UK261 or EU261: which rules cover your flight after Brexit?

Since Brexit, passengers travelling to and from UK and EU airports now have to navigate 2 air passenger rights rules: UK261 and EU261…

EU261 has been around since 2004, while UK261 was introduced post-Brexit in 2020. UK261 was based heavily on the existing EU261 legislation, meaning both bits of legislation are nearly identical, and work together to ensure passengers across the UK & EU are still protected in the event of flight delays, cancellations, and more.

But how do you know whether UK261 or EU261 covers your flight?

Don’t worry, all will be explained below!

… Or watch our latest video on the topic instead:

By the way, if you have an unresolved flight complaint…

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What is UK261?

UK261 is the UK’s version of EU261!

UK261 was created in order to ensure that, even after Brexit, passengers using UK airports and/airlines still maintain important rights to the following, in the event of applicable flight disruption:

Care (such as food & drink/accommodation)
Flight refunds
Flight rebookings
Financial compensation up to £520 per person

Please note that whether or not you are owed any of the above will depend on the specific circumstances surrounding your flight – such as the cause of disruption, amount of time that passed, and distance of your flight.

UK261 covers many forms of flight disruption, such as:

Delayed flights
Cancelled flights
Overbooked flights
E.g: You were denied boarding
Downgraded flights
E.g: You booked First Class seats, but were moved to Economy

What flights does UK261 cover?

So, how do you know whether UK261 covers your flight or not?

Let’s get into the specifics!

UK261: Flights departing from a UK airport

This is the most clear-cut rule in the legislation:

If your flight departs from a UK airport, you’re covered by UK261.

It doesn’t matter where you’re headed – whether that’s to the EU, or anywhere outside of it. It also doesn’t matter which airline you’re using.

UK261: Flights arriving at a UK airport

Here’s where things get more specific.

UK261 covers any flight arriving at a UK airport, as long as it’s operated by a UK or EU airline.

For example, Easyjet is a UK airline, and Wizz Air is an EU airline.

UK261: Flights arriving at an EU airport

If you’re flying from a UK airport to an EU airport, you’re covered by UK261 regardless of the airline.

However, if you’re flying to an EU airport from outside the UK, you’re only covered by UK261 if your flight is operated by a UK airline.

What is EU261?

EU261 is the EU’s version of… EU261.

It’s the original legislation brought into force in 2004 that has been protecting passengers using EU airports and/airlines for over 20 years now!

The important point to note is that Brexit did not make EU261 disappear. Instead, EU261 and UK261 now work together to encompass UK & EU airport/airline travel. Where a UK or EU flight is not covered by UK261, EU261 usually fills in the gaps… And vice versa.

Just like UK261, EU261 gives passengers important rights to the following, in the event of applicable flight disruption:

Care (such as food & drink/accommodation)
Flight refunds
Flight rebookings
Financial compensation up to €600 per person

EU261 covers many forms of flight disruption, such as:

Delayed flights
Cancelled flights
Overbooked flights
E.g: You were denied boarding
Downgraded flights
E.g: You booked First Class seats, but were moved to Economy

What flights does EU261 cover?

So, how do you know whether EU261 covers your flight or not?

Let’s get into the specifics!

EU261: Flights departing from an EU airport

If your flight departs from an EU airport, you’re covered by EU261.

It doesn’t matter where you’re headed – whether that’s to the UK, or anywhere outside of it.

However, there is 1 caveat: if you’re flying to the UK, you’re only covered by EU261 if the airline you’re using is an EU or UK airline.

EU261: Flights arriving at an EU airport

Here’s where things get more specific.

EU261 covers any flight arriving at an EU airport, as long as it’s operated by an EU airline.

For example, Wizz Air is an EU airline.

EU261: Flights arriving at a UK airport

If you’re flying from outside of the EU into the UK, you’re not covered by EU261.

However, if you’re flying from an EU airport to a UK airport, you are covered by EU261 as long as the flight is operated by a UK or EU airline.

What if both UK261 and EU261 cover my flight?

Due to the similarities between both sets of legislation, it’s actually quite common for there to be overlap where a passenger may be covered by both UK261 and EU261.

For example:

You flew from a UK airport to an EU airport, via an EU airline.

In this situation:

You’re covered by UK261, since your flight departed from a UK airport
You’re also covered by EU261 because you flew into the EU via an EU airline!

If you are covered by both laws, then lucky you! It just means you could claim under either of them.

However, you cannot claim under both, and you can only claim once per passenger.

Though both sets of legislation are essentially the same, the main difference in choosing between them is if you’re trying to claim financial compensation.

Under UK261, the maximum amount of compensation you can claim is £520 GBP per person. Meanwhile, under EU261, this is €600 EUR per person.

Conversion rates may fluctuate, which may impact the amount you receive when converting to your native currency.