Airline Delay and Cancellation Compensation Guide
Which rules cover your delayed or cancelled flight, what they may give you, and how to claim, for five major airlines, with every rule linked to an official source.
Flight delay compensation is a patchwork: the EU, the UK and Canada have fixed amounts, while US law mostly gives you a refund. Use this guide to see which rules cover your flight, then open the page for your airline.
Public guide, no sign-in needed
These pages explain the rules and link to each airline's and regulator's official claim routes. KeenVPN does not file claims for you and does not need access to your email or bookings to show you this information.
Airline guides
| Airline | Rules that may apply | Claim routes covered |
|---|---|---|
| Delta | US DOT, EU261 (departures from the EU), Canada APPR | Customer commitment, reimbursement request, EU compensation request page |
| United | US DOT, EU261, UK261, Canada APPR | United's own pages weren't machine-readable for our check; DOT rules verified |
| American Airlines | US DOT, EU261 (departures from the EU), Canada APPR | Customer service plan, refund page, Customer Relations form |
| British Airways | UK261, EU261 | Online claim form, postal route, CEDR ADR |
| Lufthansa | EU261 | Online compensation form, German conciliation body |
How the main regimes compare
| Regime | Delay or cancellation threshold | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| EU261 | Arrival 3+ hours late, or short-notice cancellation | €250 / €400 / €600 by distance |
| UK261 | Arrival 3+ hours late, or short-notice cancellation | £220 / £350 / £520 by distance (£260 for 3–4 hours late over 3,500 km) |
| Canada APPR | Arrival 3+ hours late, within the airline's control, 14 days or less notice | CAD 400 / 700 / 1,000 for large airlines |
| US DOT | Cancelled, or changed/delayed 3+ hours domestic or 6+ hours international | Refund (not compensation); denied boarding $1,075 / $2,150 maximums |
Amounts and thresholds from the regulators' official pages, checked 21 October 2026. Each regime has exceptions, notably extraordinary circumstances.
Does your delay qualify? A quick checklist
- Find your flight details. Note the airline, flight number, date, booking reference, and your scheduled and actual arrival times (from your boarding pass, email confirmation or the airline app).
- Measure the delay at arrival. EU261, UK261 and Canada's rules count the delay at your final destination, not departure. Under US DOT rules, a refund is triggered by a change or delay of 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international).
- Work out which rules cover the flight. Look at where it departed and landed and who operated it: a departure from an EU or UK airport brings EU261 or UK261, flights touching Canada fall under APPR, and flights to, from or within the US fall under the US DOT rules.
- Find the cause. Compensation regimes generally exclude extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or security risks. Ordinary technical faults are treated differently in different places, so ask the airline to state the cause in writing.
- Check the notice you were given. For cancellations, the amount of notice (for example under 14 days) can decide whether compensation applies.
Not every delay is compensated
- The US has no federal cash compensation for ordinary delays or cancellations; its automatic refund and denied-boarding rules are the main protections.
- EU261, UK261 and APPR generally exclude extraordinary circumstances, which can include severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or security risks.
- Delay length is measured at your final destination, and cancellation compensation depends on how much notice you were given.
- You normally claim from the airline first, then escalate to a regulator or ADR body.
Official resources
- US DOT: automatic refund rule
- US DOT: denied boarding
- US DOT: Fly Rights
- Your Europe: air passenger rights
- UK CAA: delays
- UK CAA: cancellations
- Canadian Transportation Agency: delays and cancellations
All pages were opened and checked on 21 October 2026. Where a page could not be read, we say so above.
Travelling? Keep your claim and booking details private
Claim forms and booking pages ask for names, booking references and contact details. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi are shared networks, so avoid filing claims or opening booking emails on them unprotected. A VPN encrypts your traffic between your device and the VPN server, which helps protect it on shared networks; it does not change what compensation you are owed. See how a VPN works.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether you are owed compensation depends on your flight, the cause of the disruption, the notice you were given and the rules that apply. Airlines and regulators update their rules; confirm the current terms on the official pages linked here. KeenVPN is not an airline, a claims company or a law firm and does not file claims on your behalf.