British Airways Delayed and Cancelled Flights
If your BA flight gets delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 (or £530), for flight delays of more than 3 hours, or cancellations without prior notice of at least 14 days, or for denied boarding due to overbooking, under EU Regulation 261/2004
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Table of contents
- British Airways Compensation for Delayed Flight
- British Airways Cancelled Flight Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
Do you know which of the airlines is the most reliable in the United Kingdom? Without doubts, this is British Airways. More than 270 strong fleets of aircraft and operations in more than 180 airports. However, even they have flight delays or cancellations from time to time.
You should know your rights as an air passenger perfectly. On the other side, there is a more comfortable way to find out your eligibility. We offer you our free online calculator which is quick and simple in use.
British Airways Compensation for Delayed Flight
- Up to €600 compensation according to EU legislation
- British Airways compensation can be got for flights up to 6 years old
- The ticket price does not matter
- If your flight was delayed for more than 3 hours, cancelled or overbooked
What Should You Do If You Have Your Flight Delayed?
- Contact the airline to get information about the reason for the delay
- The essential benefits and services at the airport should be kept
- You need to have information about your expenses
- It could be useful to get contacts of the other passengers from the delayed flight
Read more about the EU legislation and your passenger rights
Compensation Eligibility
British Airways flight delay compensation depends on the distance of your trip, the delay time and the reason for the delay. The price of your ticket does not matter.
As a rule, if your flight is delayed for 3 hours and more you should have a refund according to EU laws. All you need to do is filling the British Airways compensation claim. Moreover, it could be valid up to 6 years retrospectively.
British Airways: What Should the Airport Provide to You?
Your rights are protected by international legislation. However, the opportunities you can get depend on the time of delay and the length of the flight. Some basic rules about your eligibility you can find below:
- Short distance, under 1500 km: 2 hours and more delay, complimentary drinks, food, and 2 calls, emails or faxes
- Medium length, between 1500–3500 km: 3 hours and more delay — complimentary beverages, food and 2 calls, emails or faxes
- Long-haul, from 3500 km: 4 hours and more delay, complimentary drinks, food, and 2 calls, emails or faxes
What should you do if your flight is delayed more than 5 hours?
You can cancel your trip if the delay is more than 5 hours. In such a case, the airline has to provide a refund for you or to offer the other type of traveling.
What should you do if you have an overnight delay?
If you decide to wait until the next plane, the airline should provide you with accommodation in the hotel and transfer you there and back to the airport. To get the accurate information you should contact the airline and ask them to provide that commitment in writing.
British Airways Cancelled Flight Compensation
If the person is informed of a cancellation less than 14 days before the departure date from causes within BA’s control (excluding extraordinary circumstances. E.g. strike or sudden storm), unless the person is offered another re-route, which allows departure and arrival within following time ranges:
- Between 13 and 7 days before the scheduled time of departure and the reasonable re-routing was offered. As a consequence, the departure no more than 2 hours before the scheduled time and reaching the final destination less than 4 hours after the scheduled arrival time is possible; or
- Less than 7 days before the scheduled time of departure and the reasonable re-routing was offered. As a consequence, the departure no more than 1 hour before the scheduled time and reaching the final destination less than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time is possible
The compensation levels are valid for both delays and cancellations are specified as:
- €250 for flights of up to 1500 km;
- €400 for flights (within the EU) of more than 1500 km, for all other cases — between 1500km and 3500 km;
- €600 for all other flights.
Compensation is reduced by half in case re-routing offered to the destination results in a scheduled arrival time which does not exceed the scheduled arrival time of the original flight by:
- 2 hours for flights of 1500 km or less;
- 3 hours for flights (within the EU) of more than 1500 km, for all other cases — between 1500 km and 3500 km;
- 4 hours for all other flights.
In case of being informed in advance 14 days or more before the planned departure date, passengers are not entitled to compensation.
Travel vouchers are rarely useful
Airlines are happy to offer travel vouchers instead of financial compensation, according to their own statements as a gesture of goodwill. The EU Passenger Rights Regulation, however, provides for compensation in the form of money, which can also be claimed. A voucher does not have to be accepted.
For British Airways, issuing vouchers instead of cash naturally offers advantages: Passengers are bound to the airline and British Airways can assume that a large number of customers will not redeem the voucher due to its limited shelf life (usually one year) and lack of demand.
Package travellers should therefore refrain from using the voucher and demand monetary compensation. However, a British Airways voucher can be interesting for frequent flyers, as the value of the voucher is often higher than the compensation according to the EU Passenger Rights.
In general, however, we advise against accepting vouchers and recommend that you do not sign any documents in this regard.
Other burning questions:
How do I claim compensation for a delayed BA flight?
If your flight is delayed/cancelled you might be able to get reimbursement for certain types of cases. The easiest way is to use AirHelp and find out whether you are entitled according to EU regulation.
Can I get compensation for a delayed flight?
You are entitled to a certain compensation if the delay is the responsibility from British Airways and either: the replacement flight delays your arrival by at least 2 hours or the flight was cancelled less than 2 weeks before departure
How long can you be delayed before compensation BA?
Delay of 3 hours or more for all flights within European Union of more than 1500 km and all other flights between 1500 km and 3500 km.
How do I get a refund from British Airways?
You can cancel your flight booking and claim a full refund without any penalties, up to 24 hours from the original booking on official website or via call centre. In case of delay or compensation use external assistance.
British Airways — About the Airline
British Airways was established on 31 March 1974, following the merger with four other airlines; two nationalised airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways, and two smaller regional airlines, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines, operated by Cardiff and Newcastle upon Tyne. “BA” is the IATA code of British Airways.
ABritish Airways (also called BA) is the largest airline in the UK in terms of fleet size. It is also the UK’s national airline. Its headquarters are located at Waterside, close to its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. It is an enormous airline offering over 70 national and international routes to many countries.
It is a founding member of the OneWorld Airline Alliance, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Canadian Airlines. Following another merger with Iberia Airlines, the International Airlines Group (IAG) was formed on 21 January 2011. This merger made British Airways the third largest airline in the world and the second largest in Europe in terms of revenue.
British Airways Subsidiaries
British Airways has a strong presence at Gatwick Airport and also has a central office at London City Airport. Its subsidiaries include BA Cityflyer, Openskies , British Airways World Cargo and British Airways Limited.
BA Cityflyer, headquartered in Didsbury-Manchester, England, mainly serves the financial market and some leisure destinations, while Openskies, based in Rungis, France, offers flights between Paris, New York JFK and Newark airports. British Airways Limited provides premium services to passengers travelling between London and New York.
British Airways Destinations
British Airways has more than 160 destinations in its program, 6 of which are domestic, and is one of the few (together with Air China, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways and United Airlines) to offer flights to all 6 continents.
Its most popular routes are London-Edinburgh, London-Geneva, Glasgow-London, Manchester-London, Aberdeen-London, London-Milan, Munich-London, London-Paris, Barcelona-London, London-Berlin and Frankfurt-London.
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