2025 Rules for Flight Delays and Cancellations
Flight delays and cancellations happen more often than most travellers expect. One moment, you're at the airport ready to go. The next, your gate shows 'delayed' or 'cancelled', and you're stuck waiting or searching for options.
In 2025, new and updated rules have made it easier for passengers to understand their rights. Whether you're flying within the UK, Europe, or on international routes, it's important to know what support you can expect and how to claim it. This guide breaks down the latest rules and helps you take the right steps when plans go off track.
Flight issues are not just about inconvenience. They often mean extra costs—food, hotels, missed connections, or lost bookings. That's why passenger rights laws exist: to make sure travellers are treated fairly when airlines fall short.
Need Cheap Airline Ticket Help? Call 800-594-4991 (OTA) and let us hunt down flexible tickets at great prices.
The latest rules for Flight delay and cancellation compensation aim to give you better clarity, faster support, and easier claim processes.
In most cases, a Flight Delay must reach a certain length before compensation applies. For 2025, here are the general rules: 2 hours delay: Right to food, drinks, and basic support
delay: Right to food, drinks, and basic support 3 hours delay: Possible compensation depending on flight length and reason
delay: Possible compensation depending on flight length and reason 5+ hours delay: Full refund or rebooking option
The delay is measured from the original departure time to the actual time the plane takes off or lands. But not every delay means cash in your pocket.
You may be able to claim when the delay is caused by: Mechanical or technical problems
Crew scheduling issues
Late arrival of the aircraft
Poor airline planning
You won't receive compensation for delays caused by: Bad weather
Airport staff strikes
Air traffic control issues
Political unrest
Safety or security concerns
These fall under 'extraordinary circumstances.' The airline must prove this if they want to reject your claim.
Need Cheap Airline Ticket Help? Call 800-594-4991 (OTA) and let us hunt down flexible tickets at great prices.
The amount depends on how long the delay was and how far you were flying.
For flights under UK and EU law (which still apply separately after Brexit), the amounts in 2025 are: Flights up to 1,500 km: £220
Flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km: £350
Flights over 3,500 km: £520
You receive this only if the Flight Delay was more than 3 hours and the airline was at fault.
Even if the airline doesn't owe you money, it still must take care of you during long delays. After 2 hours, you should receive: Food and drink vouchers
Two phone calls or internet access
Hotel accommodation (if overnight stay is required)
Transport between the airport and hotel
This support applies at most major airports and should be offered without you asking.
A Flight Cancellation Compensation claim depends on how much notice the airline gave you and what other options they offered. Less than 14 days before departure: You may be eligible for compensation 7 to 14 days before: Only if you arrive at your final destination 4+ hours later Less than 7 days before: Compensation applies if your arrival is delayed by more than 2 hours
Like with delays, you can claim when the cancellation was the airline's fault. This includes: Internal scheduling mistakes
Staff shortages
Aircraft breakdowns not caused by external factors
No compensation if the cancellation was due to: Major weather problems
Airport shutdowns
Health emergencies
Border restrictions
Again, these fall under 'extraordinary circumstances.' The airline must show why it cancelled the flight and what steps it took to prevent the issue.
If your flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a choice: Full refund of the unused part of your ticket
Alternative flight to your final destination
Return flight to your starting point (if the trip no longer serves its purpose)
This is separate from Flight Cancellation Compensation and applies even when the airline isn't at fault.
You don't need to wait for compensation to receive a refund or rebooking. These must be provided promptly.
If your flight qualifies for compensation, follow these steps: Boarding pass or e-ticket
Flight details (number, date, route)
Delay or cancellation notice
Photos of airport boards (optional but helpful)
You can request the reason for the delay or cancellation in writing. This helps determine if the airline was responsible.
Go to the airline's website and locate the 'claim compensation' or 'complaints' page. Fill in all required fields and upload your documents.
Most airlines aim to respond within 4–8 weeks.
If you don't receive a reply or your claim is denied unfairly, contact: Civil Aviation Authority (UK flights)
National Enforcement Bodies (for EU flights)
Alternative Dispute Resolution schemes
Court claims (as a last resort)
Many passengers also use third-party services, but be aware that these may take a percentage of your compensation.
