Your rights to compensation for delayed flights: why you could be owed up to £520

Martyn James, a consumer rights expert, walks us through everything you might be entitled to if your flight is delayed or cancelled. Here’s what you should know before your summer vacation.

Anyone who has recently watched the news and has a vacation planned will have been watching the airports and airlines – and their unfortunate customers – with bated breath.

However, flight cancellations and delays are not a new issue.

Prior to the pandemic, one of the most common reasons for complaints was flight delays, cancellations, and compensation.

Before Covid intervened, 135,000 people complained to Resolver about flights.

Over 3,000 people have gotten in just in the last week.

Since huge swaths of flights were cancelled by airlines, I’ve been inundated with inquiries – half from people directly affected and half from people travelling and nervously watching the skies.

What has changed since Brexit?

While the government initially proposed changes to EU flight delay and cancellation rules (EC Regulation 261/2004 – legislation fans), the only significant difference after Brexit is that compensation is now paid in Sterling rather than Euros.

On the surface, it appears to have decreased, but this is simply due to the difference in exchange rates.

So, what happens if your flight is cancelled or delayed? This is how it works.

What you’re entitled to if your flight is delayed depends on how long the delay was and what caused it.