How to claim compensation for travel delays

Almost 26,700 flights were cancelled in the UK last year – with Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports having the most flight delays.

Some 26,696 flights were cancelled in 2024, equivalent to an average of 73 flights every day, research by Compare the Market reveals.

While this is less than the 32,000 flights that were axed in 2023, the comparison site warns that disruption to travel plans remains significant for holidaymakers looking forward to jetting off this summer.

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In March 2025, more than 1,300 flights were cancelled or delayed due to a huge power outage at Heathrow, after a fire broke out at a nearby electrical substation. The UK’s busiest airport was closed all day on 21 March.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, your airline may provide compensation. However, it’s also worth getting travel insurance, as it can offer broader protection for disruption caused by factors such as extreme weather, illness or airline insolvency.

Guy Anker, travel insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: “Ahead of the summer holidays, flight cancellations and delays remain a frustrating reality for many travellers.

“To minimise the financial risk, holidaymakers should consider purchasing travel insurance as soon as they book their trip to give them peace of mind that they may be covered for unforeseen disruptions from day one.”

Based on analysis of figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Compare the Market found that regional airports bore the brunt of cancellations, with Aberdeen, Teesside and the Isle of Man airports registering the highest proportion of grounded flights.

It also revealed that Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham were the worst airports for delays in 2024.

Here’s what you need to know when claiming compensation for travel delays.

How to claim compensation for travel delays and cancellations

If it’s an exceptional circumstance and your flight is delayed while you’re at the airport, your airline may be required to cover certain costs. This includes expenses for food, drink, and even phone calls to inform loved ones of your journey changes. If an overnight stay becomes necessary, they may also need to provide accommodation ahead of your rescheduled flight.

Under European air passengers’ rights rules, airlines must ensure passengers reach their destination as soon as possible. If you’re stranded abroad, you’re entitled to hotel stays and meals until you can be flown home.

• For flights less than 1,500km, the delay needs to be a minimum of two hours.
• For flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, the delay must be a minimum of three hours.
• For flights longer than 3,500km, the delay must be at least four hours.

The airline should provide you with vouchers for this directly, though you can also keep receipts for the money spent and claim it back from the airline later on.

Be aware that the airline will only pay up for reasonable expenses, so you won’t get the money back if you opt for luxury options.

If the flight is more than three hours late, and it’s the airline’s fault (so it's not an exceptional circumstance), then you should be entitled to compensation. The level of compensation will vary based on the length of the delay and the distance of your flight:

• For flights less than 1,500km and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £220 in compensation.
• For flights between 1,500km and 3,500km and a delay of at least three hours, you can claim £350 in compensation.
• For flights of more than 3,500km and delays of under four hours, you can claim £260. This jumps to £520 for delays over the four-hour mark.

If the flight is delayed by more than five hours, you do not have to take it and can instead claim a full refund.

Should the flight be cancelled, the airline is required to provide either a full refund or cover the cost of a replacement flight. If the replacement flight delays you by more than two hours, and you receive less than two weeks’ notice, then you are entitled to compensation, though the sums can vary significantly.

In each case, the compensation figure is per person.

If the airline is not helpful with your claim, or you feel you have not been treated fairly, then you may be able to take your complaint to an alternative dispute resolution scheme – if the airline is a member of one. Otherwise, you can take it to the CAA.

What compensation can you get for issues beyond the airline’s control?

While airlines don’t have to pay out financial compensation for exceptional reasons, say, airport power cuts or air traffic control errors, because it is not deemed as their fault – they do have to do other things, says consumer rights expert Martyn James.

“Even though you don’t get monetary compensation for delays or cancellation like you would do if the airline was at fault, they must still try to get you to your destination,” says James. “This can involve putting you on one of their own flights or failing that, on that of a competitor.”

Think carefully about requesting a full refund if you still want to go away. “Flights are more expensive if you buy on the day or within 48 hours, so you may find your refund doesn’t come through immediately or the cash doesn’t go very far.” It may make more sense to request that the airline gets you on the next available plane.

The CAA said that if flights are available on the day of travel passengers must be booked on them, even if this is on a rival airline.

“If you can’t get hold of the airline, then check the options online, take screenshots and if you can’t contact the airline, make notes of what you did to try, then buy direct,” says James. “If you use a credit card you may also have other protections further down the line with your card provider if the airline refuses to pay out.”

You might also be entitled to food and drink vouchers, the cost of calls to communicate with others about the situation, accommodation and transport to and from the airport.

"I booked a package holiday and my flight has been cancelled. What are my rights?"

If you have booked a package deal and your flight is cancelled, you can risk having your whole holiday cancelled or rearranged.

A spokesperson for Claims.co.uk says that in this situation, you have the rights to either claim a full refund or a reroute of the trip destination and potentially compensation from the airline.

If it's a flight delay or cancellation due to an extraordinary circumstance, you won't qualify for compensation.

However, the airline must provide you with additional services, depending on the length of your delay and waiting time (see information above).

Claims.co.uk adds: "If you are at the airport when the flight is cancelled, it is advised that you contact your travel company straight away to talk through your options.

“If your flight cannot be rearranged, meaning your whole holiday must be cancelled, then the travel company must offer an alternative holiday if possible, or a refund of the full package price, not just the flight part.”

Check if the travel operator is waiving any change fees for rescheduling. Some operators might impose fees for changing travel dates, which could impact your decision.

Which airports have the most delays and cancellations?

Regional airports had the most cancelled flights last year, while passengers at big hubs like Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester suffered the most delayed flights. Gatwick’s average delay was 24 minutes.

The Compare the Market research also revealed that out of all 1.9 million flights in the UK last year, one in three were delayed taking off by more than 15 minutes.

Source: Compare the Market