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✓ You only pay if you get compensation✓ Up to €600 per passenger✓ EC Regulation 261/2004
United AirlinesDelay · Cancellation · Overbooking

United Airlines compensation: up to €600 per passenger

United Airlines flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Check for free in 2 minutes: we handle the claim, all the way to court if needed.

  • Up to €600 per passenger
  • Check in just 2 minutes
  • Nothing upfront: you only pay if you get compensation
  • Legal assistance specialised in air travel
DelayFlight24 applies European Regulation EC 261/2004
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  • Data protected
  • Nothing upfront
  • You only pay if we win
  • Transparent feeOnly 25% + VAT and only if United Airlines pays: out of €400 you receive €278.
  • All the way to courtIf United Airlines does not pay, our lawyers take the airline to court, at no extra cost to you.
  • Claims handled87,704 passengers have already trusted usupdated in real time

In short

  • Delay: if you arrive 3 hours or more late, United Airlines owes €250 to €600 per person, depending on the distance.
  • Cancellation: you are owed compensation if you were told less than 14 days before departure, on top of a ticket refund or an alternative flight.
  • Not owed for extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, air traffic control strikes). Technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff usually are not extraordinary.
  • With DelayFlight24 you pay nothing upfront: if United Airlines pays, you keep €173.75 out of €250 or €278 out of €400.

United Airlines claims in numbers

Figures from the United Airlines claims we have handled for our customers, updated daily.

279United Airlines passengers have trusted us
63%of claims concern delayed flights
32%concern cancelled flights
5%concern overbooking and denied boarding

United Airlines routes with the most claims

United Airlines routes with the most claims
RoutekmOwed
ParisNewark5,863600 €Check
MilanNewark6,442600 €Check
WashingtonFrankfurt am Main6,555600 €Check
MunichWashington6,849600 €Check
LondonWashington5,907600 €Check
NewarkDublin5,130600 €Check
ParisSan Francisco8,970600 €Check
EdinburghNewark5,250600 €Check

Amount per person for arrival delays of at least 3 hours, cancellations with less than 14 days' notice and overbooking, unless there were extraordinary circumstances.

United Airlines compensation: €600 for transatlantic flights leaving Europe

United Airlines is an American carrier headquartered in Chicago, and for travellers in Europe it is almost entirely a transatlantic airline. We have handled more than 200 United claims for over 270 passengers, most often on Paris–Newark, Milan–Newark and Frankfurt–San Francisco. All of these exceed 3,500 km, so if your flight landed 3 hours late or was cancelled at short notice, you could be owed up to €600 per passenger.

There is an important catch: United is not an EU airline. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only applies to its flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. The return leg, say Newark–Milan, falls outside the EU rules when United operates it.

Delay

Your United flight from Europe reached its final destination, including any connection in Newark or Washington, 3 hours or more behind schedule.

3+ hours on arrival

Cancellation

United told you less than 14 days before your departure from Europe.

Under 14 days' notice

Bumped

The flight to the US was oversold and you were refused boarding at a European airport.

Due immediately

Not covered

United flights from the US to Europe, and genuine extraordinary events such as severe weather.

Return legs and force majeure

Unsure which side of the rule your flight falls on? Check your United flight in 2 minutes.

How much United Airlines pays

Nearly every United departure from Europe crosses the Atlantic, so the reference amount is €600 per person, whatever cabin you flew and whatever you paid.

Distance United routes from our claims Compensation
Up to 1,500 km No United routes from Europe in this band €250
1,500 to 3,500 km No United routes from Europe in this band €400
Over 3,500 km Paris–Newark, Milan–Newark, Lisbon–Newark, Frankfurt–San Francisco €600

Each passenger claims separately: a family of four on a Paris–Newark flight that arrived 5 hours late could receive €2,400, and children with their own seat count in full. On our form you add the flight once and then list your fellow travellers.

