FLIGHT PROBLEMS · BRITISH AIRWAYS
British Airways delay compensation: GBP 220, 350, 260 or 520, and how to claim it yourself
If a British Airways flight gets you to your final destination 3 or more hours late for a reason within BA's control, UK261 pays a fixed GBP 220, GBP 350 or, on long-haul flights, GBP 260 (3 to 4 hours late) or GBP 520 (more than 4 hours late) per person. BA's own pages list only the GBP 520 figure for long haul; the UK CAA spells out the 3-to-4-hour rate. You can claim free on BA's online form. Checked against BA's and the UK CAA's pages on October 29, 2026.
Ad / affiliate disclosure: this page has one AirHelp link (near the end); I may earn a commission if you use it, at no extra cost to you. Claiming directly from British Airways is free and is explained first. PracticalPivot is not affiliated with British Airways. Prepared with AI assistance and checked against BA's and the UK Civil Aviation Authority's own pages on October 29, 2026.
The 30-second answer
Does it qualify? Arrival at your final destination 3+ hours late, on a BA-operated flight leaving the UK or EU, or flying into the UK or EU on BA, for a cause within BA's control (crew, technical faults, its own operations). Weather, air traffic control and the September 8, 2026 NATS outage usually do not qualify.
How much? Short haul GBP 220, medium haul GBP 350, long haul GBP 260 or GBP 520 per passenger. Not linked to the fare.
How to claim: BA's online claims form (about 10 to 15 minutes, BA says). Claim meals, hotel and taxis separately with receipts. No final answer in 8 weeks, or a rejection you disagree with: escalate to CEDR for free.
How much British Airways owes you
| Flight distance (example) | Arrival delay at final destination | UK261 (UK departures, BA into the UK) | EU261 (BA from the EU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (London to Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin) | 3+ hours | GBP 220 | EUR 250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km (London to Athens, Tenerife, Marrakesh) | 3+ hours | GBP 350 | EUR 400 |
| Over 3,500 km (London to New York, Dubai, Tokyo) | 3 to 4 hours | GBP 260 | EUR 300 |
| Over 3,500 km | More than 4 hours | GBP 520 | EUR 600 |
Amounts per passenger, from the UK CAA's delays page and BA's notice of rights. The 50% rate on long haul applies when you arrive no more than 4 hours late (BA's rights notice describes the same cut for re-routed cancellations). Distance is the great-circle distance between the first and last airport on your booking, not the connection point. EUR 300 is half of EUR 600 under the same rule.
Which BA trips are covered
| Your trip | Covered? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow to anywhere, on BA | Yes (UK261) | Departing the UK |
| New York, Chicago, Dallas and so on to London, on a BA-operated flight | Yes (UK261) | UK airline flying into the UK; BA's notice of rights covers passengers flying into the UK or EU on a UK or EU carrier |
| Madrid, Rome or another EU city to London on BA | Yes (EU261) | Departing the EU |
| BA flight number but operated by American Airlines from the US | No | It is the operating airline that counts, and American is not a UK or EU airline (see our American Airlines guide) |
| Two separate bookings, missed the second flight | Only the late flight on its own | The CAA says self-transfer bookings get no care, compensation or onward transport for the missed flight |
What BA must give you at the airport (any cause, even weather)
Care is owed even when compensation is not. The UK CAA sets the start times by distance: 2+ hours late departing on flights under 1,500 km, 3+ hours for 1,500 to 3,500 km, 4+ hours over 3,500 km. BA's help page says it aims to give refreshment vouchers once a flight is more than 2 hours late, and reimburses reasonable expenses (no alcohol) if it cannot.
- Food and drink, usually a digital voucher.
- Hotel and transport if you are delayed overnight. BA's page points Heathrow passengers to the Hotel Hoppa bus (Terminal 5: stops 17 and 18; Terminal 3: stops 12 and 13).
- Two phone calls or emails.
- Rebooking on the next BA flight free of charge, or on another airline or other transport if BA cannot get you there within 24 hours (ask by phone).
- Refund instead if the delay is 5+ hours and you no longer want to travel. On a connecting trip booked together, BA also flies you back to where you started.
Paid for any of this yourself? BA says it will consider hotel, transport, alternative travel, reasonable food and drink (no alcohol) and two calls or internet costs, but not consequential losses such as a missed hotel night or car rental. Keep itemized receipts.
Missed your BA connection?
When both flights are on one booking reference, BA says it automatically rebooks you on the next BA or partner airline flight, and oneworld Global Support desks at major airports can print new boarding passes and arrange a hotel. Compensation is judged on your arrival time at the final destination, so a missed connection that makes you 3+ hours late for a reason within BA's control qualifies even if the first flight was only 40 minutes late. Our missed connection guide covers the general EU/UK rules.
