Your Rights Under UK261
After Brexit, the UK retained EU261 as domestic law. UK261 provides the same core protections for passengers on UK flights — up to £520 compensation for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.
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Who is covered
UK261 applies to: (1) any flight departing from a UK airport, regardless of the airline — including US, EU, and other international carriers; and (2) flights arriving at a UK airport operated by a UK-based carrier (British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, TUI Airways, Wizz Air UK, and others). If you flew Ryanair from London Gatwick to Madrid, the UK261 departure rules apply. If you flew Iberia from Madrid to London, only EU261 applies (since Iberia is not UK-based).
Fixed compensation amounts
Like EU261, UK261 compensation is a fixed amount that doesn't depend on your ticket price. The amounts are denominated in pounds sterling and updated periodically.
Under 1,500 km
£220
e.g. London → Amsterdam
1,500 km – 3,500 km
£350
e.g. London → Cairo
Over 3,500 km
£520
e.g. London → New York
When you qualify
UK261 triggers are the same as EU261: (1) your flight arrives 3 or more hours late at the final destination; (2) your flight is canceled with less than 14 days' notice and the airline doesn't reroute you to arrive within 2–4 hours of your original schedule; or (3) you are involuntarily denied boarding due to overbooking. Voluntary bumping — where you accept the airline's offer to take a later flight — does not trigger UK261, though you can still negotiate compensation in that case.
Key difference from EU261
Before Brexit, all flights between the UK and EU were covered by EU261. Now, coverage depends on the airline and direction: UK to EU: UK261 applies (departure from UK airport). EU to UK on a UK carrier: UK261 applies (UK-based airline arriving in UK). EU to UK on an EU carrier: EU261 applies (EU-based airline, EU departure rules). For flights between the UK and EU, both regulations can potentially apply on different legs of a round trip. TravelStacks checks both automatically and claims under whichever regulation provides better coverage for your specific itinerary.
Claim window — more generous than most EU countries
The UK261 claim window is determined by the Limitation Act 1980 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which allows 6 years from the date of the flight. In Scotland, the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973 provides 5 years. Both windows are more generous than Germany (3 years) and the Netherlands (2 years) — meaning passengers with older UK flights often still have valid claims.
England / Wales / NI
6 years
Limitation Act 1980
Scotland
5 years
Prescription Act 1973
Airlines apply the same denial tactics as EU261
UK airlines have adopted the same playbook as their EU counterparts: deny on first submission hoping passengers accept it, cite 'extraordinary circumstances' for technical faults that don't qualify, and offer vouchers rather than cash. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the UK enforcement body — filing a CAA complaint after an airline denial is free and often prompts a settlement. TravelStacks escalates to the CAA automatically when airlines don't respond.
How TravelStacks helps
TravelStacks checks your UK flight against UK261 criteria, calculates your exact compensation in pounds sterling, and handles the full claim process — including escalation to the CAA if the airline delays or denies. We charge 25% of what we recover, nothing if we don't. No paperwork, no calls to the airline.
Check My Flight — FreeUK261 passenger rights — frequently asked questions
What is UK261?
UK261 is the UK's post-Brexit version of EU Regulation 261/2004, incorporated into domestic law as the 'Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.' It provides the same core protections as EU261 — fixed compensation for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding — but applies to UK flights rather than EU flights.
Is UK261 the same as EU261?
The protections are very similar, but not identical. The compensation amounts are denominated in pounds (£220 / £350 / £520) rather than euros (€250 / €400 / €600). The triggers, extraordinary circumstances rules, and care obligations are essentially the same. The key coverage difference: UK261 applies to UK departures (any airline) and UK arrivals on UK-based carriers, while EU261 applies to EU departures (any airline) and EU arrivals on EU-based carriers.
Which airlines does UK261 cover?
For flights departing from UK airports, UK261 covers ALL airlines — British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, and any other carrier operating from a UK airport. For flights arriving into UK airports, UK261 only covers UK-based carriers: British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, TUI Airways, Jet2, Wizz Air UK, and others registered in the UK.
How far back can I claim under UK261?
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, you can claim up to 6 years back from the date of your flight under the Limitation Act 1980. In Scotland, the limit is 5 years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. This is one of the more generous windows in Europe — many passengers with flights from 2019, 2020, or 2021 may still have valid claims.
What if my flight was between the UK and EU?
It depends on the airline and direction. UK to EU: UK261 applies at the UK departure airport, regardless of airline. EU to UK on a UK carrier (BA, easyJet, etc.): UK261 applies. EU to UK on an EU carrier (Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia, etc.): EU261 applies at the EU departure. For round trips, you may be covered by UK261 on one leg and EU261 on the other — potentially different compensation amounts. TravelStacks checks both.
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