London to New York flight compensation
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Quick answer
London to New York is about 5,540 km, so UK261 compensation is £520 per passenger for arrival delays of 4 hours or more, reduced to £260 when the delay is between 3 and 4 hours. Departing Heathrow, every airline is covered; on the return, only British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and EU carriers are.
Great-circle distance
5,540 km
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) → John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Compensation band: Over 3,500 km
Fixed compensation
£520
£520 per passenger
Applicable rules: UK261 (UK passenger rights)
Example
A passenger arriving 3+ hours late at New York on a covered flight could claim £520 per passenger.
If the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure without a close alternative, the same £520 applies.
On this long-haul route the airline may halve the amount if the arrival delay is under 4 hours.
- British Airwayscovered on this direction· UK licence· CEDR Aviation
- Virgin Atlanticcovered on this direction· UK licence· AviationADR
- American Airlinescovered on this direction· third-country licence
- Delta Air Linescovered on this direction· third-country licence
- United Airlinescovered on this direction· third-country licence
- JetBluecovered on this direction· third-country licence
Departing from London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow operates at close to full runway capacity, so weather and air-traffic flow restrictions turn into delays and "capacity" cancellations faster than at any other UK airport. A general reference to restrictions at Heathrow is not a defence: the airline has to show the restriction that applied to your flight.
Heathrow is British Airways' hub; on a single booking through Heathrow the delay is measured at the final destination and the distance band covers the whole journey.
Direction matters
- London → New York
- UK261 (UK passenger rights) · £520 · any airline
- New York → London
- UK261 (UK passenger rights) (covered airlines only) · £520
What changes on the return leg
| Airlines covered | any airline | covered airlines only |
|---|
Delay, cancellation or missed connection on this direction
- Delayed
- £520 per passenger is due when at least one door opens at John F. Kennedy International Airport three hours or more after the scheduled arrival; the departure delay at London Heathrow Airport does not count. From 4 hours of delay the airline owes meals and communication whatever the cause, and from 5 hours you may abandon the trip for a refund. For an arrival delay between three and four hours the amount is halved to £260.
- Cancelled
- The same £520 per passenger is due when the airline told you less than 14 days before departure and did not re-route you within the legal windows (at most 2 hours early and under 4 hours late with 7–14 days’ notice; 1 hour and 2 hours under 7 days). A refund or re-routing, and care while you wait, are due in every case.
- Missed connection
- If John F. Kennedy International Airport is not your final destination and both flights were on one booking, the delay is measured where the journey ends and the amount on the distance from London Heathrow Airport to that final airport (Folkerts, C-11/11) — even when the onward flight is outside Europe. On separate tickets each flight stands alone, and a missed onward flight is not the first airline’s liability.
Escalation for this direction
Enforcement body: UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) (United Kingdom)
Dispute-resolution scheme: AviationADR · binding
Court claims: 6 years (Limitation Act 1980, s. 5 (England and Wales; six years). Scotland: five years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973.). Court claims are brought before the County court — Money Claim Online (small claims track).
Direct answer
- Short answer
- Yes — a flight from London to New York delayed 3+ hours, cancelled at short notice or overbooked can be worth £520 per passenger, on any airline.
- Amount
- £520£520 per passenger · 5,540 km
- Why
- The distance is 5,540 km (Over 3,500 km) and the flight falls under UK261 (UK passenger rights); the fixed amount depends only on the distance band.
- What can change it
- The airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, ATC, security) that it could not avoid.
- Arrival delay under 3 hours at the final destination.
- Cancellation announced 14+ days ahead, or re-routing within the legal windows.
- Delay between 3 and 4 hours on this long-haul route halves the amount.
- Check your flight
- Check compensation for this route
- Official source
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) — UK Government — legislation.gov.ukLast checked against the source on 23 September 2026
What happens if my London → New York flight is delayed or cancelled?
UK261 applies to every airline on this route: £520 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding, unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance. Refund, re-routing and care are due whatever the cause.
Does this apply to your flight?
Checking a London → New York flight?
A few short questions — no flight number needed yet. You get a preliminary result on the facts you give; the full check confirms it from the itinerary.
Already known from this page
- London (LHR) → New York (JFK)
What happened to your flight?
The route
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American, Delta, United and JetBlue link Heathrow with JFK and Newark. All are covered on departure from London. New York → London flights are covered only on BA and Virgin (UK carriers) and on EU carriers; American, Delta, United and JetBlue inbound flights are outside UK261.
The 3–4 hour band
£520 requires an arrival delay of 4 hours or more; between 3 and 4 hours the airline may pay £260. The arrival time is when the aircraft door opens at JFK.
Typical causes and defences
Heathrow’s runway capacity, US East Coast weather and JFK slot congestion are the usual defences — extraordinary where proven for your flight. Aircraft technical faults and crew duty limits are not.
Escalation
BA: CEDR; Virgin Atlantic: AviationADR (both binding). US carriers: CAA PACT, then county court within 6 years.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delayed or cancelled flight from London to New York covered by UK261?
Yes, on any airline: the flight departs from the United Kingdom, so UK261 applies whatever the carrier's nationality. Whether compensation is due then depends on the disruption — an arrival delay of three hours or more, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead, or denied boarding — and on the cause.
How much compensation for a delayed or cancelled London to New York flight?
£520 per passenger for a 5,540 km flight, if the disruption qualifies and no extraordinary circumstance is proven. On an arrival delay between three and four hours the amount is halved to £260. It is the same for every fare and does not depend on the ticket price; a re-routing that gets you there within the Article 7(2) time limits can halve it.
What if the airline rejects my claim for a London to New York flight?
Reply once in writing asking for the facts behind the refusal, then escalate outside the airline. ADR schemes for this route: British Airways → CEDR Aviation; Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines → AviationADR; American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue → CAA Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) — free for passengers. The enforcement body is UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Court claims must be brought within the limitation period of the United Kingdom: 6 years.
Do the same rules apply on the way back, from New York to London?
Not entirely. On the return flight the regime is the same, and only airlines licensed in the arrival country are covered. Each direction is judged on its own departure.
Sources
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-559/16 Bossen v Brussels Airlines — the distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure and the final destination
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law)
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukThe Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278)
Last legally reviewed: 12 September 2026 · Content updated: 12 September 2026
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