How to claim, step by step
- Ask for the reason in writing (app message, email or the agent at the gate). The reason decides compensation.
- Screenshot your actual arrival time. The CAA counts the time you reach the destination airport; the EU Court (Germanwings, 2014) set this as the moment at least one aircraft door opens, not touchdown.
- File BA's online compensation claim form: names of everyone on the booking, booking reference, flight details. Claims for other people need a signed letter of authority (BA). No form access? BA's postal address is British Airways Customer Relations, EU Compensation Claims, PO Box 1126, Uxbridge UB8 9XS.
- Claim expenses separately with receipts and bank details (BA's expenses claim, same portal).
- Booked through a travel agent? Refunds go through the agent; compensation still comes from BA, the operating airline.
- Rejected, or no final answer in 8 weeks? Escalate to CEDR (named in BA's notice of rights). Then the small claims court. In England and Wales you have 6 years to bring a claim (Court of Appeal, Dawson v Thomson Airways, 2014; other UK nations have their own limits): see our claim time limits guide.
Want a ready-made letter? Use our free EU261 / UK261 claim letter.
Checklist
- BA operated the flight (check the boarding pass, not just the flight number)
- Final arrival 3+ hours late (screenshot of arrival time)
- Delay reason in writing
- Great-circle distance checked: under 1,500 km, 1,500 to 3,500 km, or over 3,500 km
- Long haul: 3 to 4 hours late (GBP 260) or more than 4 hours (GBP 520)?
- Receipts for meals, hotel, taxis kept
- Claim filed on BA's form; date noted; 8-week clock started
When the reason is "extraordinary circumstances"
The UK CAA lists weather incompatible with safe flying, strikes by people outside the airline (airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control, Border Force), security risks, political unrest and hidden manufacturing defects. Technical faults are not on the list. On September 9, 2026, after the NATS flight-planning failure of September 8, the CAA said delays and cancellations caused by it, and its knock-on effects, are likely to be extraordinary: no compensation, but BA still owed care and rebooking. A BA crew shortage or aircraft fault on a later day is a separate question; ask for the cause of your specific flight.
Prefer someone else to handle it?
Claiming directly costs nothing and BA's form is short. The CAA notes some airlines refuse to deal with claims companies until you have claimed yourself, so try BA first. If BA rejects a technical-fault delay or stops answering and you would rather not go to CEDR or court yourself, a claims service is the paid alternative:
Check a British Airways delay with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. AirHelp checks eligibility for free and takes a share of the compensation only if it wins. It cannot get money for weather or air traffic control delays.
Common questions
How much compensation does British Airways pay for a delay?
For a delay within BA's control that gets you to your final destination 3+ hours late: GBP 220 per person for flights up to 1,500 km, GBP 350 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, and for flights over 3,500 km GBP 260 if you arrive 3 to 4 hours late or GBP 520 if you arrive more than 4 hours late (UK CAA). On flights covered by EU261 instead, the amounts are EUR 250, 400 and 600. The ticket price does not change the amount.
Does British Airways pay compensation for flights from the US to London?
Yes, it can. BA's own notice of rights says the rules cover every passenger departing the UK or EU and passengers flying into the EU or UK on an EU or UK airline. BA is a UK airline, so a New York to London BA flight that lands 3+ hours late for a reason within BA's control qualifies. A BA codeshare operated by American Airlines from the US does not: the operating airline counts.
Is a technical fault an extraordinary circumstance?
Usually not. The UK CAA says the English Court of Appeal (Jet2 v Huzar, 2014) and the European Court (van der Lans, 2015) found technical problems are not extraordinary, apart from hidden manufacturing defects and sabotage. Weather, air traffic control decisions, strikes by non-airline staff and security risks usually are.
Will I get compensation for the NATS outage on September 8, 2026?
Probably not. On September 9, 2026 the CAA said delays and cancellations caused by the NATS flight-planning failure, and their knock-on effects, are likely to be extraordinary circumstances. BA still had to provide meals, hotels and rebooking, and you can claim back reasonable costs you paid yourself.
What if British Airways rejects my claim?
Ask BA to explain the cause in writing. If you disagree, or BA has not given a final answer after 8 weeks, escalate to CEDR, the CAA-approved dispute body BA names in its notice of rights. It is free for passengers. The small claims court is the last step.
How we checked this
On October 29, 2026 we read British Airways' delays, cancellations and refunds page (vouchers, expenses, connections, compensation and the claim address) and its notice of rights under UK/EC Regulation 261/2004 (scope, care thresholds, amounts, CEDR), and the UK CAA's pages on delays, extraordinary circumstances, claiming and its statement on the September 8, 2026 NATS disruption (published September 9, 2026). This is general information, not legal advice.