How much compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled Africa flight?
You can only be eligible for compensation if your flight originated in Europe and/or was operated by a European airline because Africa is not a part of Europe. You won't be entitled to compensation for a delayed or cancelled Africa flight unless your arriving flight was delayed by a minimum of three hours or the Africa flight was cancelled less than 14 days before your departure. It's vital to keep in mind that the airline will also need to be responsible for the disrupted flight.
You might be qualified for flight compensation if your flight to Africa was delayed by more than 3 hours or cancelled less than 14 days before departure. The compensation will be received per passenger and calculated according to the distance of your flight.
| Distance of your flight | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Flights shorter than 1,500 km | Get £220 per passenger |
| Flight between 1,500 and 3,500 km | Get £350 per passenger |
| Flights of over 1,500 kilometres within the EU | Get £350 per passenger |
| Flights of over 3,500 kilometres outside of the EU | Get £520 per passenger |
If your flight is cancelled or delayed, the airline is required to provide you with additional support. This includes vouchers for food and drinks, transit, and, if necessary, lodging. The vouchers can be redeemed at the airline's service desk in the airport. If the airline doesn't provide you vouchers, you can still make the necessary expenditures and keep the receipts; they nonetheless have to give you a refund.
Flight compensation for a delayed flight from/to Africa — check if you're eligible now!
If your Africa flight was delayed, you could be entitled to flight compensation under the EU regulations. Be careful, as Africa is not part of Europe, you can only claim flight compensation for flights leaving from a European airport and/or operated by a European airline.
Regardless of the airline, if the following criteria are met for your flight, you may be eligible for up to £520 in flight compensation for a delayed flight to Africa:
The length of the delay: your Africa flight was delayed by more than 3 hours
The responsibility of the airline: you can only claim Africa flight compensation if the airline was responsible for the delay. Passengers are unfortunately not entitled to compensation from the airline if the delay was caused by an unforeseeable circumstance or by a third party (for more information, see this page's section on "extraordinary circumstances").
The compensation amount changes based on the flight distance: the longer your flight, the greater the compensation.
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Cancelled flight from Africa — Compensation and refund policies
If your flight to Africa was cancelled, you may be entitled to up to £520 in flight compensation, the refund of your ticket, or even both. Continue reading to learn more about how to get flight compensation for your delayed or cancelled Africa flight.
Claim flight compensation for your cancelled flight to Africa
If your flight to Africa was cancelled, you might receive up to £520 in flight compensation per passenger if:
The cancellation was announced less than 14 days before the planned departure date, AND,
The airline was responsible for the cancelled flight (for additional information on when an airline can legally refuse to compensate passengers, see the Extraordinary Circumstances below).
| Cancellation notice | Alternative flight | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 7 days in advance | Departs 1h+ earlier or arrived 2h+ later | Yes |
| 7-14 days in advance | Departs 2h+ earlier or arrived 4h+ later | Yes |
| Fewer than 14 days in advance | No alternative flight offered | Yes + refund |
You will not be eligible to receive Africa flight cancellation compensation if your flight was cancelled due to an extraordinary circumstance, such as a strike or an airport fire, because airlines cannot control these incidents.
Ask for the refund of your flight from Africa
If your Africa flight is cancelled, you will also be entitled to a full ticket refund. Refunds and compensation are not the same thing. When an airline cancels a flight and is at fault, passengers are granted compensation for their Africa flight. However, the refund is available to any passenger who ultimately decides not to book a flight with the airline. You must meet the criteria given below to be qualified for a full refund of your flight ticket:
You weren't given a choice of taking an alternative flight by the airline, OR,
The airline offered you another alternative flight, but you turned it down.
Do you doubt your eligibility for compensation for your flight to Africa?
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Were you offered a voucher for your cancelled flight from Africa? Here’s what you should know.
Generally speaking, we strongly advise against accepting a voucher instead of a refund. Here are a few reasons why:
Accepting a travel voucher requires booking a flight with the same airline. In addition, airlines usually set a deadline for redeeming the voucher.
