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4 rule sets · checked 2026-10-20
Flight compensation rules
Four sets of rules decide what an airline owes when a flight is late, cancelled or overbooked. Three of them — the EU's, the UK's and Canada's — set fixed cash sums. The fourth, the United States, sets refunds and bumping compensation but nothing for a delay.
- 1Cash starts at 3 h late
- 2EU261 top band €600
- 3Canada, 9 h+ $1,000
- 4US delay cash None by law
| Rule | Law | Cash for delay from | Lowest | Highest | Claim within |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU261 | Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 | 3 h | €250 | €600 | National law |
| UK261 | Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it has effect in UK law | 3 h | £220 | £520 | 6 years (England and Wales) |
| APPR | SOR/2019-150 | 3 h | $125 | $1,000 | 1 year |
| US DOT | 14 CFR Parts 250 and 260 | none | — | $2,150 (bumping) | No set deadline |
Which one covers your flight
Start from the departure airport. A flight leaving an EU airport is under EU261 whoever flies it; a flight leaving a UK airport is under UK261. Flying the other way, the airline's licence decides: an EU airline brings EU261 with it into the EU, and a UK or EU airline brings UK261 into the UK. Canada's APPR covers every flight to, from and within Canada, and the US rules every scheduled flight to, from and within the US. The checker works this out for any pair of the 36 airports on the site, and each route page lists the combinations for both directions.
Two rules can cover the same trip. That does not mean two payments: EU261 and UK261 exclude passengers who have already been compensated under the other country's law, and Canada's Act bars a payment for an event already compensated under another regime. Claim under the one with the higher amount; the airline's answer will say which it applied.
What they have in common
- The claim goes to the operating airline — the one whose code is on the aircraft, not necessarily the one that sold the ticket.
- Nothing is paid for events outside the airline's control. The EU and UK call them extraordinary circumstances; Canada splits them into outside-control and safety events.
- Care while you wait (meals, a hotel overnight) is separate from compensation and is owed under the EU, UK and Canadian rules even when no cash is.
- All four are claimed for free, directly from the airline, before any regulator or court.
Sources: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex); UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk); Air Passenger Protection Regulations, SOR/2019-150 (Justice Laws); 14 CFR 260.2 (eCFR). Checked 2026-10-20.