The rules for a delayed or cancelled flight depend on where the flight leaves and where it lands. Your passport does not decide which rules apply. This guide explains the rules in the EU, the UK, Canada, the United States, and Nigeria, and what a traveler can do when none of them fits. The amounts and rules below were checked in October 2026.
Which Rules Apply to Your Flight
Each region has its own rules, and the route decides which ones cover a trip.
- EU261 (European Union): Covers flights that leave an EU airport on any airline. It also covers flights that arrive in the EU on an EU airline.
- UK261 (United Kingdom): Covers flights that leave a UK airport on any airline, plus UK and EU airline flights that arrive in the UK.
- APPR (Canada): Covers flights to, from, and within Canada on any airline, including connecting flights.
- United States: Has no fixed cash payment for delays. Federal rules cover refunds and very long waits on the tarmac.
- Nigeria: Part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 sets passenger rights. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) enforces it.
Payments are made per passenger. They depend on the flight distance and the delay at the final destination, and the ticket price does not change them. A family of four on a delayed long-haul flight can each claim a payment.
Some UK and EU airline flights fall under both UK261 and EU261. The passenger can bring only one claim.
Ticket type usually does not change these rights either. One-way tickets bought for open-ended travel qualify in the same way as round trips.
How Much Each Region Pays
EU261 and UK261
The two rules use the same structure. A delay counts when the flight reaches its final destination three hours or more late.
- Up to 1,500 km: EUR 250 or GBP 220.
- 1,500 to 3,500 km: EUR 400 or GBP 350.
- Over 3,500 km: EUR 600 or GBP 520 for an arrival four hours late or more. An arrival between three and four hours late pays half, which is EUR 300 or GBP 260.
- Flights wholly inside the EU: The payment stops at EUR 400, even when the distance is over 3,500 km.
According to Wego, the UK amounts were set on 31 December 2020 and have not been raised since. Under EU rules, a delay of more than five hours also lets the passenger take a refund instead of flying.
Cancellations use the same amounts when the airline gave less than 14 days of notice and the cause was within its control. The airline can pay nothing if it offers a new flight close to the original time. With 7 to 14 days of notice, the new flight must leave no more than two hours earlier and arrive less than four hours late. With less than 7 days of notice, the limits are one hour earlier and less than two hours late.
Canada
Canada ties payment to the size of the airline and the delay at arrival. A large airline is one that carried more than two million passengers in each of the previous two years.
- 3 to under 6 hours late: CAD 400 from a large airline.
- 6 to under 9 hours late: CAD 700.
- 9 hours or more late: CAD 1,000.
Small airlines pay lower amounts. Payment is due only when the cause was within the airline’s control and not required for safety. Wego also reports that compensation is owed only when the airline gave notice 14 days or less before departure.
United States
- Delay payments: Federal rules set none.
- Refunds: An airline must give an automatic cash refund when it cancels a flight or changes it significantly and the passenger declines the new option. A significant change is a shift of more than three hours on a domestic flight or more than six hours on an international flight, or a change of airport.
- Refund speed: Seven business days for card payments and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
- Tarmac limits: Airlines may not hold passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours on domestic flights or four hours on international flights at US airports. Food and water must be offered within two hours.
A flight that leaves an EU or UK airport for the United States still falls under EU261 or UK261, even on a US airline. The Department of Transportation can change its rules, so its consumer pages hold the current text.
Nigeria
The NCAA consumer page lists the main duties for delays and cancellations.
- Delays over two hours: The airline must provide refreshments and a way to communicate, such as calls, SMS, and email.
- Domestic delays over six hours: Compensation applies unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance that reasonable measures could not have avoided.
- Domestic cancellations: At least 25% of the fare, unless the passenger was told at least 24 hours before departure.
- International cancellations: 30% of the fare, unless the passenger was told seven days before departure.
A flight from Lagos to London on a UK airline can fall under UK261. A flight from Lagos to Paris on an EU airline can fall under EU261. Complaints go to the airline first, and then to the NCAA through its consumer protection desk at the airport or on its website.
