Your Flight Was Delayed — Here’s Exactly What to Do (And What You’re Owed)
Few things derail a trip quite like staring at a departures board watching your flight time creep later and later. But here’s what most passengers don’t know: a delayed flight isn’t just an inconvenience — it can mean money back in your pocket. Here’s exactly what to do, step by step.
Step 1: Don’t Leave the Airport Without Documenting Everything
The moment your flight shows a significant delay, start collecting evidence. This sounds more dramatic than it is — all you need to do is:
- Take a screenshot of the departures board showing your flight and the delay time
- Keep all boarding passes, both digital and physical
- Screenshot any notifications from the airline about the delay
- Note the reason given (if any) — the airline staff at the gate will often announce it
This documentation is what makes your compensation claim bulletproof later. Airlines sometimes change their stated reason for a delay after the fact, and having your own record protects you.
Step 2: Know What You’re Immediately Entitled to at the Airport
Even before you think about compensation, you have rights right now at the airport. Under EU Regulation 261/2004 (which covers flights departing from Europe, or flights arriving in Europe on a European airline), airlines must provide:
- Meals and refreshments if your delay is 2 hours or more (for short flights)
- Hotel accommodation if you’re delayed overnight, plus transport to and from the hotel
- Two free phone calls, emails, or faxes so you can contact people
If the airline doesn’t offer these things, ask for them at the customer service desk. If they refuse and you pay out of pocket, keep every receipt — you can claim these costs back.
For passengers in the USA, airlines that have signed up to the Department of Transportation’s customer service commitments will provide similar care for controllable delays, though the rules differ. Check the airline’s customer service plan on the DOT website.
Step 3: Find Out If You Qualify for Cash Compensation
This is where it gets interesting. Beyond the immediate care you receive at the airport, you may be entitled to a cash payment — separate from any refund — just for being delayed.
Under EU261 (European flights):
If your flight arrives at its destination 3 or more hours late, and the delay was the airline’s fault (not weather or an extraordinary circumstance), you’re entitled to:
| Flight distance | Compensation amount |
|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | €250 per passenger |
| 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 per passenger |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 per passenger |
This applies to you if:
- Your flight departed from any airport in the EU, OR
- Your flight was arriving into the EU on an EU-based airline
- This includes UK flights under the post-Brexit UK261 regulation (up to £520)
Your nationality doesn’t matter. An Indian passenger flying London to Delhi on British Airways has the same rights as a British passport holder.
Under US DOT rules:
The US doesn’t have the same cash compensation law for delays as Europe does. However, if you were denied boarding due to overbooking, US law requires the airline to pay you:
- Up to $775 if the airline gets you to your destination within 1–2 hours of original arrival
- Up to $1,550 if the delay is longer
For regular delays, many US airlines now voluntarily offer compensation — but you have to ask.
Step 4: Submit Your Claim (Sooner Rather Than Later)
You can claim compensation going back up to 3 years from the date of the flight in most jurisdictions, but the sooner you file, the easier it is to gather evidence and the faster you’ll receive payment.
You have two options:
Option A — Claim directly with the airline
Go to the airline’s website, find their compensation or customer relations section, and submit a claim yourself. This is free but can be slow, frustrating, and airlines frequently reject valid claims hoping you’ll give up.
Option B — Use a claims service like Claimistic
We handle the entire process for you — submitting the claim, chasing the airline, escalating to legal action if needed. You pay nothing unless we win. Our fee is 25% of whatever we recover, which is lower than most competitors.
Check if your flight qualifies — takes 90 seconds →
Step 5: Don’t Be Put Off by Airline Rejections
Airlines reject a lot of valid claims, often citing “extraordinary circumstances” — a catch-all term meant to exclude compensation for things like bad weather or air traffic control strikes. But airlines routinely misuse this clause to reject claims they should pay.
Common false rejection reasons include:
- Blaming “technical issues” (which are usually the airline’s fault and don’t qualify as extraordinary)
- Claiming the delay was weather-related when it wasn’t
- Saying you didn’t claim within the right timeframe (when you actually did)
If your claim is rejected and you believe it shouldn’t be, escalate. In the EU you can go to your national enforcement body. In the UK it’s the Civil Aviation Authority. In the US you can file a complaint with the DOT. Or you can let a claims specialist fight it for you.
How Far Back Can You Claim?
The claim window varies:
- EU/UK flights: 2–6 years depending on the country (typically 3 years is safe everywhere)
- US overbooking: No formal time limit, but the sooner the better
- Canada: 1 year from the date of the flight
If you had a significant delay in the past few years and never claimed, it’s worth checking. You might be owed money you’ve forgotten about entirely.
The Bottom Line
A delayed flight is frustrating — but it doesn’t have to just be a bad memory. If your delay was 3+ hours and the airline was at fault, you could be entitled to hundreds of euros or pounds in compensation.
The process doesn’t have to be complicated. At Claimistic, we’ve made it as simple as entering your flight details and letting us do the rest. We cover EU261, UK261, US DOT, and Canadian passenger rights — and we only get paid when you do.
Check your flight now — it takes 90 seconds and costs nothing →
