Flight Delayed or Canceled at Heathrow?
Check What You're Owed.
Heathrow is one of the busiest and most slot-constrained airports in the world. UK261 entitles passengers to up to £520 per person for delays of 3 or more hours. Check your eligibility in 30 seconds.
Check My LHR FlightUK261 compensation up to £520 per person. No win, no fee.
Airlines operating at Heathrow
Virgin Atlantic
Hub carrier
Click any airline to see carrier-specific compensation rights and filing instructions.
Your rights for Heathrow flight disruptions
UK261 applies to all flights departing Heathrow, regardless of airline nationality or passenger nationality.
US DOT may also apply on US-departing legs
If your itinerary includes a US-departing segment, US DOT refund rules apply to that leg. A cancellation or significant delay on the US portion entitles you to a full cash refund to your original payment method, separate from any UK261 claim.
Fixed compensation
£520
UK261 entitles you to £220, £350, or £520 per person depending on flight distance. Applies for delays of 3 or more hours at your final destination and for cancellations with less than 14 days notice.
Refund
100%
Full refund of your ticket price if you choose not to travel on a canceled or significantly delayed flight. This is separate from and in addition to fixed compensation.
Duty of care
During delays of 2 or more hours, the airline must provide meals and refreshments. For overnight delays, hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel are required. These rights apply regardless of the cause, including weather.
Why flights get delayed at Heathrow
Heathrow operates near 100% slot utilisation and has only two runways, making it one of the most delay-sensitive major airports in the world.
- 1.Slot congestion: Heathrow is one of the most fully utilised airports in the world; any disruption cascades rapidly across the schedule because there is no recovery capacity
- 2.Fog and low visibility: the Thames Valley is particularly prone to radiation fog in autumn and winter, reducing IFR approach rates and causing multi-hour delays
- 3.Strong crosswinds: Heathrow's east-west runway orientation means southerly winds regularly force single-runway operations, halving capacity
- 4.Air traffic control flow restrictions into London TMA: congestion across the London Terminal Manoeuvring Area propagates delays to LHR arrivals throughout the day
- 5.British Airways hub cascading: a disruption to any major BA short-haul operation delays inbound aircraft and crew needed for long-haul departures later in the day
Weather delays do not eliminate your right to a refund if you choose not to travel.
How far back can you claim?
UK261
6 years
England and Wales: 6 years. Scotland: 5 years. Claims go back further than most passengers realise.
US DOT (US legs)
1 year
Practical filing window for any US-departing segment on the same itinerary.
Past flights qualify. If you have the flight number and date, it is worth checking.
How to claim compensation for a Heathrow flight disruption
Check your eligibility
Confirm your Heathrow flight departed from United Kingdom and was delayed 3 or more hours at the final destination, canceled with less than 14 days notice, or resulted in denied boarding. UK261 applies to all carriers departing from Heathrow.
Gather your documents
You need your booking confirmation or e-ticket number, the flight number and date, evidence of the disruption (delay notification, flight tracking record), receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses, and your boarding pass.
Submit your UK261 claim
File your claim directly with the airline, citing UK261 by name. State the exact compensation amount (£220 / £350 / £520 depending on flight distance) and request a written response within 14 days. Vague requests are routinely delayed.
Escalate to the enforcement body if denied
If the airline rejects your claim or does not respond within 8 weeks, escalate to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. This body has authority to compel airlines to pay and handles cases for free.
What to have ready
- ✓Booking confirmation or e-ticket
- ✓Flight number and date
- ✓Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses
- ✓Boarding pass (if available)
Where to escalate
If the airline denies your claim or does not respond within 8 weeks, escalate to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Enforcement bodies handle claims for free.
UK Civil Aviation Authority
File at caa.co.uk. The CAA investigates UK261 complaints and has authority to compel airlines to pay. Free for passengers.
Or skip all this.
TravelStacks files directly with the airline, follows up when they go quiet, escalates denials, and files regulatory complaints when needed. You do not touch a form.
Simple, fair pricing
AirHelp charges 35%. We charge 25%. On a £520 claim, that is £130 more in your pocket.
UK261 compensation
25%
of recovery
UK261 entitles you to up to £520 per person. We take 25% only if we win. AirHelp charges 35%.
Refund claim
25%
of recovery
Full ticket refund for canceled or significantly changed flights. We handle the submission, follow-up, and escalation.
Denied boarding
25%
of recovery
UK261 mandates fixed compensation for involuntary denied boarding. We take 25% only if we win. Nothing owed if we do not.
Heathrow flight delays, frequently asked questions
Your Heathrow flight already happened.
Don’t leave money on the table.
It takes 30 seconds to check. We handle everything else.
Check My LHR FlightUK261 compensation up to £520 per person. No win, no fee.