LOT Polish Airlines delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which LOT Polish Airlines flights are covered
LOT Polish Airlines is registered in Poland, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because LOT Polish Airlines is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on LOT Polish Airlines routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warsaw (WAW) → Kraków (KRK) | 246 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Warsaw (WAW) → Paris (CDG) | 1,343 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Warsaw (WAW) → Barcelona (BCN) | 1,870 km | EU261 | €400 |
| Warsaw (WAW) → Rome (FCO) | 1,327 km | EU261 | €250 |
What LOT Polish Airlines is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to LOT Polish Airlines
Poland applies a notably short limitation period to air carriage claims — around one year in practice. A LOT claim expires much faster than a UK or Spanish one, so act on it quickly.
Warsaw is a connecting hub to North America and Asia, so a fair share of claims are missed connections in the €600 band.
The Polish enforcement body, the ULC, handles a high volume of passenger complaints and is a realistic escalation route.
Responses are often slow and in a standard format. The 14-day deadline in your letter is what gives the escalation a date to point at.
Time limit: LOT Polish Airlines is based in Poland, where claims run for 1 year from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your LOT Polish Airlines delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with LOT Polish Airlines’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
LOT Polish Airlines delay: common questions
How much can I claim from LOT Polish Airlines for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of LOT Polish Airlines’s routes.
My LOT Polish Airlines flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does LOT Polish Airlines give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a LOT Polish Airlines delay claim?
Where LOT Polish Airlines is based, the limit is 1 year. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other LOT Polish Airlines claims
- LOT Polish Airlines: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- LOT Polish Airlines: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- LOT Polish Airlines: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- LOT Polish Airlines: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.