EU/UK 261 Compensation Checker for Flight Delays and Cancellations

This EU/UK 261 compensation checker for flight delays and cancellations focuses on clarity over legal jargon. It starts by testing whether the regulation you select applies at all, then evaluates the arrival delay and the correct distance band. The input set is deliberately small so you can get a clean, actionable answer fast, then copy a consistent summary to share with an airline or support agent.

Coverage is the first gate. For EU261, any flight that departs an airport in the European Union is covered regardless of the airline’s nationality. Flights arriving to the EU are also covered when they are operated by an EU carrier. For UK261, the same logic mirrors the United Kingdom: departures from the UK are covered on any carrier; arrivals to the UK are covered when the operating carrier is UK-based. If neither condition is met for the regime you picked, the checker will say coverage is unlikely even if the delay is long.

Delay length is the second gate. Compensation generally begins at three hours of arrival delay at the final destination on your booking. Enter the arrival delay in hours, not minutes, to match the threshold cleanly. If your flight was cancelled and you were rebooked, enter the delay you experienced relative to the original scheduled arrival. The calculator treats cancellations and long delays consistently by focusing on your actual arrival time in the end.

The distance band determines the headline amount. Band one applies to flights up to 1500 km. Band two applies to flights between 1500 km and 3500 km, and it also covers intra-EU flights that exceed 1500 km. Band three applies to flights over 3500 km. If you do not know the exact great-circle distance, use the airline’s published banding or your best estimate. For most itineraries, the correct band is obvious from the regions involved.

Amounts are standardized by regime. Under EU261 the nominal values are 250 EUR, 400 EUR, and 600 EUR across the three bands. Under UK261 the values are 220 GBP, 350 GBP, and 520 GBP. If you accepted a reroute offered by the airline and arrived relatively close to the original schedule, the regulation allows a 50 percent reduction: within two hours for band one, within three hours for band two, and within four hours for band three. The checker applies that reduction automatically when you tick the reroute box and your arrival delay is within the relevant threshold.

Extraordinary circumstances are treated differently. Severe weather, broad air traffic control restrictions, security incidents, volcanic ash disruptions, and similar events outside the carrier’s control are typically considered extraordinary. In those cases compensation is not payable even if the delay is long. However, your right to care remains separate: you may still be entitled to refreshments, communication, and overnight accommodation when stranded.

The result card shows your likely eligibility, the appropriate band, the currency that applies to the regime, and the estimated payout. It adds a compact claim paragraph that states the regulation, the route coverage, the arrival delay, the band, whether a reroute reduction applies, and whether extraordinary circumstances were indicated. This is not legal advice, but it helps you present the essential facts clearly. For complicated scenarios—multi-segment tickets, denied boarding, mixed regimes on one itinerary—consult the airline’s detailed guidance or a national enforcement body after you run this quick check.

Because the checker runs entirely in your browser, it is fast and private. There are no external lookups, and nothing here depends on changing price feeds or third-party APIs. If you keep your inputs accurate, the output will be a realistic expectation in seconds—and you can copy the claim line with a single tap to keep the conversation focused on the regulation, the band, and the actual arrival delay.

Step 1: test coverage for the selected regime. EU261 applies if you depart the EU or arrive to the EU on an EU carrier; UK261 mirrors this for the UK. Step 2: check if arrival delay ≥ 3 hours. Step 3: map the selected distance band to its nominal amount in EUR or GBP. Step 4: if you accepted a reroute and the arrival delay is ≤ the band threshold (2/3/4 hours), reduce by 50%. Step 5: if extraordinary circumstances are selected, mark not eligible regardless of delay or band. The result is a transparent, reproducible explanation you can paste into a claim.