New York to London Flight Delayed: Your EU261 Rights
The New York to London corridor is one of the busiest transatlantic routes in the world, served by both US and UK carriers. Whether EU261 or UK261 covers your delay depends entirely on which airline operates the flight. Here is what you need to know.
Which Flights Are Covered
The JFK to LHR route is served by both US carriers (Delta, United, American, JetBlue) and UK/EU carriers (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic). Coverage depends on the airline, not the route.
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British Airways JFK to LHR: Covered by UK261. BA is a UK carrier, so UK261 applies on all BA flights. Up to £520 per person.
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Virgin Atlantic JFK to LHR: Covered by UK261. Virgin is a UK carrier. Up to £520 per person.
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Delta JFK to LHR: Not covered by EU261 or UK261. Delta is a US carrier departing from a US airport. Only DOT rules apply.
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United/American/JetBlue JFK to LHR: Not covered by EU261/UK261 for the same reason. DOT rules only.
The return flight is different. A Delta flight from London Heathrow back to JFK is covered by UK261, because it departs from a UK airport. UK261 covers all departures from UK airports regardless of airline.
Compensation Amounts
JFK to London Heathrow is approximately 5,540 km, which falls in the long-haul category (over 3,500 km). This means the maximum compensation: €600 (EU261) or £520 (UK261) per person. A family of four could claim £2,080 or approximately $2,600.
For full details on how amounts are calculated, see our EU261 compensation amounts guide. For a comparison of UK261 vs EU261 rules, read our Brexit guide.
DOT Rights for All Carriers
Regardless of airline, all JFK to London flights are covered by US DOT rules. If your flight is cancelled or delayed 6 or more hours (the international threshold), you are entitled to a full cash refund. This applies to British Airways, Delta, and every other carrier.
You can claim both DOT refund and UK261 compensation. On a BA flight from JFK that is delayed 4 hours, you may be entitled to both a DOT refund (if you choose not to travel) and £520 UK261 compensation per person. They are separate entitlements.
How to Claim
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Identify whether your airline is a US carrier or UK/EU carrier.
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For UK/EU carriers: file a UK261 claim with the airline citing the regulation and stating £520 per person.
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For all carriers: contact the airline for a DOT refund if your flight was cancelled or delayed 6+ hours.
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If rejected, escalate to the UK CAA for UK261 or DOT for refund issues.
Not sure about your specific flight? Check your eligibility in 30 seconds. For more on the LHR to JFK return route, see our route guide. For JFK airport delays, see our airport guide.