Air Passenger Rights: Delays, Cancellations and Compensation

TL;DR: Compares EU261/UK261 cash compensation (€250–€600) for delays/cancellations/bumping against US DOT rules, which give refunds and bumping pay but no delay cash. Covers Montreal Convention baggage limits and how Laters handles cancelled-flight refunds.

Your rights when a flight goes wrong depend on where it flies and which airline flies it. EU and UK rules pay €250 to €600 (£220 to £520) if you land three hours or more late, your flight is cancelled at short notice, or you are bumped. US rules give refunds and bumping compensation, not cash for delays.

This guide covers what each set of airline passenger rights gives you, how to claim, and what happens to a booking you paid for with buy now, pay later.

Which rules cover your flight

Rules	Flights covered	What you can get
EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261)	Flights within or departing the EU on any airline, and flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline	€250 to €600 compensation, meals and hotels while you wait, a refund or a new flight
UK261	Flights departing the UK on any airline, flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline, and flights arriving in the EU on a UK airline	£220 to £520 compensation, meals and hotels while you wait, a refund or a new flight
US Department of Transportation rules	Flights to, from and within the US	Refunds, compensation for being bumped, tarmac delay limits, bag fee refunds
Montreal Convention	Most international journeys	Up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger for lost, delayed or damaged bags

On a flight into the EU from outside it, the EU rules don't apply if you have already received benefits for the same problem under the departure country's law.

EU air passenger rights (EU261)

Compensation for delays, cancellations and bumping

The amount depends on the flight distance, not on what you paid for the ticket.

Flight distance	Compensation
1,500 km or less	€250
Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500 to 3,500 km	€400
Over 3,500 km	€600, or €300 if you land between three and four hours late

Delays: you qualify when you reach your final destination three hours or more late.
Cancellations: you qualify when the airline tells you less than 14 days before departure. There is no compensation if the airline moves you to a flight close to your original times. With 7 to 14 days' notice, that means leaving no more than two hours earlier and landing less than four hours later. With under 7 days' notice, it means leaving no more than one hour earlier and landing less than two hours later.
Bumping: if you are denied boarding against your will, for example on an overbooked flight, you are owed compensation. The exceptions are reasonable health, safety or security grounds, or missing travel documents.

No compensation is owed when the disruption comes from extraordinary circumstances, such as air traffic control decisions, political instability, weather or security risks. Most technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff don't count. The airline has to show that the event caused the disruption and that it couldn't have been avoided with all reasonable measures.

Meals, hotels, refunds and new flights

Meals and refreshments, plus two calls or emails, once your departure is delayed by:
- two hours on flights of 1,500 km or less;
- three hours on longer flights within the EU and on other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km;
- four hours on all other flights.
A hotel and transport to it when your new departure is the next day or later.
Your choice after a cancellation or bumping: your money back, a new flight at the earliest opportunity, or a later flight that suits you.
Your money back after a long delay: if your departure is delayed by five hours or more, you can choose not to travel and get the ticket refunded.

Compensation is paid in cash, by bank transfer or by cheque. The airline can pay it in travel vouchers only if you agree in writing.

The 2026 update to the EU rules

The EU amended these rules in 2026, through Regulation (EU) 2026/2202. The changes apply from 23 October 2027. Compensation still starts when you land more than three hours late, and the €250, €400 and €600 amounts stay. Until then, the rules above apply.

UK air passenger rights (UK261)

The UK applies its own version of the EU rules, known as UK261. The amounts are set in pounds.

Flight distance	Compensation
Under 1,500 km	£220
1,500 to 3,500 km	£350
Over 3,500 km	£260 if you land three to four hours late, £520 if more than four hours late

As in the EU, compensation applies when you land more than three hours late, it isn't linked to the price of your ticket, and it isn't owed for extraordinary circumstances. If your flight is delayed by at least five hours, you can choose not to travel and get a refund.

