Claim your flight compensation USA for your delayed or cancelled flights!

Can I claim delayed or cancelled flight compensation for a flight to the USA?

You might be wondering: Does EC261 compensation apply in the USA as well? Yes, but only if the airline is headquartered in the UK or the EU.

For example, if you are travelling with British Airways or with KLM, you are eligible for delayed and cancelled flight compensation based on UK/EU law.

This means if you are flying with an American airline, such as Delta, you are not eligible for flight compensation.

However, you are still eligible for compensation if the flight departed from EU even if the airline is not based in the UK or the EU.

How much compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled USA flight?

You can be eligible for USA delayed or cancelled flight compensation if:

• Your flight departed from Europe 

OR

• The airline is headquartered in the UK or the EU

You can only get delayed or cancelled flight compensation if your flight was delayed by over 3 hours upon arrival or if the cancellation of your USA flight was announced fewer than 14 days before departure. Keep in mind that the airline must also be responsible for the flight disruption.

The amount of compensation for flight delays and cancellations in the USA depends on the distance of your flight:

It is important to note that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, the airline is required to provide you specific assistance This includes food and beverage rebates, communication services (eg. free phone calls, emails, or fax messages), transportation, and, if necessary, overnight accommodations. You can redeem your vouchers at the airline's service counter at the airport. If the airline does not supply you with vouchers, you may purchase what you require and save the receipts; the airline must refund you.

Should I accept the voucher offered for my flight to the USA?

Remember not to accept a travel voucher from the airline — according to the law, they must give you actual money! If you accept a travel voucher from the airline, it forces you to book another flight with the company that already let you down once, and if the airline files for bankruptcy, you essentially lose your money!

Can I claim flight compensation for my delayed flight to the USA? 

If you have a delayed flight from the UK or Europe to the USA, know that there are regulations in place that protect your air passenger rights. If your flight to the USA was delayed, you may be entitled to flight delay compensation USA under EU legislation. Based on the EU regulation Regulation EC 261/2004 and its British equivalent 'The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019’, you are entitled to delayed flight compensation if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours and the airline is responsible for the delay. Since the USA is not a European country, you can only claim flight compensation USA for flights that depart from a European airport and/or are operated by a European carrier.

Can I claim flight compensation for my cancelled flight to the USA? 

Are you aware of your cancelled flight rights in the USA? You might be eligible for cancelled flight compensation for a cancelled flight to the USA if:

• Your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the departure date
• The airline is the party at fault for the cancellation 

If your flight was cancelled because of an industrial action, such as a strike caused by airport staffs, you won’t be able to claim USA flight cancellation compensation as this falls under extraordinary circumstances. You can learn more about the extraordinary circumstances in the sections below.

Can I claim a flight refund for my cancelled flight to the USA? 

What is the difference between a refund and compensation? A refund means getting back the money you have paid for the ticket for your now-cancelled flight. You are eligible for the cancelled flight refund if:

• The airline did not offer any alternative flights
• The airline did offer an alternative flight, but you declined it.

See the tables below for more information.

Were you offered a voucher for your cancelled flight from the USA? Here’s what you should do.

Remember not to accept a travel voucher from the airline — according to the law, they must give you actual money! If you accept a travel voucher from the airline, it forces you to book another flight with the company that already let you down once and if the airline files for bankruptcy, you essentially lose your money!

Flight delayed or cancelled to the USA, am I also entitled to flight compensation?

Yes, but only if your flight carrier is a UK or EU-based airline.

For example, if you are travelling with British Airways or with KLM, you are eligible for delayed and cancelled flight compensation based on UK/EU law.

However, if you are flying with an American airline, such as Delta, you are not eligible for flight compensation.

Can I claim both flight compensation and a refund for my cancelled flight to the USA? 

As you can see, if your flight to the USA has been cancelled fewer than 14 days in advance and you have not been offered an alternative flight or declined the offer of an alternative flight, you are entitled to both a refund and compensation.