You might not be able to change your voucher into a proper monetary refund if the airline files for bankruptcy, which would mean you would lose your money.
Flight delayed or cancelled to Africa, am I also entitled to flight compensation?
Yes, you might be entitled to flight compensation. However, given that African countries are not part of the European Union, British and European regulations only apply to flights leaving from the UK/EU and/or being operated by European airlines.
If you were flying on a non-EU airline from an African country, European regulations won’t apply to your flight. See the table below for more information.
| Type of flight | Example | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Flying with a British carrier | Tokyo to London with British Airways | Yes |
| Flying with a EU carrier | Amsterdam to London with KLM | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier from the UK | London to Tokyo with Japan Airlines | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier to the UK | Tokyo to London with Japan Airlines | No |
Here’s a tip: European regulations might not apply to your delayed or cancelled flight from Africa, but local regulations might exist, allowing you to still get flight compensation for your flight from Africa. We advise you to check those local and national regulations to ensure you don’t pass on the opportunity to get flight compensation!
Extraordinary circumstances disrupted my Africa flight — can the airline really deny my claim?
If the airline is not responsible for the delayed or cancelled flight, extraordinary circumstances apply. Extraordinary circumstances are situations in which an unforeseen event of a third party is responsible for the delay or cancellation of the flight.
Here are a few examples of the most common extraordinary circumstances :
Bad weather conditions, such as thick fog, heavy rain, or thunderstorms.
A strike, most often specifically within the aviation industry (for example, a strike of air traffic control workers at a specific airport).
However, a strike of the airline's crew is not considered an extraordinary circumstance!
Political circumstances, such as a terrorist attack or general security risk due to political unrest.
Natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions and hurricanes.
A collision between the aircraft and birds or other foreign objects.
An ill or unruly passenger.
Flight delays caused by the airport staff, such as extraordinarily long queues to security checks.
How long can I claim for my delayed or cancelled flight from Africa?
The delay will depend on the country from which your flight departed.
If you were departing from the UK, you have 6 years to claim flight compensation. Scotland is the exception: there, you can claim for 5 years.
This time frame differs from country to country all over Europe — if you were leaving, let’s say, from Amsterdam, you’d only be able to claim for 2 years after your disrupted flight to Africa.
How long before I receive my flight compensation for my flight from Africa?
Most passengers who work with us to request flight compensation or a refund receive their money within a few weeks or months.
If the airline does not respond and/or the claim must be filed in court, the wait time could be months or even years.
Regardless of how long the claim process takes, our legal experts will keep you updated on any significant developments in your claim and will be available to answer any questions you may have.
How can I claim for an Africa flight cancelled or delayed?
You simply need to upload the documents related to your flight on our website. Hold on to copies of documents like your passport, booking code, boarding pass(es) and any additional fees incurred due to the flight disruption. From there, our professionals handle everything on your behalf, including assessing your claim, creating legal paperwork, communicating with the airline's legal representatives, and, if required, taking your claim to court. The more information you can provide us, the better we can help you get your money back!
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About Africa flights
Africa is a large continent with many different countries and cultures. When you want to reach the continent, you have various airports you can choose from depending on your final destination. Some of the busiest airports in Africa, according to a 2021 study, are Cairo International Airport in Egypt — from where Air Cairo is offering connection with Europe —, Cape Town International Airport in South Africa, Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Nigeria and Bole International Airport in Ethiopia.
There are also multiple African-based airlines that you can fly with to domestic or international destinations. Some of the biggest are South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Senegal, Egyptair and Royal Air Maroc.
To and from Europe, you can also fly with European airlines, allowing you, no matter your flight schedule, to benefit from flight compensation in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight: British Airways, Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal, KLM, Easyjet, Vueling, Virgin Atlantic and many others.
Useful links
- Algeria flight compensation
- More details on delayed flight compensation
- More details on cancelled flight compensation
- Post-Brexit flight compensation rules in the UK
- Rules regarding missed flight compensation
- Rules regarding flight compensation in the case of denied boarding
- Claim Calculator — check if you are eligible for compensation