British Airways compensation: UK261 or EU261?
British Airways is the UK's flag carrier, part of International Airlines Group and based at Waterside, next to Heathrow. Since the Brexit transition period ended on 1 January 2021 it has been a UK airline rather than an EU one, so the first question with any BA claim is where your flight took off. We have handled more than 200 British Airways claims, mostly on routes between London and Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.
Departing the UK
LondonāMadrid, LondonāLisbon, LondonāDoha: covered by UK261, the retained British version of the EU rules, paid in pounds.
UK261Departing the EU or Switzerland
BarcelonaāLondon, GenevaāLondon, NiceāLondon: covered by EU Regulation 261/2004, paid in euros.
EU261Arriving in the UK from further afield
A BA flight landing at Heathrow from New York or Dubai is covered by UK261 because BA is a UK carrier.
UK261When BA does not pay
Under both regimes, if BA proves extraordinary circumstances such as a thunderstorm over Heathrow or a French air traffic control strike.
Extraordinary circumstancesThe triggers are identical in both systems: arriving 3 hours or more late, a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, or being bumped. Flights taken before 1 January 2021 fall under EU261 even from London, because BA was still an EU carrier. Unsure which applies? Check your British Airways flight and we will tell you.
How much British Airways pays: pounds or euros
Under both regimes the amount depends on the distance flown, not the fare. Routes we see most often:
| Distance | From the UK (UK261) | From the EU or Switzerland (EU261) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | LondonāMadrid, LondonāGeneva: Ā£220 | BarcelonaāLondon, MadridāLondon, GenevaāLondon: ā¬250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | LondonāLisbon: Ā£350 | LisbonāLondon: ā¬400 |
| Over 3,500 km | LondonāDoha: Ā£520 | Rare, as BA's long-haul flights start in London |
Each traveller on the booking claims separately, including children with their own seat: a family of four delayed 4 hours on LondonāLisbon could receive Ā£1,400 in total.
British Airways flight delayed: what to do
Almost half of the BA claims we handle are delays, often building up through the day at Heathrow, one of Europe's busiest and most slot-constrained airports. The delay is measured when the aircraft door opens at your final destination. While you wait:
- Save the boarding pass and flight alerts in the BA app.
- Keep any meal vouchers handed out at the gate: they confirm the delay.
- Note the time the doors opened on arrival, not just touchdown.
- Paid for food or a hotel yourself? Keep receipts and claim them back separately.
- Do not swap your claim for Avios or e-vouchers before you know its cash value.
Care BA must provide while you wait
The thresholds are the same in the UK and the EU. After these waits BA owes you food and drink and, if needed, a hotel and transfers.
| Flight length | After |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (e.g. LondonāGeneva) | 2 hours |
| 1,500ā3,500 km (e.g. LondonāLisbon) | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km (e.g. LondonāDoha) | 4 hours |
| Delay over 5 hours | You can choose not to travel and get your fare back |
Missed connections at Heathrow
On one booking, such as GenevaāLondonāDoha, the delay at your final destination is what counts and compensation is based on the whole journey. Separate tickets are treated flight by flight. More on our page about British Airways delay compensation.
British Airways cancelled flight: refund plus compensation
Cancellations are a big share of our BA work: around 4 in 10 claims involve a flight that never operated. A refund and compensation are two separate rights.
BA must let you choose between your money back and another flight, including on another airline where needed.
Added on top if you were told less than 14 days ahead and the cause was not extraordinary.
| Notice received | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No |
| 7ā13 days | Yes, unless the replacement leaves no more than 2 hours early and lands within 4 hours of the original time |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the replacement leaves no more than 1 hour early and lands within 2 hours of the original time |
Already refunded? You can still claim compensation. A major retiming shortly before departure can also count as a cancellation. Full details on our page about British Airways cancellation compensation.
Bumped by British Airways
About one BA claim in seven we receive is for denied boarding, typically on busy flights in and out of London. If you were refused boarding against your will, compensation is due immediately under whichever regime applies, along with rerouting or a refund. If you volunteered your seat in return for an offer at the gate, there is no compensation on top. Read more on British Airways overbooking.
British Airways strikes
BA pilots and cabin crew have taken strike action in the past. For flights leaving the EU, the EU Court of Justice has ruled that a strike by the airline's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (case C-28/20). For flights leaving the UK it is up to the UK courts, which are not bound by EU rulings made after 2020. Air traffic control strikes, in France or elsewhere, rule out compensation but not your right to care.
BA rejected your claim? Typical explanations
These reasons come up again and again in British Airways replies:
Faults are part of the normal risks of running an airline, unless a hidden manufacturing defect is involved.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07Staffing is entirely within BA's control, not an outside event.
What matters is the slot actually imposed on your flight; a general reference to congestion is not enough.
If the weather genuinely halted operations at that time, BA is off the hook. We check before giving up.
BA CityFlyer, BA Euroflyer and codeshares
Some BA flights are operated by BA CityFlyer, based at London City, or by BA Euroflyer at Gatwick. Both are UK airlines in the BA group and the same rules apply. If your BA ticket covered a flight operated by a oneworld partner or another IAG airline such as Iberia, the claim goes to the operating carrier and which regime applies depends on where that carrier is licensed; we sort that out for you.
How to claim from British Airways: DIY or with us
BA has an online form on ba.com for delay and cancellation compensation. Here are your two options.
Free, but you chase BA yourself and, after a refusal, turn to the CAA for UK departures, the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed for EU departures, or the courts.
Two minutes to submit, and we handle everything up to court. You pay only if you win: 25% + VAT, whether the award is in pounds or euros. Legal costs are ours even if the case is lost.
BA has already refused you
Forward us BA's email: we check whether the reason holds and, if not, reopen the claim.
What we need from you
- BA booking referenceSix characters, in your confirmation or Manage My Booking.
- Passport or IDFor every passenger.
- Emails and receiptsDelay or cancellation notices and expenses.
Time limits
For EU261 flights the deadline comes from national law where the claim is brought (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11); for UK261 flights, UK limitation rules apply. Trips from several years back are often still claimable: enter the date to check.
How long British Airways takes to pay
If BA accepts, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If a letter before action or court claim is needed, in the UK or the EU, expect a few months. We pass on your share as soon as BA pays.
British Airways baggage claims
Lost, damaged or delayed luggage falls under the Montreal Convention in both the UK and the EU. Complete a PIR at the baggage desk and write to BA within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
British Airways contacts
- Head office
- British Airways Plc, Waterside, Harmondsworth (near Heathrow), United Kingdom
- Claims
- Delay and cancellation compensation form in the help section of ba.com
- Flight status
- British Airways app or official website
- Loyalty
- The British Airways Club (formerly the Executive Club), collecting Avios
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