothing.
UK261: If the airline's final answer is unsatisfactory, or it has not answered within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body the airline belongs to, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it belongs to none.
US DOT: If it refuses, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection office.
Claim pages of airlines based in United Kingdom or United States (whether they fly this exact route varies by season):
- British Airways: Flight cancellation compensation (British Airways)
- easyJet: Delays and cancellations (easyJet)
- Virgin Atlantic: Claims for flight disruption (Virgin Atlantic)
- Jet2: Flight delay and cancellation claims (Jet2)
US airlines' dashboard commitments: Alaska Airlines · Allegiant Air · American Airlines · Delta Air Lines · Frontier Airlines · JetBlue Airways · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines.
Airport coordinates: OurAirports country file (GB); Wikipedia: John F. Kennedy International Airport (infobox coordinates). Rules: UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk); 14 CFR 260.2 (eCFR). Checked 2026-10-20. General information, not legal advice.