Compensation for delayed flights

Generally if your flight is delayed for two hours or more, you have a legal right to food and drink, along with access to phone calls and e-mails.

As well as the legal right to food and drink, and accommodation for overnight delays, passengers are also entitled to compensation of 250 Euros (currently around £187) if their flights have been delayed for three hours or more.

A spokesperson said: “Your entitlement to compensation is dependent on the reason for the delay, and the airline has to prove that the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances.

“However recent European case law has ruled that a “technical problem” is not one of the extraordinary circumstances that airlines can use as a valid defence against paying out compensation.

“You may also be able to challenge compensation when you are told flights are delayed due to weather conditions.”

Ferry passengers may also be able to claim compensation such as refreshments if there is a delay of more than 90 minutes or more with the crossing, or a hot meal after an eight hour delay.

In some circumstances you may be entitled to an overnight stay if the ferry is delayed or cancelled.

However if the delay is due to weather then the ferry company is not obliged to provide compensation or accommodation.

More information is available: at

Also Consumer Champion, Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert has a website which can create claim letters that can be e-mailed directly to the airlines: here