London to Paris flight compensation
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Quick answer
London to Paris is about 348 km, so compensation is £220 per passenger under UK261 (retained Regulation 261/2004) for delays of three hours or more, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding, on any airline. The airline can only refuse by proving extraordinary circumstances; the return direction has its own rules.
Great-circle distance
348 km
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) → Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Compensation band: Up to 1,500 km
Fixed compensation
£220
£220 per passenger
Applicable rules: UK261 (UK passenger rights)
Example
A passenger arriving 3+ hours late at Paris on a covered flight could claim £220 per passenger.
If the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure without a close alternative, the same £220 applies.
- British Airwayscovered on this direction· UK licence· CEDR Aviation
- Air Francecovered on this direction· EU/EEA licence· Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV)
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 → Paris
- UK261 (UK passenger rights) · £220 · any airline
- Paris → London
- EU Regulation 261/2004 · €250 · any airline
What changes on the return leg
| Applicable rules | UK261 (UK passenger rights) | EU Regulation 261/2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed compensation | £220 | €250 |
| Enforcement body | UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) | Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) |
| Dispute-resolution scheme | AviationADR | Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV) |
| Time limit for a court claim | 6 years | 5 years |
| Court | County court — Money Claim Online (small claims track) | Tribunal judiciaire — procédure simplifiée / European Small Claims Procedure |
The two directions are governed by different rules: the departure country decides which regime applies, and a flight from outside Europe is only covered when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA, the UK or Switzerland.
Delay, cancellation or missed connection on this direction
- Delayed
- £220 per passenger is due when at least one door opens at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport three hours or more after the scheduled arrival; the departure delay at London Heathrow Airport does not count. From 2 hours of delay the airline owes meals and communication whatever the cause, and from 5 hours you may abandon the trip for a refund.
- Cancelled
- The same £220 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 Paris Charles de Gaulle 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 Paris delayed 3+ hours, cancelled at short notice or overbooked can be worth £220 per passenger, on any airline.
- Amount
- £220£220 per passenger · 348 km
- Why
- The distance is 348 km (Up to 1,500 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.
- 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 → Paris flight is delayed or cancelled?
UK261 applies to every airline on this route: £220 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 → Paris 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) → Paris (CDG)
What happened to your flight?
Which rules apply on this direction
Flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) depart the United Kingdom, so UK261 (retained Regulation 261/2004) applies to every airline that operates the route. The great-circle distance is 348 km (up to 1,500 km), which puts the fixed compensation at £220 per passenger for a delay of three hours or more at arrival, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead without a close replacement, or involuntary denied boarding.
Whatever the cause, care starts earlier than compensation on this short-distance flight: after 2 hours of delay at London Heathrow Airport the airline owes meals and communication, and after 5 hours you may abandon the trip and demand a refund of the unused ticket.
Airlines on the route and whether they are covered
-
British Airways (BA, UK licence): covered on this direction (UK261 applies to every airline departing the United Kingdom). Member of CEDR Aviation.
-
Air France (AF, EU/EEA licence): covered on this direction (UK261 applies to every airline departing the United Kingdom). Member of Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV).
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.
Airport guides: London Heathrow Airport · Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport — the causes airlines cite at each end, the enforcement body, and the other routes with their own page.
Return direction
The return, Paris → London, departs France, so it falls under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) on every airline instead of UK261 (retained Regulation 261/2004): €250 per passenger.
The two directions are paid in different currencies: pounds on this leg, euros on the return.
Escalation also moves to France: complaints go to Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) (France) rather than UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); the dispute-resolution scheme is Médiation Tourisme et Voyage (MTV); the limitation period for a court claim is 5 years instead of 6 years; a court claim is brought before the Tribunal judiciaire — procédure simplifiée / European Small Claims Procedure.
Where to escalate
Claim from the airline first. If it refuses or does not answer, the competent enforcement body for this direction is UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) (United Kingdom). Approved ADR schemes: AviationADR (https://www.aviationadr.org.uk — Ryanair, easyJet, TUI Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Wizz Air and others) and CEDR (https://www.cedr-assist.com/consumer/aviation/ — British Airways, BA CityFlyer, Cathay Pacific, SAS). Airlines not in a scheme, including Jet2: CAA Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT).
The United Kingdom also has an approved dispute-resolution scheme, AviationADR, whose decisions bind the airline. Free for passengers. Open the case online once the airline has given its final answer or eight weeks have passed without one.
Court claims in the United Kingdom are subject to a limitation period of 6 years (Limitation Act 1980, s. 5 (England and Wales; six years). Scotland: five years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973.).
A court claim goes to the County court — Money Claim Online (small claims track). Claims up to £10,000 on the small claims track; court fee recoverable if you win.
About this route
Heathrow–Charles de Gaulle carries heavy business traffic on British Airways and Air France. French ATC strikes are the most common defence on the Paris side; on the London side, Heathrow capacity restrictions in winter weather. Both must be proven for the specific flight.
Frequently asked questions
Is a delayed or cancelled flight from London to Paris 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 Paris flight?
£220 per passenger for a 348 km flight, if the disruption qualifies and no extraordinary circumstance is proven. 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 Paris 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; Air France → AviationADR — 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 Paris to London?
Not entirely. On the return flight the regime changes to EU Regulation 261/2004; the competent enforcement body is Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC); the court deadline follows the other country. 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
- Court of Justice of the European UnionJoined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France — passengers of flights delayed by three hours or more may claim compensation
- 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: 14 September 2026 · Content updated: 14 September 2026
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