easyJet Flight Delay & Cancellation Compensation: Claim up to €600 / £520 Under EU261 & UK261 (2026)
Checked 2026-06.
Checked 2026-06: if your easyJet flight arrived 3+ hours late, or was cancelled with under 14 days' notice and it wasn't an extraordinary circumstance, you can claim €250–€600 (£220–£520) per passenger under EU261/UK261 — and the 3-hour threshold survived the June 2026 EU reform intact.
AirHelp files and chases your EU261/UK261 claim — including court action — on a no-win-no-fee basis, so you pay nothing if they lose. Be aware they keep roughly a 35% cut (50% if legal action is needed); you can always claim free yourself directly with easyJet.
Check my easyJet claim with AirHelpWe may earn a commission if you buy through this link — at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
| Scenario | Delay / issue | Deadline | Payout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-haul ≤1,500 km | 3+ hrs arrival delay or cancelled <14 days' notice | up to 6 yrs UK · ~5 yrs ES/FR · 2 yrs IT/NL | €250 / £220 | Per passenger; not due for genuine extraordinary circumstances |
| Medium-haul 1,500–3,500 km | 3+ hrs arrival delay or cancelled <14 days' notice | up to 6 yrs UK · ~5 yrs ES/FR · 2 yrs IT/NL | €400 / £350 | Most intra-Europe easyJet routes fall here or in the band above |
| Long-haul >3,500 km | 3–4 hrs arrival delay | up to 6 yrs UK · ~3 yrs DE/PT · 2 yrs IT/NL | €300 / £260 | Reduced (halved) tier for the shorter long-haul delay window |
| Long-haul >3,500 km | 4+ hrs arrival delay or cancelled <14 days' notice | up to 6 yrs UK · ~3 yrs DE/PT · 2 yrs IT/NL | €600 / £520 | Plus right to care; refund or re-routing if cancelled |
Two laws can cover an easyJet flight. EU261 (Regulation 261/2004) applies to flights departing any EU airport, plus flights arriving in the EU on an EU carrier like easyJet. After Brexit the UK copied the rules into UK law ("UK261"), covering flights departing the UK and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU carrier. Because easyJet is an EU-licensed airline, most of its network falls under one regime or the other — so the vast majority of delayed or cancelled easyJet flights are in scope.
You're owed cash compensation if your flight arrived 3 or more hours late, or was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, AND the cause was within easyJet's control (a crew or technical problem, overbooking, operational reasons). The amount depends on distance, not what you paid: €250 / £220 for short-haul up to 1,500 km, €400 / £350 for 1,500–3,500 km, and €600 / £520 for over 3,500 km (this top band drops to €300 / £260 if the delay is 3–4 hours). Compensation is per passenger, including children on a paid seat.
The big exception is "extraordinary circumstances" — severe weather, ATC/airport strikes outside easyJet's control, political instability, security risks or a genuine bird strike. In those cases no cash compensation is due, though easyJet still owes you "right to care" (meals, calls and a hotel for overnight delays) and a full refund or re-routing if your flight was cancelled. Airlines lean on this exception heavily, so don't take a first refusal at face value — many "extraordinary" claims are overturned on appeal.
How to claim for free: gather your booking reference and boarding passes, confirm the actual arrival delay (not the departure delay — only arrival time counts), and submit a claim through easyJet's EU261 portal at easyjet.com. Keep it factual, cite the distance band and your arrival delay, and escalate to the relevant national enforcement body (the UK CAA, or the regulator in the departure country) if easyJet rejects a clearly valid claim. It costs nothing and you keep 100% of the payout.
If you'd rather not chase it, a service like AirHelp handles eligibility, paperwork, the airline back-and-forth and, where needed, court action on a no-win-no-fee basis — useful when easyJet stonewalls or hides behind "extraordinary circumstances." The trade-off is the cut: AirHelp's published price list (updated April 2026) is a 35% service fee, rising to 50% if legal action is required. So it's convenience and zero downside risk versus keeping the full amount yourself. Mind the deadline: you have up to 6 years to claim in the UK, around 5 in Spain and France, but as little as 2 years in Italy, Malta and the Netherlands, so don't sit on it.
Check your specific case with the EU261 flight-compensation checker.
FAQ
How much compensation can I get for a delayed easyJet flight?
Between €250 and €600 (£220–£520) per passenger, set by flight distance — not ticket price — once your arrival delay reaches 3 hours. Short-haul up to 1,500 km is €250/£220, 1,500–3,500 km is €400/£350, and over 3,500 km is €600/£520 (or €300/£260 for a 3–4 hour delay). Figures checked 2026-06.
Is easyJet covered by EU261 after Brexit?
Yes. easyJet flights from EU airports (and into the EU on easyJet) are covered by EU261; flights from or into the UK are covered by the near-identical UK261. As an EU-licensed carrier, easyJet's network sits under one regime or the other, so nearly all disrupted flights remain in scope.
Can I claim myself for free instead of paying AirHelp?
Absolutely. Submit your claim free via easyJet's EU261 portal at easyjet.com with your booking reference and arrival-delay evidence, and you keep 100%. AirHelp's value is doing the chasing and any court action on a no-win-no-fee basis — but they keep roughly 35% (up to 50% if legal action is needed).
How long do I have to claim easyJet compensation?
The deadline depends on jurisdiction: up to 6 years in the UK, around 5 years in Spain and France, about 3 years in Germany and Portugal, and as little as 2 years in Italy, Malta and the Netherlands. Claim sooner rather than later, as records and witnesses fade.