A cancelled flight may qualify for up to £520 per passenger when UK261 applies, the airline gave less than 14 days’ notice and the cause was within the airline’s control.
The 14-day cancellation rule
Notice is central to a cancellation claim. When the airline tells you at least 14 days before departure, fixed compensation will not normally be due, although you still retain refund or rerouting rights.
With less than 14 days’ notice, eligibility depends on the replacement flight offered, how much earlier it leaves, how much later it arrives and why the original flight was cancelled.
Refund or replacement flight
If an eligible flight is cancelled, the operating airline must offer a choice between a refund for the unused journey and rerouting. You can usually choose travel as soon as possible or at a later date that suits you, subject to availability.
The refund or rerouting choice is separate from fixed compensation. Accepting a replacement flight does not automatically remove a compensation claim, but the timing of that replacement can reduce or remove the fixed amount.
What to record after a cancellation
Keep the cancellation email or text, the time it was sent, the original itinerary and the replacement itinerary. Record any reason given by airport staff or the airline and retain reasonable receipts.
When a package holiday is involved, separate issues may sit with the organiser. The flight cancellation claim itself is generally directed to the airline that operated, or was due to operate, the cancelled flight.
UK261 compensation bands
These are the standard fixed amounts for an eligible claim. Cancellation and denied-boarding cases can be reduced when rerouting gets the passenger to the final destination within set time limits.
| Flight distance | Typical qualifying delay | Maximum fixed amount |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 3 hours or more at destination | £220 per passenger |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours or more at destination | £350 per passenger |
| Over 3,500 km | 3 to 4 hours | £260 per passenger |
| Over 3,500 km | More than 4 hours | £520 per passenger |
How to prepare a claim
- Identify the operating airline, flight number, date and full route.
- Keep the booking confirmation, boarding pass and disruption messages.
- Record the scheduled and actual final arrival times.
- Keep reasonable, itemised receipts for care the airline did not provide.
- Ask the operating airline for fixed compensation, expenses and any refund as separate items.
If the airline rejects the claim or takes more than eight weeks to respond, check whether its approved alternative dispute-resolution provider can review the case.
Common questions
Can I get both a refund and compensation?
Sometimes. The refund covers the unused ticket while fixed compensation addresses eligible disruption. They are separate rights.
What if the airline cancelled because of weather?
Fixed compensation may not be due if extraordinary weather caused the cancellation, but refund, rerouting and care rights can still apply.
Sources: UK Civil Aviation Authority delay guidance, cancellation guidance and eligibility guidance. Rules and outcomes depend on the facts of each journey.