Whether you get looked after or paid depends on how long the delay is and whose fault it was. Under UK261, your airline must feed and house you after 2 to 4 hours, whatever the cause, and pay cash compensation of up to £520 for a delay or cancellation that was within its control, unless the cause was extraordinary. Checked August 2026.
Two separate protections: care and cash
UK261 (the retained version of EU261) gives you two different things, and it helps to keep them apart. Duty of care is about being looked after while you wait: food, a way to call someone, and a hotel if you're stuck overnight. It applies no matter what caused the disruption. Cash compensation is different: it is only paid when the delay or cancellation was the airline's fault, such as a crewing problem or a technical fault it should have prevented, and it does not apply when the cause was outside the airline's control, such as severe weather. Both apply to flights from Bristol Airport, since it is a UK airport, so amounts are in pounds.
Duty of care: what you're owed while you wait
Once a delay passes a set number of hours, based on how far you're flying, the airline must provide care regardless of cause:
| Flight distance | Duty of care kicks in after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 km to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
That means meals and refreshments appropriate to the wait, a means of communication such as a phone call, and hotel accommodation plus transfers if you're kept overnight. If the airline does not provide these and you pay for your own, keep every receipt so you can claim the reasonable cost back later.
Cash compensation: when you're owed money
If your flight arrives 3 or more hours late, and the cause was within the airline's control, you can claim a fixed amount based on distance:
| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | £220 |
| 1,500 km to 3,500 km | £350 |
| Over 3,500 km | £520 (or £260 if the delay is 3 to 4 hours) |
The delay is measured against your scheduled arrival time, not when you took off, so a flight that leaves late but makes up time in the air may not qualify.
If your flight is cancelled
A cancellation entitles you to a choice of a full refund or re-routing to your destination. On top of that, you're also owed the same compensation as a long delay, unless the airline told you at least 14 days before departure, or the cancellation was down to extraordinary circumstances.
What counts as an "extraordinary circumstance"
Some causes are outside an airline's control, and these remove the cash compensation, though duty of care still applies. They typically include severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security risks, and some bird strikes. Bristol Airport sits on an exposed hilltop where fog and snow can force flights to divert or delay more often than at low-lying airports; see the separate guide on what happens if your flight is diverted by fog or snow for what to expect in that specific situation.
How long you have to claim
In England and Wales you have up to 6 years to bring a UK261 claim, so a delay from some time ago can still be worth checking.
How to claim
You can claim for free yourself, directly with the airline. Contact its customer relations team, quote your flight number and date, and set out the delay or cancellation and why you believe UK261 applies. If the airline refuses or does not reply, you can escalate to the Civil Aviation Authority or the relevant alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme for that airline. Alternatively, no-win-no-fee claims companies will handle the process for you, typically for a fee of around 25 percent to 35 percent of whatever you're awarded. Neither route is compulsory, and the amount you're owed is the same either way, so it comes down to whether you'd rather do the paperwork yourself or pay someone else to. Rules can change, so confirm the current detail with your airline or the UK Civil Aviation Authority before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I claim for a delayed or cancelled flight from Bristol Airport? Between £220 and £520 depending on the flight distance, provided the arrival delay was 3 hours or more and the cause was within the airline's control. Cancellations attract the same amounts unless you were told 14 or more days ahead.
Do I get compensation if my Bristol Airport flight is delayed by bad weather? Usually not. Severe weather is treated as an extraordinary circumstance outside the airline's control, so cash compensation is not normally payable, though the airline must still provide meals, a phone call and a hotel if you're kept overnight.
What's the difference between duty of care and compensation? Duty of care is meals, communication and accommodation while you wait, and it applies whatever caused the disruption. Compensation is a cash payment of up to £520 that only applies when the delay or cancellation was the airline's fault.
How long do I have to claim for a delayed or cancelled flight? Up to 6 years in England and Wales, so you can still claim for a past disruption if you have not already.
Do I have to use a claims company to get my compensation? No. You can claim for free directly with the airline and escalate to the Civil Aviation Authority if it refuses. Claims companies handle it for you but typically keep around 25 percent to 35 percent of the payout.
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Last verified August 2026 by the Bristol Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Bristol Airport website before you travel.