United flight delayed out of Europe: what to do

Six in ten of our United claims concern delays. On a long-haul trip, what matters is when the doors open at the last airport on your ticket, whether that is Newark, Chicago or San Francisco. Our advice:

  1. Keep every boarding pass from the United app, including onward connections in the US.
  2. Save the United app alerts showing new times and the reasons given.
  3. Note your arrival time at the final gate, not just at the US hub.
  4. Keep receipts for meals and hotels if you are stranded in Europe before take-off.
  5. Don't trade compensation for MileagePlus miles or travel credit before knowing its cash value.

Care before departure

While you wait in Europe, United must provide meals, drinks and, if departure moves to the next day, a hotel and transfers, even when the delay has an extraordinary cause.

Distance Care from
Up to 1,500 km 2 hours
1,500-3,500 km 3 hours
Over 3,500 km (United's US flights) 4 hours
Over 5 hours You may abandon the trip and ask for a refund

Missed connection in the United States

Flew Frankfurt–Newark–Denver on one booking and missed the second flight because the first was late? If you reached Denver more than 3 hours behind schedule, compensation is due on the full Frankfurt–Denver distance, because the journey began in the EU. More on our page about United delay compensation.

Does your United Airlines flight qualify?Check in 2 minutes, with no obligation.
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Cancelled United flight: refund plus up to €600

Almost one in three of our United claims involves a cancellation. If your flight was leaving Europe, United owes you two separate things.

Refund or re-routing

Always due: choose your money back or an alternative flight to the same destination.

Compensation up to €600

Added when the cancellation was announced less than 14 days before departure.

When United told you Compensation
14 days or more ahead Not due, but the refund or new flight remains
7-13 days ahead Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives within 4 hours of the original time
Under 7 days ahead Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and arrives within 2 hours of the original time

Retimed departure. A major change to your departure time from Europe shortly before travel can count as a cancellation, according to the EU Court of Justice. Check your case and see our page on cancelled United flights.

United overbooking on flights from Europe

Denied boarding is a small share of our United files, about 5 in 100. But if you are refused a seat in Paris, Milan or Frankfurt against your will, with a confirmed ticket and on time, the €600 is owed straight away along with a new flight. Passengers who volunteer to give up their seat for an airline offer cannot also claim compensation.

No compensation is due if the problem is on your side, for instance a missing ESTA or US visa. Details in our guide to United overbooking and denied boarding.

Strikes and United flights

On United departures from Europe, it all depends on who walks out. If the airline's own staff, such as pilots or flight attendants, strike, compensation is normally due because the EU Court of Justice treats it as a business risk (case C-28/20). A strike by European air traffic controllers or by services at the departure airport is extraordinary: you keep care and a refund, but not compensation.

United turned down your claim? Reasons worth checking

Many passengers come to us after a first refusal from United. These are the explanations we see most.

Usually payable
"Unscheduled maintenance"

Inspections and repairs are routine for any airline. Only hidden manufacturing defects are an exception.

EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07
It depends
"Strike action"

United staff on strike: usually payable. Air traffic controllers or airport workers: not payable.

EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20
Usually payable
"Late inbound aircraft from the US"

A plane arriving late on its inbound flight does not, on its own, excuse the delay of your flight out of Europe.

Often not payable
"Your flight departed from the United States"

This one is correct: for an American airline, flights into Europe are outside the Regulation.

Has United already said no? If your flight left from Europe, that refusal deserves a second look. We review the reason and, if it doesn't hold, follow up with a formal demand and court action. Check your United flight.

United flights from the US to Europe: what isn't covered

Washington Dulles–Frankfurt appears among our cases: when United operates it, the EU Regulation does not apply because it departs the US with a non-EU airline. American rules give you a refund for a cancelled flight, but no fixed compensation like the European system. There are useful exceptions, though:

  • if a UA-coded flight is actually operated by a European Star Alliance partner, the operating airline counts and the Regulation also covers flights into the EU
  • departures from the UK, such as Edinburgh–Newark or London–Newark, are covered by UK261, which pays £520 on long-haul routes
  • departures from Switzerland, Norway and Iceland follow the same rules as the EU

How to claim from United

You can write to United yourself through the customer care contact form on united.com, with your confirmation number and flight details. Here's how the options compare.

