Passenger action guide

When a flight is delayed

At the airport now (5 steps)

Record the scheduled and actual gate departure or arrival time.
Ask the airline for care, including food and communication once the applicable wait reaches two hours under the official rules.
Ask the airline for written confirmation of the reason for the disruption.
Keep the boarding pass, booking record, and itemised receipts.
Do not sign a waiver or accept terms that give up passenger rights without understanding them.

Care and compensation are different tests

The care threshold can begin from two hours, depending on flight distance. A compensation assessment starts at an arrival delay of at least three hours and also depends on coverage, distance, cause, and the airline response.

UK261 distance bands

Amounts per UK261 as of 2026-09; check the CAA page for changes.

Official band	Distance	Arrival delay	Compensation amount
Short	Up to 1,500 km	At least 3 hours	£220
Medium	1,500–3,500 km	At least 3 hours	£350
Long	More than 3,500 km	At least 3 hours	£520 (£260 if the delay is under 4 hours)

Monthly £ compensation exposure

£375,150

Estimate: flights delayed 3h+ × statutory amount; not every delayed flight is eligible (extraordinary circumstances excluded). Partial estimate: 8 route cells are suppressed because distance is unknown.

sample: 179,402 known operations

Known-distance route cells: 3,335; distance_unknown: 8.

Three questions, not a verdict

Was the arrival delay at least three hours?
Was the reason within the airline’s control?
Is the flight covered by UK261?

If all three: you may be entitled — check the official conditions.

Worked examples using official bands

Example A: a short-distance passenger waiting beyond the applicable care band asks the airline for food, communication, and accommodation where necessary. Example B: a passenger arriving at least three hours late records the arrival time and asks the airline to assess the claim under the official distance and arrival-delay bands. These examples do not assess whether a claim qualifies.

Check the current CAA delay, distance, care, and compensation bands.

Self-claim route

Keep the booking, boarding pass, receipts, and recorded arrival time.
Use the airline complaint or claim form.
If unresolved, follow the airline’s ADR route or the CAA complaint guidance.
Use Citizens Advice for independent consumer help.

Citizens Advice

Was your flight delayed 3h+? Check what you may be owed

Quick answers

What does this record cover?

Published CAA movements, with arrivals and departures kept separate.

Does this predict my flight?

No. Historical monthly aggregates cannot establish the outcome or circumstances of an individual flight.