Bumped from a UK flight? What UK 261 pays you

Priya was flying from Edinburgh to Faro, changing planes at Gatwick, when the gate agent stopped her at the desk: the Gatwick–Faro leg was oversold, and there wasn't a seat for her. She assumed she was just out of luck for the day. She wasn't. Since Brexit, UK-departing flights have their own version of the EU rule you might have heard of — UK 261 — and it pays out the same way EC 261 does for EU flights, just in pounds. It applies whether you're flying easyJet, British Airways, or a long-haul carrier out of Heathrow.

Paid regardless of ticket price. Airlines can halve this if they reroute you and you still land within 2 hours (short-haul), 3 hours (medium-haul), or 4 hours (long-haul) of your original arrival time.

Priya's situation was straightforward: confirmed booking, checked in, at the gate on time — the airline just couldn't fit her on. That's involuntary denied boarding, and UK 261 covers it. As a rule, UK 261 mirrors EC 261: it covers your flight if it departs a UK airport, on any airline, or lands in the UK operated by a UK or EU carrier.

You're not covered if:

• You volunteered to give up your seat — you're covered by whatever you agreed to instead, not the statutory amount.

• Your documents (passport, visa) weren't in order.

• You were denied for health, safety, or security reasons.

• You arrived at the gate too late.

And, as with EC 261, overbooking itself is never an "extraordinary circumstance" — the CAA is clear that a lack-of-space refusal caused by the airline's own commercial decision doesn't excuse it from paying.

A gap worth watching: UK 261 and EU 261 are about to diverge

The EU formally signed off a reform to EC 261 in July 2026 — Parliament approved it 7 July, the Council followed on 13 July. It doesn't touch denied boarding compensation amounts, but it does add protections (like guaranteed free cabin bags and stronger tarmac-delay rights) that only apply to EU-regulated flights, taking effect from mid-to-late 2027. UK 261 hasn't adopted the same changes, so once the EU reform lands, the two regimes will no longer mirror each other for the first time since Brexit. If you fly UK–EU routes regularly, it's worth knowing which set of rules applies to which leg.

Priya's example: the connection that decides your payout

Because Priya was only bumped from the short Gatwick–Faro leg, it would be easy to assume her compensation was based on that short hop. It wasn't — it was based on her full itinerary, Edinburgh to Faro. Distance is measured to the destination the denial actually delays you from reaching, not the specific leg where it happened. That can mean a bigger payout than the short leg alone would suggest, so don't assume you know your tier until you've worked it out end to end. Priya didn't need to work it out by hand either — the AirHelp app did it from her booking reference.

What to do if you're bumped

1. Don't volunteer until you've heard the offer. Once you agree to give up your seat voluntarily, you swap the fixed UK 261 amount for whatever you negotiate instead.

2. Ask for written confirmation of why you were denied boarding — the airline has to give you this, and it's useful evidence later.

3. Get your care while you wait — meals, refreshments, and a hotel if you're overnighting, separate from and not conditional on compensation.

4. Choose rerouting or a refund, whichever suits your trip.

5. Keep your boarding pass, booking reference, and any receipts.

6. File your claim — you don't need a solicitor for a standard UK 261 claim.

How to claim

The legal detail — what counts as valid evidence, how airlines can respond, and what to do if they refuse — is covered in full on our UK denied boarding compensation page and our UK 261 guide. For an independent, official explanation of your rights, the CAA's denied boarding guidance is worth a look too. Or skip the reading entirely: the AirHelp app checks your eligibility in under a minute from a plain-language description of what happened, and hands you straight to a claim if you qualify.

Does it matter which airline I flew?

No. UK 261 covers any airline on a flight departing the UK, and UK or EU airlines flying into the UK. Ticket price and airline don't change the amount.

What if I'm flying from the EU to the UK on a non-UK, non-EU airline?

You may not be covered by UK 261 in that case — check the specific route and operating carrier, since coverage depends on both.

Can the airline call overbooking an "extraordinary circumstance"?

No. That defence is for events genuinely outside the airline's control, like severe weather. Overbooking is the airline's own commercial decision.

How long do I have to claim under UK 261?

Considerably longer than most people assume — but don't rely on the deadline. File as soon as you can and keep your documents in the meantime.

Were you bumped?

Check your compensation in the AirHelp app — it takes less than a minute.