Flight delayed 3 hours or more on arrival (UK)
Applies under: uk-261-2019
If your covered flight arrived 3+ hours late, UK 261 entitles you to GBP 220-520 unless the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
Your rights
You are entitled to care while you wait and to fixed compensation in GBP by distance band, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. A flight between the UK and the EU can be covered by both UK 261 and EU 261 — claim under whichever pays more.
When this applies
Flight departs a UK airport on any airline, or arrives at a UK airport on a UK or EU/EEA airline. Arrival delay measured when the aircraft doors open (Sturgeon, retained EU case law).
Step by step
- Record the actual arrival timeNote when the aircraft doors opened, and keep your boarding pass.
- Claim from the operating carrierWrite to the airline citing Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as retained in UK law (SI 2019/278) and Article 7.
Common airline pushback
“A technical fault is an extraordinary circumstance.”
Routine technical problems inherent in operating an aircraft are not extraordinary; retained EU case law (Wallentin-Hermann) still applies in the UK.
If the airline refuses
- The airline directly
- Ombudsman / ADR scheme
- Small-claims court
Typical outcomes
| Compensation range | 220–520 GBP |
|---|---|
| Success rate | 66% |
| Time to resolution | median 40 days · 90th pct 150 days |