On your own

Free, but you handle all correspondence with a US customer service team. If United won't pay, you can go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (in the UK, the CAA) or to the courts.

With DelayFlight24

A 2-minute form and an online signature. We take care of the claim, formal demand and European court action with our own lawyers. You only pay on success: 25% + VAT, so €417 of a €600 award is yours. Legal costs are ours even if we lose.

If United has already refused

Send us the reply. If your flight left Europe and the reason is weak, we start again with a formal letter of demand.

Useful documents

  • United confirmation or boarding passIncluding US connections.
  • PassportFor every passenger, children included.
  • United messagesApp alerts, emails and expense receipts.

How long you have to claim

The Regulation sets no deadline: the EU Court of Justice confirmed that national law in the country where you claim applies (case C-139/11). A US trip from a few summers ago may still be claimable: enter the date.

How long United compensation takes

When United accepts a claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If a formal demand or legal action is needed, it takes a few months. We keep you posted and pay your share as soon as United settles.

Delayed or damaged United baggage

Luggage claims fall under the Montreal Convention. File a PIR at the arrival airport, then write to United within 7 days for damage and within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.

United Airlines contacts and flight status

Head office
United Airlines, Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Complaints
Customer care contact form on united.com
Loyalty
MileagePlus (Star Alliance)
Flight status
United app or the official website
No fee if nothing is recovered. We're paid only out of your compensation, and legal costs stay with us even if a case is lost. Check your United flight.

What if United Airlines does not pay? We go all the way

Many airlines only pay when they realise we will not give up. If they refuse or do not reply, our lawyers take legal action, and you do not have to do anything.

Claim to the airline

We send the formal claim with all the documents.

Formal notice

If they do not pay, we send a formal notice with legal value.

Our lawyers in court

Our lawyers take the airline to court, all the way to a judgement.

  • If we lose, you pay nothingNo fee and no costs. If we win, the fee is 40% + VAT.
  • Legal costs are on usYou pay nothing for the court case, even if we lose.
  • All the way to a judgementWe do not stop at the formal notice: if needed we go to court.

United Airlines compensation: frequently asked questions

Is United Airlines covered by EU261?
Only partly. United is an American airline based in Chicago, so Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to its flights departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, but not to United flights from the US into Europe.
How much does United pay for a delayed Paris–Newark flight?
If you arrived at least 3 hours late and the cause was not extraordinary, United owes €600 per passenger, as the route is over 3,500 km.
My United flight from Newark to Milan was 5 hours late. Can I claim?
Usually not: United-operated flights leaving the US are outside the European Regulation. The exception is a UA-coded flight actually operated by a European partner airline, because the operating carrier is what counts.
I missed my connection in Newark because my flight from Europe was late. Am I entitled to compensation?
Yes, if both flights were on one booking that started in the EU and you reached your final destination at least 3 hours late. Compensation is based on the distance from your European departure airport to your final US destination.
United offered me MileagePlus miles or a travel voucher. Should I accept?
You don't have to. EU261 compensation must be paid in money unless you agree in writing to something else. Check what you are owed first: on transatlantic routes it is usually €600 per person.
My United flight left from Edinburgh or London. Am I covered?
Flights departing the UK are no longer under the EU Regulation but are protected by UK261, which works in a very similar way with amounts in pounds, up to £520 for long-haul flights. Enter your flight on our form and we will tell you how to proceed.
Does an air traffic control strike entitle me to United compensation?
No. Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport staff are extraordinary circumstances, although you keep the right to care and a refund. A strike by United's own pilots or flight attendants normally does lead to compensation, following EU Court of Justice case C-28/20.
How long do I have to claim from United?
Regulation 261/2004 has no time limit of its own. The deadline is set by the law of the country where you bring the claim, as the EU Court of Justice confirmed in case C-139/11. Flights from several years ago can often still be claimed.
What does DelayFlight24 charge for a United claim?
Nothing upfront. If we recover compensation, we keep 25% + VAT: you receive €417 out of €600, €278 out of €400 and €173.75 out of €250. We cover legal costs even if a case is lost, and you pay nothing if we recover nothing.

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