Refunds, Reimbursement, and Compensation: United Airlines

Any United Airlines flight departing from a European airport must conform to the European law which protects air passengers in the event of flight delays.

This law, known as EC 261, says that airlines must provide passengers with food, drink, and access to communication when they're delayed. They must also offer accommodation and replacement flights if necessary. In some cases, such as when your delay turns into a cancellation, you may also request a refund of your ticket — especially if the replacement flight no longer suits your travel goals.

But more than that, if United Airlines is responsible for the flight delay, the law says that they must compensate passengers when the flight is delayed by 3 hours or more. All the details are included in our guide to flight delay compensation.

So if you arrive at your destination over 3 hours late, it's always worth checking if you're owed United Airlines flight delay compensation. Don’t miss out on up to £510 per person.

We make claiming compensation for United Airlines flight delays as easy as possible. Our free Compensation Calculator, together with our air passenger rights experts, will confirm your delay time, and make sure there are no extraordinary circumstances which impact your eligibility. You can usually claim for flights from as far back as 3 years ago.

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 United Airlines can't offer an acceptable replacement. Additionally, for any United Airlines flight cancellation less than 14 days before the flight, passengers may also be eligible for United Airlines flight cancellation compensation, up to £510 per person.

That's unless there were some kind of extraordinary circumstances which gave United Airlines 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 United Airlines 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.

Even though United Airlines is not a European airline, they always comply with European laws every time they depart from a European airport. That means passengers flying out of a European airport with United Airlines are protected by EC 261, one of the world's most comprehensive air passenger rights laws.

This gives passengers the right to claim flight delay compensation, United Airlines cancellation compensation, or overbooking compensation if United Airlines is responsible for the issue. That's in addition to their rights to a flight refund.

Unfortunately, the same protections don't apply for flights going the other way. United Airlines passengers who land in the EU are not covered by EC 261 if the departure airport is outside the EU. For these flights, you'll need to check what other air passenger rights apply.

Which United Airlines Flights are Covered by EC 261?

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.

United Airlines is one of three major US airlines, along with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. It operates a large domestic and international route network, with an extensive presence in the Asia-Pacific region. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance.