Reimbursement and Compensation: British Airways

While airlines like British Airways make every effort to stick to their advertised schedules, flight delays do happen. The good news for travelers is that air passenger rights exist to protect you and your journey when you get caught up in British Airways flight delays.

In Europe, EC 261 protects all passengers in the event of flight cancellations, especially last-minute flight cancellations.

Passengers due to depart from a European airport are always entitled to a full refund if their flight is canceled and British Airways can't offer an acceptable replacement. Additionally, for any British Airways flight cancellation less than 14 days before the flight, passengers may also be eligible for British Airways flight cancellation compensation, up to £520 per person.

That's unless there were some kind of extraordinary circumstances which gave British Airways no choice but to cancel the flight. The law accepts that airlines should only pay compensation when they are at fault — but they must still ensure passengers reach their final destination or get a full refund for the flight.

Airlines like British Airways also don't need to pay compensation if they're able to offer an alternative flight that arrives at a very similar time to the original one. The specific time limits are included in our flight cancellation compensation guide.

Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261

As you might expect with any law, there are exceptions and special circumstances that can affect how much compensation is owed in every individual case. AirHelp makes it simple to check what you’re owed with our free compensation calculator.

Can I get a refund and compensation if my British Airways flight was canceled due to coronavirus?