When the Airline Does Not Have to Pay
Airlines can refuse compensation when the cause is an extraordinary circumstance. The airline must show the cause, and the passenger does not have to prove it.
- Usually accepted: Severe weather, air traffic control strikes, and security emergencies.
- Often challenged: A technical fault does not count automatically. In Lipton v BA Cityflyer, the UK Supreme Court held that unexpected crew sickness shortly before departure is not an extraordinary circumstance.
- Care that stays owed: Under UK261, the airline still owes meals, a way to communicate, and a hotel for overnight waits, whatever the cause.
A weather excuse can be checked against the actual weather at the airport on that day. Asking for the reason in writing makes a later dispute easier.
A missed connection follows the same logic. Compensation depends on the delay at the final destination, and it usually applies when all flights share one booking. Separate tickets often leave the passenger without these rights. The guide on what to do when you miss a connecting flight covers the next steps.
What to Do When a Flight Is Late or Cancelled
1. Record the facts at the airport
- Arrival time: Note the scheduled time and the actual time. In EU law, arrival counts from the moment an aircraft door opens.
- Booking details: Keep the boarding pass and the booking reference.
- The stated reason: Ask the airline to give it in writing.
- Receipts: Keep them for meals, transport, and a hotel when the airline does not provide care. The UK Civil Aviation Authority warns that airlines are unlikely to repay alcohol, luxury hotels, or fine dining.
2. Read the terms before accepting a voucher
According to Executive Traveller, accepting a voucher or a negotiated offer can waive the right to cash compensation under UK261. The terms are worth reading before signing anything.
3. File the claim with the airline
- What to include: The flight number, date, route, booking reference, the arrival delay, and the name of the rule, such as UK261.
- Where to send it: The airline’s online claim form or its customer relations email.
- UK time limits: Six years in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland.
- Canada time limit: One year, and the airline then has 30 days to pay or explain a refusal.
- EU time limits: These vary by country under the current rules, and they often run for several years.
A traveler who moves often can use an email address that will stay active for years. A UK claim can run for six years after the flight.
4. Escalate if the airline refuses
- UK: Two alternative dispute resolution bodies approved by the CAA are CEDR and AviationADR. The CAA itself handles cases when the airline belongs to neither.
- Canada: The Canadian Transportation Agency takes complaints after the airline has answered.
- EU: Each country has a body that handles complaints under Article 16 of the regulation.
- Nigeria: The NCAA accepts a complaint form after the airline has had the chance to respond.
Claim companies keep a share of the payout. A straightforward claim can usually be filed directly with the airline for free.
Mistakes and Edge Cases to Watch For
- Counting the departure delay: Only the arrival delay at the final destination counts. A flight that leaves three hours late but arrives less than three hours late does not qualify.
- Assuming the new EU rules already apply: The European Parliament approved a reform of EU261 on 7 July 2026. The three-hour threshold and the payment amounts stay the same. The reform adds a nine-month claim limit and is expected to apply from the second half of 2027. Until then, the current rules and time limits apply.
- Flights outside these rules: The Montreal Convention covers many international flights. Since 28 December 2024, an airline can owe up to 6,303 special drawing rights per passenger for proven damage caused by a delay. That is about US$8,400 at the October 2024 rate, according to ICAO. The airline can avoid payment if it shows it took all reasonable measures, and claims usually must be filed within two years.
- Relying on compensation alone: Airline payments cover the delay itself. Costs such as a missed prepaid booking fall outside them, and a travel insurance policy may cover those. The guide to travel insurance for digital nomads explains what standard policies often exclude for long stays.
Plan Your Next Route
Delays and cancellations come with flying often, and the rules above can return real money when the route is covered. Before booking, check whether the departure airport or the airline falls under EU261, UK261, or the APPR, and keep one folder for boarding passes and receipts. When you are ready to plan the next leg, search flights on FlyBibe and compare routes that fit your schedule. This article gives general information and is not legal advice. A disputed claim is worth taking to a qualified professional.