New rules introduced in 2025 make the claim process more transparent. These updates include: Standardised forms across major airlines
Clear reasons given when compensation is denied
Easier access to online support tools
Stronger requirements for airlines to prove 'extraordinary' reasons
The goal is to ensure that eligible passengers receive fair compensation without unnecessary delays.
Need Cheap Airline Ticket Help? Call 800-594-4991 (OTA) and let us hunt down flexible tickets at great prices.
Some insurance plans include cover for delays and cancellations, even when the airline is not at fault. You might receive: Flat payments for each hour of delay
Refunds for hotel stays or missed connections
Coverage for extra transport costs
Always read the terms before your trip. Keep receipts and request delay confirmation letters from the airline to support your claim.
If you booked connecting flights under one ticket, you have better protection. If the first leg is delayed and causes a missed connection, you may receive: Rebooking on the next flight
Hotel stay if you need to wait overnight
Flight delay and cancellation compensation if total delay meets the required time
This doesn't apply if you booked the flights separately or with different airlines without an agreement between them.
Flight disruptions can ruin plans, but you don't have to accept them without support. The 2025 rules for Flight delay and cancellation compensation are clear and designed to protect you.
If your Flight Delay or cancellation was the airline's fault, you may be entitled to money back. Even if you don't get compensation, you still deserve food, rest, and alternative travel options.
Know your rights, keep your documents, and follow up if needed. These simple steps help you stay prepared and protect your travel plans.
TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine completes preparations to join EU's roam like at home zone
The European Commission received formal notification from Ukraine confirming the completion of all legislative procedures required to join the EU's Roam Like at Home zone. Source: Rikard Jozwiak, an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda Details: Moldova is expected to submit a similar notification soon, with both countries set to join the roaming-free zone simultaneously. According to Jozwiak, Ukraine and Moldova will become part of the EU roaming zone from 1 January 2026. The roaming zone encompasses all 27 EU member states, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This marks the first time the zone will expand to include candidate countries for EU membership. "I know that the word 'historic' is overused these days but this is exactly that," Jozwiak said. On 2 June 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law of Ukraine On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Implementation of the European Union's Legislation on Electronic Communications (reg. No. 12150). The European Commission is now expected to initiate a decision on mutual provision of the internal market regime for roaming between the EU and Ukraine, effectively enabling full accession to the roam like at home policy. Once implemented, Ukrainians will be able to use roaming services at domestic tariff rates when travelling in EU countries, with no variation in costs or conditions based on the country of residence within the EU. Background: Since Russia's war of aggression began, millions of Ukrainians in the EU have communicated with relatives in Ukraine without additional roaming charges, thanks to agreements between operators. This temporary arrangement, prompted by the displacement of many Ukrainians to European countries, was last extended in July 2024 for one year. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
EU states look to trim compensation for flight delays
EU countries have backed a plan to allow airlines to incur longer flight delays before having to compensate passengers -- a contested move intended to be offset by several new passenger rights. At present, passengers in Europe have a right to between 250 and 600 euros ($285-685) in compensation, depending on flight distance, for delays of three hours or more. But airlines complain that leaves them a hefty bill, and often leads them to cancel flights rather than run them with a long delay, due to knock-on effects on flight schedules. A majority of EU states agreed late Thursday to change the rules, overcoming opposition from Germany in particular, following hours of painstaking negotiations in Luxembourg. Under the new system, the compensation threshold would increase to four hours for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles), or connecting cities inside the European Union, with its amount set at 300 euros. For longer flights, the right to compensation of 500 euros would kick in after a six-hour delay. The European Consumer Organisation BEUC slammed the plan, saying the "new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers from their compensation rights", as most delays are between two and four hours. It urged European lawmakers -- who have yet to approve the text -- to uphold passengers' rights. The compromise did not satisfy airlines either, with the umbrella group Airlines for Europe (A4E) -- which includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet -- complaining that it "introduced even more complexity" than the initial European Commission plan. But a spokesperson for the French aviation industry federation called it a "step forward" for consumers. The