How much compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled USA flight
The USA is not part of Europe, therefore you can only be eligible for USA delayed or cancelled flight compensation if your flight departed from Europe and/or was with a European airline. You can only get delayed or cancelled flight compensation if your flight was delayed by over 3 hours upon arrival or if the cancellation of your USA flight was announced fewer than 14 days before departure. Keep in mind that the airline must also be responsible for the flight disruption.
The amount of compensation for flight delays and cancellation in the USA depends on 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 |
It is important to note that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline is required to provide you specific assistance This includes food and beverage rebates, communication, transportation, and, if necessary, overnight accommodations. You can redeem your vouchers at the airline's service counter at the airport. If the airline does not supply you with vouchers, you may purchase what you require and save the receipts; the airline must refund you.
Flight compensation for a delayed flight from/to the USA — check if you're eligible now!
If you have a delayed flight from the UK or Europe to the USA, know that there are regulations in place that protect your air passenger rights. If your flight to the USA was delayed, you may be entitled to flight compensation under EU legislation. Based on the EU regulation Regulation EC 261/2004 and its British equivalent 'The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019’, you are entitled to delayed flight compensation if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours. Since the USA is not a European country, you can only claim flight compensation for flights that depart from a European airport and/or are operated by a European carrier.
Moreover, USA delayed flight compensation depends on:
The length of the delay: your USA must have arrived to destination with over 3 hours of delay
The responsibility of the airline: you can only claim USA flight compensation if the airline was responsible for the delay. Extraordinary circumstances like extreme weather or strikes at the airport exempt the airline from providing compensation to passengers.
The compensation amount varies depending on the flight distance: the longer your flight, the higher the compensation. However, know that if you are flying from the UK or Europe to the United States, you always fall in the last bracket, meaning you can get back even £520.
Not sure if you are eligible for flight compensation for your delayed flight to the USA?
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Cancelled flight from the USA? - Compensation and refund policies
Depending on the circumstances, if you have a cancelled flight to the USA, you might be able to score both a refund AND compensation.
Claim flight compensation for your cancelled flight from USA
You might be also eligible for compensation for a cancelled flight to the USA. Compensation is awarded when the flight cancellation significantly affects your travel plans. See the tables below and find whether you are entitled to cancelled flight compensation.
| 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 |
If your flight was cancelled because of an industrial action like extreme weather at the airport you won’t be able to claim USA flight cancellation compensation as this falls under extraordinary circumstances.”
Ask for the refund of your flight from USA
What is the difference between a refund and compensation? A refund means getting back the money you have paid for the ticket for your now-cancelled flight. When the airline is at fault for the cancellation and must compensate passengers, it offers passengers USA flight compensation in the case of a cancelled flight. However, as long as they ultimately chose not to fly with the airline, all passengers are eligible for a refund.
In every case where your flight to the USA has been cancelled but you have not been offered an alternative flight, you are eligible for a refund.
You can also receive a full refund of your ticket price if your USA flight is cancelled. Compared to the compensation, this is different.
As you can see, if your flight to the USA has been cancelled fewer than 14 days in advance and you have not been offered an alternative flight, you are entitled to both a refund and compensation.
The value of cancelled flight compensation is the same as of delayed flight compensation — in regards to flights from the UK or Europe to the USA, it will be £520.
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Were you offered a voucher for your cancelled flight from the USA? Here’s what you should do.
Remember not to accept a travel voucher from the airline — according to the law, they must give you actual money! If you accept a travel voucher from the airline, it forces you to book another flight with the company that already let you down once and if the airline files for bankruptcy, you essentially lose your money!
Flight delayed or cancelled to the USA, am I also entitled to flight compensation?
Yes, but only if your flight carrier is a UK or EU-based airline.
For example, if you are travelling with British Airways or with KLM, you are eligible for delayed and cancelled flight compensation based on UK/EU law.
However, if you are flying with an American airline, such as Delta, you are not eligible for flight compensation.
| 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 |
Extraordinary circumstances disrupted my USA flight - can the airline deny my compensation claim?
Yes, but they might not always be right.
In some cases — especially if you are requesting flight compensation for a flight to the USA without the help of a legal professional — airlines might deny you compensation, as they believe you will not take them to court.
However, there are also the so-called extraordinary circumstances when passengers are not eligible for compensation:
Bad weather, such as thick fog, heavy rain, or thunderstorms.
A strike, most often specifically within the aviation industry.
HOWEVER! A strike of a specific airline/their 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 unruly or ill passenger.
Flight delays caused by the airport staff, such as extraordinarily long queues to security checks.
Delayed or cancelled flight to the USA?
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How long can I claim for my delayed or cancelled flight from the USA?
This depends on the country you are flying from.
For example, the United Kingdom has one of the longest periods to submit a flight compensation claim — you can do so up to 6 years after the original flight date. Scotland is the one exception, where you would have 5 years to file a claim.
Use our free Claim Calculator to check whether you are eligible for flight compensation or a refund for your delayed or cancelled flight to the USA.
How long before I receive my flight compensation for my flight from the USA?
This highly depends on how fast the airline will answer and whether the case will be taken to court.
At Flight-Delayed.co.uk, we make sure to process the claims as soon as possible. Thanks to our 10+ years of experience in the industry and close relationships with many airlines, we can process your claim fast and give it the much-needed attention throughout the whole process.
Unfortunately, we sometimes must deal with unresponsive airlines and lengthy court proceedings. This means that while often passengers can get their money within weeks or months, other cases take even a few years to be resolved.
Whatever the case, we will make sure to provide you with updates about your claim as often as possible. Plus, please remember that we only collect a fee after the airline has already paid you money.
How can I claim for a USA flight cancelled or delayed?
You can do everything right from your phone or your computer using our easy-to-use online system. Simply fill out basic information regarding your flight and then add any relevant travel documents requested. Don’t forget to keep all relevant documents regarding your flight: passport, booking number, boarding pass, expenses due to the delay or cancellation. The more information we have on your disrupted flight, the faster our experts will be able to help you get USA flight compensation!
After this is done, we’ll take care of all the paperwork and legal proceedings. You can go back to doing what you love and just wait for the money to appear in your bank account!
Why claim with Flight-Delayed.com
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About the USA
The USA is a country of over 50 independent states filled with glamour and a varied geographical landscape. With famed major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and many more, it is no surprise that over 20 million tourists flock to these attractive destinations. To name a few popular places, there is the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, the White House… The list never ends!
That’s not to say that the American residents don’t want to miss out on their chances to travel the world and, in particular, the European continent. There are multiple North American airlines that offer their services to Europe; these include American Airlines and Delta Air Lines among others. The USA has the largest number of airports in the world, coming in at over 5,200 open to public use. In Europe, you can find these airlines every day in cities like Amsterdam, London and Paris.
Useful links
- EVA Air 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