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British Airways Compensation For Delayed and Cancelled Flights

If your British Airways flight is disrupted or cancelled, Skycop can help you claim compensation for delayed flights quickly and easily. We are the experts in British Airways compensation claims, with payouts of up to €600.

Start your BA compensation claim today on disrupted flights in the last three years.

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Useful Advice & Information about British Airways

British Airways is the UK's flag-carrying airline with one of the largest fleets in the world, but its on-time performance is not always good. According to aviation industry analyst OAG, in 2023 BA flew nearly 300,000 flights and almost 40% of those arrived at least 15 minutes late. That's around 120,000 late flights in total.

If you're affected by delays and disruption to a BA scheduled flight, you can start by talking to the airline staff at the airport. Try to find out if there is a reason for the delay and get proof of this, e.g. photographs of information screens.

You may be entitled to vouchers for free food and drink at the airport, or even overnight accommodation if your flight is delayed until the next day. Try to be patient with staff, there's usually nothing they can do about delays and cancellations in the moment, but they may be able to make your wait more comfortable.

If you want to claim flight cancellation compensation, British Airways have clear policies for that, governed by European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. This is the standard for airlines registered in the European Union, and for all flights departing from EU airports.

For help claiming BA compensation for cancelled flight, fill in our claim form today and we will work to prove your eligibility for compensation of up to €600.

Extra Services British Airways Offers at the Airport

British Airways passengers can benefit from a number of services at the departure airport, especially if you are travelling with young children.

  • Checking In
    Check in online from 24 hours before your flight's scheduled departure time. Print or download a digital boarding pass. If you forget or lose this on the day, you can reprint it at a check-in kiosk at the airport.

  • Overnight Bag Drop
    If you're flying in the early morning from London Heathrow Terminal 3 or 5, London Gatwick, London City or Edinburgh Airport, you can check in your bags the evening before your flight.

  • BA Airport Lounges
    BA offer Business and First Class departure lounges, with comfortable furniture and access to a range of food and drink options. BA Arrivals lounges are also available at London airports, allowing passengers to shower and freshen up for their onward journey.

  • Families First
    Families can board first, including parents with babies under two years old and/or children in pushchairs. You should be at the departure gate at least 45 minutes early to give BA staff time to load your pushchair into the aircraft's baggage hold.

  • Travel Assistance
    BA offers a range of other travel assistance, including help for pregnant passengers, passengers with mobility impairments and other disabilities, and young flyers travelling alone.

Your Rights as a Passenger: British Airways Flight Delay Compensation

The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation sets out the protection and compensation you should expect as a passenger when departing from an EU airport, or when arriving to an EU destination on an EU-registered airline.

Its official title is European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and it's the legislation Skycop use when we make a claim on your behalf. The regulation applies to British Airways compensation claims, including significant delays and cancelled flights.

The exact support that should be offered depends on the distance of your flight and on the length of the delay. Longer flights and longer delays mean you are entitled to more support at the airport and a higher amount of compensation for the disruption to travel.

Some of the protections given to passengers under EC 261/2004 include:

  • Rerouting to final destination in the event of a cancelled flight

  • Refund for parts of journey not flown

  • Reimbursement for missed connecting flights

  • Refreshments/meals at airport during longer delays

  • Two phone calls, transport and hotel accommodation in some cases

British Airways claim compensation eligibility

BA's own website lists the eligibility criteria for British Airways late flight compensation, including:

- Delay of more than three hours for reasons within BA's control
- Flight cancellation within BA's control with less than 14 days' notice

If you are offered an alternative flight with similar departure and arrival times, your right to compensation may be reduced by 50% and in some cases, you may not be eligible for BA cancelled flight compensation at all.

Steps to Take If Your British Airways Flight Is Delayed or Cancelled

If your flight is delayed, cancelled, overbooked or otherwise disrupted, stay calm. Talk to BA staff at the check-in desk or departure gate. Find out what options are available to you at the time, and make sure you keep a record of anything you are offered.

To claim a British Airways reimbursement you'll need to evidence the disruption you experienced, so keep a full written record of your details and any hardship you suffered:

- Full names of all affected passengers on your compensation claim
- Full flight details including scheduled and actual departure/arrival times
- Full details (including receipts) of any incurred expenses for food, travel and accommodation

Keep any printed documentation, such as tickets and boarding passes, or take screenshots of digital boarding passes and upload them to a safe and secure location (e.g. your emails or cloud storage).

When making a claim, you may want to keep the original documents. Take digital copies to upload as part of your compensation claim, or clear high-resolution digital photographs that allow all text on the document to be read easily.