rules changes "clarify the law and will avoid many recurrent court disputes," said the spokesperson, Laurent Timset. Poland's infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, meanwhile cheered the creation of "over 30 new rights" for passengers, in a statement announcing the deal. Those include a "right to be rerouted" at the earliest opportunity, including through flights operated by other carriers or alternative transport modes. The plan also creates a system for passengers to be automatically compensated for flights cancelled within 14 days of departure. And it spells out the right to assistance -- refreshments, food, accommodation -- when travel is disrupted. France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot declared himself satisfied with the compromise. "The text could have been more ambitious, but it's an important step towards improving the quality of service offered to air passengers," he wrote on X. mad-adc/ec/del/rmb
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Is the end of the dreaded airport queue in sight? Not quite
Last week, British passengers arriving at Tenerife South Airport reported 'inhumane' conditions after queueing for more than two hours without access to water or loos. 'We couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating,' one passenger told local media. It's a frightening image, and one that has become more common at European airports since British air passengers became 'third-country nationals' after Brexit. This effectively gives us the same rights as arrivals from, say, Venezuela, banishing us to the often snail-paced 'All Passports' queue to get a stamp on arrival. When flying home we must also pass through border control to get a second exit stamp before proceeding to the gate. This can lead to scenarios where passengers are kettled at the gates with no access to refreshments if a flight is delayed, and no way to go back to the main terminal area. Change, it seems, is on the horizon. The Labour party has struck a deal with the EU to allow British passport holders to pass through e-gates, and the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) in October will automate identity checks and remove the need for manual passport stamps. So will these images of British passengers snaking out of arrival halls at European airports soon be a thing of the past? Yes, but it may take a while. When it first rolls out, EES will require British (and all non-EU) travellers to provide fingerprints and facial images when entering or exiting the Schengen Area. This process has been much-delayed, not least because implementing it requires a continent-wide tech overhaul. And as we all know, airport IT systems, often operated by third-party firms and alongside multiple other systems, have a tendency to buckle at inopportune moments. If the new tech doesn't create hold-ups, the data capture process could. Pressing thumbs on sensors and having a photograph taken may sound like a simple process, but how many times have you seen somebody push their passport into the e-gate sensor the wrong way up? Such are the fears of hold-ups that airports are planning 'safety valve' procedures, where the requirement to capture everyone's data will be temporarily waived if a checkpoint gets too busy. On e-gates, I have found this new Labour/EU e-gates 'agreement' to be somewhat smoke and mirrors. The wording in the relevant document says that 'British passengers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe'. But this does not necessarily mean we will be able to use fast-track EU e-gates. Instead, it might be that we remain in the naughty ('All Passports') queue that happens to have an e-gate at the end of it. This will ultimately be up for individual countries and airports to decide. I will allow you to decide whether we are likely to receive sympathy on this matter, or not. Perhaps I'm being overly negative. Let's say that the EES roll-out isn't as clunky as feared, and that through some miracle the majority of European airports do kindly allow Britons to use their fast-track e-gates. Surely the airport queues will have simmered down by next summer? Maybe. But we will still face the additional border check when flying home (albeit with biometrics rather than a passport stamp). And hold-ups like those seen in Tenerife are as much to do with poor scheduling as anything else. I checked the arrivals board on Tuesday June 2, and at 10.40am there were scheduled flights from Manchester (Jet2), Liverpool (Jet2), East Midlands (Tui) and Bournemouth (Ryanair). Ten minutes later, flights from Birmingham and Leeds (both Jet2) were scheduled to land, plus another from Paris. That's seven 180-or-so capacity flights touching onto tarmac, one after the other, in the space of ten minutes, at a single-runway, single-terminal airport. Even the sleekest, AI-powered biometric arrivals system would struggle to process all those passengers without the formation of a queue. There are some changes to the airport process that we can feel optimistic about. Soon, we'll be able to take greater quantities of liquids through security at all UK airports. A shake-up of UK flight paths promises to reduce air traffic delays before the end of the decade. And yes, all this new tech will eventually reduce friction at borders. But when you are stuck in a packed arrivals hall with a child on your shoulders and no access to water, you will be praying for progress now – not at some ambiguous point in the future. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
