United 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 United Airlines flights are covered
United Airlines is registered in United States — outside the EU and UK — so only flights leaving Europe are covered.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Flying into the UK or EU from United States or elsewhere: not covered by either, because United Airlines is not a UK or EU carrier.
- That means a return trip is usually half-protected: the outbound from Europe counts, the flight home does not.
Worked examples on United Airlines routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (LHR) → Newark (EWR) | 5,562 km | UK261 | £520 |
| Newark (EWR) → London (LHR) | 5,562 km | — | Not covered |
| Paris (CDG) → Newark (EWR) | 5,857 km | EU261 | €600 |
| Newark (EWR) → Paris (CDG) | 5,857 km | — | Not covered |
Notice the asymmetry: the same route pays in one direction and not the other, because United Airlines is not a UK or EU airline and only departures from Europe are protected.
What United 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 United Airlines
United is not an EU or UK carrier. A London or Frankfurt departure to the United States IS covered because it leaves the UK or EU. The flight back from Newark or Chicago is NOT covered.
US carriers frequently answer European claims with US Department of Transportation rules, which are a different and much weaker regime for delays. Point them back to the Regulation and the departure airport.
Compensation on the covered direction is £520 or €600, since every transatlantic route is over 3,500 km.
A United flight sold as a codeshare on a European partner may actually have been operated by that partner. Check the operating carrier — it changes who owes you.
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your United Airlines delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with United 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.
United Airlines delay: common questions
How much can I claim from United 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 United Airlines’s routes.
My United 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 United 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 United Airlines delay claim?
It depends on where you bring the claim, usually where the flight departed or arrived. Six years in England and Wales; two to five years in most EU countries.
Other United Airlines claims
- United Airlines: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- United 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).
- United 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.
- United 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.