BA compensation for delayed flight checklist

Before you make a compensation claim for an overbooked, delayed or cancelled flight, make sure you have completed the following steps:

  • 1. Speak to staff on the day and keep a record of anything you were told

  • 2. Keep full details of who was travelling and of the affected flights

  • 3. Keep original copies, scans and screenshots of all flight documents

  • 4. Keep any proof of expenses e.g. till receipts for food, drink and hotel rooms

  • 5. Check you are eligible to claim compensation for your disrupted travel

If you're not sure whether your delay is eligible to claim compensation, fill in the Skycop claim form and we will check whether you are entitled to up to €600 refund.

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How to Claim Compensation for British Airways Flight Delays

Let's summarise the eligibility criteria and the compensation you might receive when claiming British Airways flight delay compensation:

  • Eligibility to Claim:

    You may be able to claim BA delayed flight compensation if the following applies:

    - Your arrival to your final destination is delayed by more than three hours for reasons that BA could have controlled OR
    - Your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the departure date OR
    - You are prevented from boarding your flight because it has been overbooked

  • Required Documentation:

    The more evidence you can provide, the better. At the least, you should be able to supply most or all of the following:

    - Full details of all affected passengers in your party
    - Details of the affected flights and any missed connections
    - Receipts of any incurred expenses e.g. food, transport, hotels

    In particular, try to provide any evidence that shows how long you were delayed. As we'll see below, this can affect the size of the British Airways claim refund you receive.

  • Compensation Size:

    - €250 on flights up to 1,500 km
    - €400 on flights over 1,500 km within the EU OR
    - €400 on flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km outside the EU
    - €600 on all other flights

    If you are offered an alternative flight, your compensation may be reduced by 50% if your new arrival time is close to your original scheduled arrival time:

    - Within two hours (flights up to 1,500 km)
    - Within three hours (EU flights over 1,500 km and non-EU flights 1,500-3,500 km)
    - Within four hours (all other flights)

    You may be entitled to additional compensation for expenses including meals, hotel stays, transport costs and up to two telephone or internet calls to people outside the airport.

Find out if you are eligible to claim delay, cancellation or overbooked flight compensation with Skycop.

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How much is British Airways compensation?

As mentioned above, BA compensation for delayed flights can be as much as €600 for long-haul flights or €400 for flights within the EU. You may also be able to claim overbooked flight compensation if you are not allowed to board your ticketed flight because BA sold too many seats.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does British Airways pay for delays and cancelled flights?

    BA pay up to €600 for delayed and cancelled long-haul flights, and €400 for flights within the EU. You may also be able to claim additional expenses such as food and accommodation.

  • How do I claim a money refund from British Airways?

    The easiest way to claim is online. Skycop can help – just fill in our claim form and we will check your eligibility and let you know how much we think you are entitled to receive. BA will not process compensation claims at the airport.

  • How long does a BA flight need to be delayed for compensation?

    You should be offered refreshments if a short-haul flight is delayed by as little as two hours. To receive compensation for your journey disruption, you should be at least three hours late arriving at your destination airport.

  • When is British Airways not giving refunds?

    BA may refuse to pay compensation in exceptional circumstances, for example due to severe weather events or acts of terrorism. For a claim to be successful, BA should have been reasonably able to avoid the cause of the delay or cancellation.

See All Questions

Help Provided at These Airports and More

Skycop have helped delayed and disrupted passengers to claim compensation at the airports listed below, including British Airways' home airport London Heathrow.

Paris Orly Amsterdam Schiphol Düsseldorf Airport Vienna Airport Manchester Airport Stockholm Arlanda Dublin Airport Zürich Airport Oslo Airport Kastrup Airport Fiumicino Airport London Gatwick Barcelona Airport Munich Airport Madrid Airport Frankfurt am Main Charles de Gaulle London Heathrow

Successful Cases Against These Airlines and Others

Skycop have launched successful compensation claims against all major airline operators, including the UK flag carrier British Airways.

Loganair EVA Air Corendon Airlines PLAY Airlines Freebird Croatia Airlines Icelandair Sunexpress Air Dolomiti Wideroe Volotea Frontier Airlines FlyDubai Allegiant Alaska Airlines Aeromexico WestJet Swiss Airlines Singapore Airlines Qatar Airways Emirates Delta Airlines Avianca Air Transat Air India Air Canada Transavia Eurowings Virgin Atlantic Jet2 Luxair Aegean Condor United Airlines ITA Airways TUI fly Belgium Brussels Airlines Austrian Airlines TAP Air Portugal GetJet SmartLynx airBaltic Air France EasyJet Finnair KLM LOT Airlines Lufthansa Norwegian Air Shuttle SAS Wizz Air Aer Lingus British Airways Iberia Turkish Airlines Vueling Ryanair

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