Air passenger rights laws
A disrupted flight is often covered by two statutes at once — the country you left and the country the airline belongs to — and they rarely pay the same. These are the five that matter most, each with what it pays, what triggers it, the defences airlines raise, and a link to the law itself.
- EU261 — EU261 gives air passengers €250, €400 or €600 when a flight arrives three or more hours late, is cancelled with less than fourteen days' notice, or boarding is denied.
- UK261 — UK261 gives passengers £220, £350 or £520 when a flight arrives three or more hours late, is cancelled at short notice, or boarding is denied.
- the Aviation Services Law — Israel's Aviation Services Law gives passengers ₪1,530, ₪2,450 or ₪3,670 by distance when a flight is cancelled, or when departure is delayed or brought forward by more than eight hours.
- US DOT rules — The United States has no statutory compensation for a delayed flight, however long it lasts.
- the APPR — Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations pay CA$400, CA$700 or CA$1,000 for a delay that is within the airline's control, according to how late you finally arrive.