The value of cancelled flight compensation is the same as of delayed flight compensation — in regards to flights from the UK or Europe to the USA, it will be €600 as both the British and EU regulations state.

Extraordinary circumstances disrupted my USA flight - can the airline deny my compensation claim?

Yes they can, but they might not always be right.

In some cases — especially if you are requesting flight compensation for a flight to the USA without the help of a legal professional — airlines might deny you flight compensation for your USA trip, as they believe you will not take them to court.

However, there are also the so-called extraordinary circumstances when passengers are not eligible for compensation:

• Bad weather, such as thick fog, heavy rain, or thunderstorms.
• A strike caused by workers within the aviation industry, such as baggage handlers. HOWEVER! It’s important to note that a strike caused by workers associated with the airline (eg. pilots, flight attendants) is NOT part of an extraordinary circumstance and you CAN claim compensation 
• Natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions and wildfires.
• A collision between the aircraft and birds or other foreign objects.
• A delay or cancellation caused by an unruly or ill passenger.

If you are unsure if your flight is eligible for flight compensation, use our free, no-obligation Claim Calculator to check it. If you wish, we can also later handle the compensation claim for you and take care of all the paperwork and potential court proceedings. We collect a fee only after you have been paid by the airline.

How long can I claim for my delayed or cancelled flight from the USA?

This depends on the country you are flying from.

For example, the United Kingdom has one of the longest periods to submit a flight compensation claim — you can do so up to 6 years after the original flight date. Scotland is the one exception, where you would have 5 years to file a claim.

Use our free Claim Calculator to check whether you are eligible for flight compensation for a USA flight or a refund for your delayed or cancelled flight to the USA.

How long before I receive my flight compensation for my flight from the USA?

This highly depends on how fast the airline answers and whether the case will be taken to court.

At Flight Delayed, we make sure to process the claims as soon as possible. Thanks to our 10+ years of experience in the industry and close relationships with many airlines, we can process your claim fast and give it the much-needed attention throughout the whole process.

Unfortunately, we sometimes must deal with unresponsive airlines and lengthy court proceedings. This means that while often passengers can get their money within weeks or months, other cases take even a few years to be resolved.

Whatever the case, we will make sure to provide you with updates about your claim as often as possible. Plus, please remember that we only collect a fee after the airline has already paid you money.

How can I claim for a USA flight cancelled or delayed?

Claim with Flight Delayed in less than a few minutes and benefit from more than 10 years of experience with your claim!

You can do everything right from your phone or your computer using our easy-to-use online system. Simply fill out basic information regarding your flight and then add any relevant travel documents requested. Don’t forget to keep all relevant documents regarding your flight: passport, booking number, boarding pass, expenses due to the delay or cancellation. The more information we have on your disrupted flight, the faster our experts will be able to help you get flight compensation for your USA trip!

After this is done, we’ll take care of all the paperwork and legal proceedings. You can go back to doing what you love and just wait for the money to appear in your bank account!

About the USA

The USA is a country of over 50 independent states filled with glamour and a varied geographical landscape. With famed major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and many more, it is no surprise that over 20 million tourists flock to these attractive destinations. To name a few popular places, there is the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, the White House… The list never ends!

That’s not to say that the American residents don’t want to miss out on their chances to travel the world and, in particular, the European continent. There are multiple North American airlines that offer their services to Europe; these include American Airlines and Delta Air Lines among others. The USA has the largest number of airports in the world, coming in at over 5,200 open to public use. In Europe, you can find these airlines every day in cities like Amsterdam, London and Paris.

Useful links

• EVA Air flight compensation
• More details on delayed flight compensation
• More details on cancelled flight compensation
• Post-Brexit flight compensation rules in the UK
• Rules regarding missed flight compensation
• Rules regarding flight compensation in the case of denied boarding
• Claim Calculator — check if you are eligible for compensation