Airline compensation guides by airline

Checked 15 Sep 202664 published cards

UK261, EU261, Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations and US DOT rules bind different airlines on different routes; no single law covers every flight. Each of the 64 airlines with a guide here carries its default regime below, grouped by market: the licence an airline holds decides whether a law reaches its arrivals, and the departure airport decides the rest (About).

Every airline below links to its own guide; the regime tags on its card are the default, not a guarantee for your specific route.

#Which UK and European airlines pay under UK261 or EU261?

British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Loganair, Norse Atlantic, TUI, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air hold UK licences, so UK261 pays £220 to £520 on flights into and out of the UK. Aegean, Aer Lingus, Air France, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, Vueling and twelve more hold EU licences; EU261 pays €250 to €600 to or from an EU airport.

Source: UK261 arts. 7(1), 5(3), 8, 9 — legislation.gov.uk; EU261 arts. 7(1), 5(3), 8, 9 — eur-lex.europa.eu; CAA Type A and EC ACOL licence lists — caa.co.uk, transport.ec.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.

Neither scale is automatic: an airline that proves extraordinary circumstances owes no article 7 payment. The exemption lifts that fixed sum alone, and meals, a hotel, re-routing and a refund stay owed — see the UK and EU tests.

UK air carriers:

Community carriers:

The EU entities of easyJet, Wizz Air and TUI share the group guides linked under UK air carriers.

A group brand such as easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, TUI or Aer Lingus/Emerald holds several licences at once, and the one on your booking decides the regime. Arrivals add an asymmetry. A UK carrier’s arrival into the UK or the EU runs on UK261. An EU carrier’s arrival into the EU runs on EU261, and into the UK on UK261. Neither covers you if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in the country you left. Lufthansa CityLine ended its own flights on 18 April 2026; Deutsche Lufthansa and Lufthansa City Airlines hold separate licences and still fly. Check the operating-carrier line on the booking before opening a card.

#Which US airlines owe what under DOT rules?

9 named US carriers — Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United — show 'No' for cash compensation. That is the Department of Transportation’s Cancellation and Delay Dashboard, last updated 11 September 2025. US law requires compensation on a domestic trip only when you are bumped from an oversold flight, never for a delay or cancellation alone.

Source: DOT Fly Rights — transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

US carriers:

Alaska AirlinesUS DOT $$2,150DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Allegiant AirUS DOT $DOT only; no EASA or CAA listing on file American AirlinesUS DOT $EU261 €UK261 £DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Breeze AirwaysUS DOT $DOT; not on the DOT dashboard, so its contract of carriage sets the delay terms Delta Air LinesUS DOT $EU261 €UK261 £$2,150,DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Frontier AirlinesUS DOT $$2,150DOT only; no EASA or CAA listing on file Hawaiian AirlinesUS DOT $DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only JetBlueUS DOT $EU261 €UK261 £$2,150DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Southwest AirlinesUS DOT $$2,150DOT only; no EASA or CAA listing on file Spirit Airlines has stopped flyingUS DOT $stopped flying on 2 May 2026: ticket and refund guide United AirlinesUS DOT $EU261 €UK261 £$2,150DOT; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only

All nine have a guide here, and Breeze Airways, which the dashboard leaves out, has one too. Credit or voucher offers are marked 'Yes' only for Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue and Southwest, and airline miles only for Alaska and Hawaiian. Frontier is also the dashboard’s one recorded exception for hotel and ground transport, marked 'No' where the rest of the table reads 'Yes'. Spirit Airlines ceased all flights on 2 May 2026; its guide covers what happens to a ticket and a refund claim against a carrier in wind-down. American Airlines' refund process for a cancelled or changed US flight has its own guide: a refund returns your fare, and no federal rule adds compensation on top. Check your airline’s dashboard row before you accept a voucher.

#Which Canadian airlines fall under APPR?

2 million passengers worldwide in each of the two preceding calendar years is the threshold that makes a carrier 'large' under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which apply to flights to, from and within Canada on any airline. A small carrier's delay bands run C$125 to C$500, not C$400 to C$1,000. Seven Canadian guides sit below.

Source: APPR s.1(2), s.19(1); Canada Transportation Act s.86.11(1) — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15; CTA large and small carrier guidance — protection-passager-passenger.otc-cta.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-17.

Canadian carriers (APPR, large-carrier scale):

Air CanadaAPPR C$UK261 £EU261 €C$400–C$1,000APPR; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Air TransatAPPR C$UK261 £EU261 €C$400–C$1,000APPR; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only Flair AirlinesAPPR C$C$400–C$1,000APPR Porter AirlinesAPPR C$C$400–C$1,000APPR Sunwing Vacations flights are operated by WestJetAPPR C$Sunwing Vacations flights operated by WestJet since 29 May 2025; claim with WestJet WestJetAPPR C$UK261 £EU261 €C$400–C$1,000APPR; third-country operator, UK261/EU261 on departures only

Canadian carriers (APPR, small-carrier scale):

Canadian NorthAPPR C$C$125-C$500,APPR; C$125 to C$500 for a 3-hour-plus delay within its control and not required for safety

Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Porter Airlines and Flair Airlines all fly under APPR, and each guide states its band: the Canadian Transportation Agency assigns the large-carrier scale to all five, Flair on its current classification (checked 2026-09-17), and names Canadian North among its examples of small carriers. Sunwing Vacations flights have been operated by WestJet since 29 May 2025, so a claim for one goes to WestJet. APPR covers a flight to, from or within Canada whatever the operator’s size, and the standards of treatment are the same either way; only the compensation band moves. Read the Air Passenger Protection Regulations hub for those standards, the bands and how to file with the Canadian Transportation Agency.

#Which long-haul airlines owe UK261 or EU261 on departures?

Any airline leaving a UK airport owes UK261; any airline leaving an EU, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swiss airport owes EU261, whatever its licence. Air Arabia, Air India, Cathay Pacific, EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Kenya Airways, Kuwait Airways, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines are third-country operators: neither rule reaches their inbound flights.

Source: EASA Authorised Third Country Operators list, updated 14 September 2026 — easa.europa.eu; CAA airline licence holders — caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

Third-country operators (EASA TCO list):

Swiss and Icelandic carriers (departures covered; arrivals unconfirmed):

SWISSEU261 €UK261 £€250–€600Swiss air operator’s certificate; no operating-licence listing confirms Community-carrier status IcelandairEU261 €UK261 £€250–€600Icelandic air operator’s certificate; EEA Community-carrier status unconfirmed

Allegiant, Frontier and Southwest are absent from it: EASA and the CAA record no third-country authorisation for any of them, so this site claims no UK261 or EU261 cover for them beyond the DOT rules above. SWISS and Icelandair fly on Swiss and Icelandic air operator’s certificates, and no operating-licence listing confirms Community-carrier status for either, so treat their inbound legs as open. Check the departure airport, not the airline’s home country: a Turkish Airlines flight out of Heathrow owes UK261 in full; the same airline’s flight into Heathrow from Istanbul owes nothing under either regime.

#Regime matrix at a glance

Situation	Regime	Who it covers
Departure from a UK airport	UK261	Any airline
Departure from an EU, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swiss airport	EU261	Any airline
Arrival into the UK	UK261	UK or Community carrier only, unless already compensated abroad
Arrival into the EU	EU261	Community carrier only, unless already compensated abroad
US domestic delay or cancellation	US DOT rules	Refund rights only, no compensation
Flight to, from or within Canada	APPR	Any airline; the compensation band varies by carrier size

Source: UK261 and EU261 art. 3(1) — legislation.gov.uk, eur-lex.europa.eu; DOT Fly Rights — transportation.gov; Canada Transportation Act s.86.11(1) — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.

Every row turns on the departure or arrival airport and the operating carrier’s licence, never on the airline’s marketing country.

Not your situation, or still unsure which law fits? Work it out here.

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case: contact the CAA, Citizens Advice or a solicitor.

#Sources

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK domestic law, arts. 3, 7 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU text), arts. 3, 7 - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
EU-Switzerland Air Transport Agreement (consolidated 15.7.2023) - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
CAA Type A list of UK air carrier operating licence holders - caa.co.uk, checked 2026-09-15.
EASA authorised third-country operators list, updated 14/09/2026 - easa.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
European Commission, EU air carriers by country holding an active operating licence, ACOL data 19/05/2026 - transport.ec.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
US Department of Transportation, Fly Rights - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
US Department of Transportation, Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
Canada Transportation Act, s.86.11(1) - laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
Air Passenger Protection Regulations, ss. 1(2), 19(1) - laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, checked 2026-09-15.
NPR, Spirit Airlines ceases operations, 2 May 2026 - npr.org.
Skift, Lufthansa shuts down CityLine unit, 16 April 2026 - skift.com.

#FAQ

Which airlines pay flight delay compensation?

UK air carriers and EU (Community) carriers pay UK261 or EU261 compensation of £220 to £520 or €250 to €600 on delays of 3 hours or more, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Third-country airlines owe the same rules only on flights leaving a UK or EU airport, never on their inbound legs.

Do non-European airlines pay EU261 compensation?

Only on departure. EU261 covers any airline flying out of an EU, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swiss airport, including US, Gulf and Asian carriers. It does not cover their inbound flights: EU261 arrivals need a Community carrier under article 3(1)(b), so a US or Gulf airline's flight into the EU is not covered.

Do US airlines pay compensation for delays?

No federal law requires it. The Department of Transportation says compensation on a US domestic trip is required only when you are bumped from an oversold flight, never for a delay or cancellation alone. All nine carriers on its Cancellation and Delay Dashboard show 'No' for cash compensation, on a page last updated 11 September 2025.

Which Canadian airlines pay APPR compensation?

Any airline flying to, from or within Canada, when a delay of 3 hours or more is within its control and not required for safety. The CTA's guidance, checked 17 September 2026, names Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Porter and Flair among large carriers (C$400 to C$1,000) and Canadian North among small ones (C$125 to C$500).