Flight delay compensation
Flight Delay Compensation: Check If You Arrived 3+ Hours Late
Arrived 3+ hours late? Check whether your UK/EU flight may qualify for compensation. See estimated gross payout, AirReclaim fee, net payout, documents, and review steps before authorization.
- No upfront payment
- Fee before you sign
- Net payout estimate
- Human-reviewed before submission
- Compensation is separate from refunds
Can I claim if my flight was delayed 3 hours?
A delayed flight may qualify when the route is covered, you arrived at the final destination 3 or more hours late, and the airline is responsible. AirReclaim checks the route, delay length, airline reason, documents, fee, and net payout before any authorization.
- 3+ hour final-arrival review.
- EU261 and UK261 route check.
- Airline reason reviewed by a person.
- Fee and net payout shown before authorization.
Can I claim if my flight was delayed 3 hours?
Delay compensation usually turns on final-arrival delay, route scope, operating carrier, and airline responsibility. A flight that leaves late but arrives less than 3 hours late may not qualify for statutory compensation, even if the airport wait was frustrating.
AirReclaim checks the exact route, flight number, date, scheduled arrival, actual arrival, airline explanation, and available documents before treating a file as ready for submission.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Was the final arrival delayed by at least 3 hours? | This is a common EU261/UK261 threshold for delay compensation. |
| Was the route covered? | Departure airport, arrival airport, and operating carrier affect scope. |
| Was the airline responsible? | Weather, ATC, security, and similar events may change the result. |
| Do you have documents? | Booking, boarding, and airline messages support the claim. |
How much flight delay compensation could apply?
Where the conditions are met, EU261 delay compensation is commonly explained through EUR250, EUR400, and EUR600 bands. UK261 uses a similar structure in UK terms.
The checker estimates gross compensation, AirReclaim's service fee, and estimated net payout. The estimate stays preliminary until route, timing, documents, authorization, and airline responsibility are reviewed.
| Distance | Common EU261 band | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR250 | Shorter covered routes. |
| 1,500 km to 3,500 km | EUR400 | Medium routes and many intra-European longer routes. |
| Over 3,500 km | EUR600 | Long-haul routes where conditions are met. |
Compensation, refunds, and expenses are different
Delay compensation is not the same as a ticket refund, care, meal reimbursement, hotel reimbursement, or goodwill voucher. Those records can matter, but they should be kept separate from the compensation review.
If the airline paid you directly, offered a voucher, or reimbursed expenses, upload the record so AirReclaim can review whether the statutory compensation question remains open.
| Category | How AirReclaim treats it |
|---|---|
| Compensation | The statutory amount AirReclaim reviews for eligible delay claims. |
| Refund | Money back for unused travel. It is separate from compensation. |
| Expenses | Meals, hotels, transport, or care costs. Useful evidence but reviewed separately. |
| Voucher or goodwill | An airline offer that should be preserved and separated from compensation. |
Airline reasons AirReclaim reviews
The airline's reason is central. Technical faults, operational disruption, weather, air traffic control restrictions, security issues, strikes, airport disruption, and knock-on delays can lead to different outcomes.
A broad airline statement is not always the end of the review. AirReclaim checks the stated reason, timing, route, aircraft rotation, documents, and whether the airline can show extraordinary circumstances.
- Technical fault and operational disruption can be worth reviewing.
- Air traffic control, weather, security, and airport disruption may defeat or weaken a claim.
- Extraordinary circumstances require careful evidence review.
- Airline rejection letters should be uploaded exactly as received.
Delayed flights and missed connections
Missed connections are reviewed by final destination. If the itinerary was on one booking and the delay caused a late final arrival, the claim may still be worth checking even if the first segment was shorter.
Upload the full itinerary, both boarding passes where available, rerouting messages, and the final arrival time.
Documents you need for a delay claim
The most useful documents are the booking confirmation, boarding pass or check-in proof, airline delay messages, rerouting records, final arrival evidence, and any previous airline response.
If you no longer have a boarding pass, upload substitute evidence and explain the gap. The file may still be reviewable.
- Booking confirmation or e-ticket.
- Boarding pass, check-in proof, or bag tag.
- Airline messages about the delay reason.
- Replacement itinerary for missed connections.
- Receipts and refund records kept separate.
What happens after the delay check
The checker gives a preliminary estimate from your flight facts. If you continue, AirReclaim saves a claim draft, requests documents, shows fee terms, and asks for authorization before any airline submission.
A person reviews route scope, airline responsibility, evidence gaps, direct airline payments, and escalation suitability. If the file is not ready, AirReclaim asks for more information or blocks submission.
- Save the result and start a secure claim review.
- Upload evidence and report any direct airline payment.
- Review fee, authorization, and service boundaries before signing.
- Airline submission happens only after review gates pass.
Common questions
Possibly. AirReclaim checks route scope, final arrival delay, airline responsibility, documents, and limitation risk before treating the file as suitable for submission.
Official references
Check delay compensation
Open the checker with delay facts preselected.
Read morePricing and fees
See no-upfront-payment and net payout examples.
Read moreDocuments needed
Prepare booking, boarding, airline, and arrival evidence.
Read moreExtraordinary circumstances
How airline responsibility arguments are reviewed.
Read morePassenger rights
Understand UK/EU compensation boundaries.
Read moreAuthorization
See what must be signed before AirReclaim acts.
Read moreNo legal advice
Review the managed-service boundary.
Read moreData security
Understand private claim-file handling.
Read moreCheck a 3+ hour flight delay.
Start with the exact route, date, flight number, and final arrival facts. The result stays preliminary until AirReclaim reviews the evidence.