US airline passenger rights

US law doesn't require airlines to pay compensation for delays. The Department of Transportation (DOT) says each airline sets its own policy for delayed passengers, and there are no federal requirements. The rules do give you:

A refund when the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you choose not to travel or not to take a voucher. Significant means:
- departing three hours or more earlier, or landing three hours or more later, on a domestic trip;
- six hours or more earlier or later on an international trip;
- being moved to a lower class.
Automatic refunds: if you turn down the airline's alternative or don't answer, the refund comes without a request. It goes back to the original form of payment within seven business days for card payments, or 20 calendar days for other payments.
Compensation for being bumped:
- landing less than an hour late: nothing is owed;
- landing one to two hours late (one to four hours on international flights): 200% of your one-way fare, up to $1,075;
- landing later than that, or no new flight offered: 400% of your one-way fare, up to $2,150.
You can insist on a check instead of a voucher.
Tarmac delays: most US airlines can't keep a domestic flight on the tarmac for more than three hours, with exceptions for safety, security and air traffic control. Food and water must come within two hours.
Bag fees: you get the checked bag fee back if the bag is lost, or not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight. An airline's liability for bags on a domestic trip is capped at $4,700 per passenger.

If you booked through a travel agent or an online travel agency: refunds come from whoever charged your card. If the agency did, it refunds the airfare when a flight to, from or within the US is cancelled or significantly changed. Refunds of bag fees and other extras come from the airline.

Lost, delayed or damaged bags on international flights

On most international journeys, the Montreal Convention caps an airline's liability for lost, delayed or damaged bags at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger. Special Drawing Rights are an International Monetary Fund unit whose value moves with exchange rates. The cap is a maximum, not a set payment: if what you lost was worth less, the lower amount is what you are offered.

Report the problem at the airline's baggage desk before you leave the airport, and keep the reference number and the Property Irregularity Report.

Other countries

Canada and other countries have their own passenger rules. In Canada, they are the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, overseen by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Check the rules of the country you're flying from before you claim.

How to claim

At the airport, ask the airline why the flight is delayed or cancelled, and keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation.
Keep receipts for meals, hotels and transport you paid for while you waited.
Claim from the airline that operated the flight. Under EU and UK rules, that airline owes the compensation.
If the airline refuses or doesn't answer, escalate:
- in the EU, to the national enforcement body of the country where the problem happened;
- in the UK, through the Civil Aviation Authority's guidance on challenging a rejected claim, which goes as far as the small claims court;
- in the US, by complaining to the Department of Transportation.

If you booked with Laters.com

The airline cancels your flight: if it offers no acceptable alternative, we claim the full amount you paid from the airline, including airline extras such as seats and bags. We refund it to you with no cancellation processing fee once the airline returns it, normally within 4 to 12 weeks.
Major schedule changes: we pass on the options the airline gives us, such as accepting the new time or looking at alternatives.
You paid with a pay-later plan: keep your repayments going until the refund lands. The refund goes back to your pay-later provider, which reduces or closes your plan and returns anything you have overpaid.
Compensation: compensation for a delay, cancellation or bumping under EU or UK rules comes from the airline that operated the flight, so claim it from that airline.
Optional extras at checkout:
- Cancellation Protection from Refund Protect covers cancelling for listed reasons such as illness or injury.
- Delayed Baggage Compensation pays a fixed amount if your bag is delayed.
Protect Group runs both, and claims go to them.

Our FAQ covers changes, cancellations and refunds in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Am I owed compensation if my flight lands two hours late?

No, not under EU or UK rules: compensation starts at three hours late at your final destination. You may still be owed meals and refreshments, depending on the flight's distance and how long the departure was delayed.

Does bad weather count as an extraordinary circumstance?

Often, yes. Weather is one of the extraordinary circumstances the EU lists, and then no compensation is owed. The airline must still offer a refund or a new flight after a cancellation, and meals and a hotel while you wait.

Do US airlines pay compensation for delays?

Not by law. Each airline sets its own policy. If the delay is significant and you choose not to travel, you are owed a refund.

Can the airline give me a voucher instead of a refund?

Only if you accept it. Under US rules you are owed a refund when you turn down the voucher. Under EU rules, compensation can be paid in vouchers only with your written agreement.

Does paying with buy now, pay later change my rights?

No. Your passenger rights come from the flight, not from how you paid. If a refund is due, it goes back to your pay-later provider, which adjusts your plan.

Sources

Checked on 23 October 2026: