If you’ve found this page, it’s probably because you’ve been faced with flight disruptions from UK’s flag carrier airline, British Airways (BA). You're disappointed and seeking BA flight delay compensation.
Perhaps you’ve had your holiday postponed or you’ve missed that vital international business meeting. Either way, you’re fuming, and demand answers.
While British Airways may have secured a solid 4 star rating from Skytrax, and ranked 17 in our airline ranking, they don’t always get it right.
Well, don’t worry, because WE’VE got it covered.
If you’ve been let down by the airline, WE will make sure YOU get the British Airways compensation you are entitled to.
At ClaimCompass, we know the ins and outs of airline passenger law, and use our expertise and savvy to guarantee win after win.
So whether you’ve been on the receiving end of an overbooking, long delay, or cancellation, WE’LL make sure you don’t go home empty handed.
Use this guide to discover:
- How to launch a compensation claim for your British Airways flight
- Key information about your own passenger rights
- Valuable insight into how to tackle issues with the airline
- How much money you can get your hands on
- Interesting facts about the airline
How to claim compensation from British Airways?
When approaching a claim for British Airways flight delay compensation, you may feel a little bewildered.
That’s to be expected. The legal jargon, hidden clauses and complicated fine print can leave you with a loss for words.
Shockingly, 98% of passengers who are entitled to compensation DON’T claim it. Be part of the 2% who do.
At ClaimCompass we deal with the complicated stuff, and make the process as easy for you as possible. Use our free compensation calculator to discover if you’re eligible in 3 minutes or less!
Sure, once you’ve discovered your eligibility, you may think the rest is an easy ride. Well, unfortunately you’d be wrong.
This is because a lot of the time when individuals launch claims against airlines alone, the airlines are, shall we say... generous with their white lies. Passengers can get caught up with confusion and miss out on the money they’re owed.
ClaimCompass makes sure that passengers don’t get tricked or cheated. WE won’t back down until YOU get the compensation amount that’s rightfully yours!
And, the cherry on top? We work on a “no win, no fee” basis. This means if we don’t manage to secure your compensation from the airline, you don’t have to pay us anything!
BA Flight Delay Compensation
How long does a BA flight needs to be delayed for compensation?
In order to qualify for BA flight delay compensation, there are a few requirements you must fulfil. EU regulation 261 outlines:
- Your flight must be delayed by 3 or more hours
- Your flight took off at an EU airport or landed at an EU airport
- Your flight was not delayed as a result of extraordinary circumstances (EC)
The regulation says that extraordinary circumstances are outside of the airline’s control. These conditions include:
- Bad weather conditions
- Bird strikes
- Political turmoil
- Air traffic control restrictions
- Worker strikes
- Airport closure
Airlines sometimes try to include technical faults in this bracket. However these kinds of issues are not defined as extraordinary circumstances. So, don’t let them tell you otherwise. If there’s a fault with the plane you will still be entitled to flight delay compensation.
You may be concerned that these rules no longer apply to British Airways because its a UK airline, and the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union.
Well, don’t sweat it. Fortunately, Brexit will not impact your right to compensation if you fly with British airlines. This is due to the introduction of the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018 which enshrines EC261 into UK law.
How much can I get as BA delayed flight compensation?
BA flight delay compensation is determined by the distance of your flight. So, the compensation amount for flight delays works out as:
- 250€ for flights of 1,500km and under
- 400€ for flights that are between 1,500km and 3,500km
- 600€ for long-haul flights that are over 3,500km
However, there is an additional clause to watch out for. If your flight is over 3,500km and delayed by 3-4 hours, your compensation amount will be halved.
If a BA flight delay causes you to miss your connecting flight, you may also be entitled to missed connection compensation. But, don’t forget, both tickets must be booked under the same booking number (or PNR) for you to qualify.
How do I get a refund for delayed flight from British Airways?
While delayed flights can really suck, luckily you can get some money back from your EU flight.
You can get a full refund of your ticket if your flight has been delayed by 5 hours or more. And, to make things even sweeter your entitlement to a refund is completely separate from your right to compensation.
So if your flight to New York is delayed at departure for 5 hours or more, a refund is all yours. And, if your arrival time is 3 hours later than intended at your final destination, you get flight delay compensation too!
British Airways Cancelled Flight Compensation
What are my rights if BA cancels my flight?
If you find yourself in a sticky situation with your BA flight cancelled, you may be frustrated beyond belief, but you do have rights.
According to the EU regulation, the airline should offer to either:
- Book you on an alternative flight or,
- Refund your ticket
Note, that you DO NOT have to accept the alternative flight arrangements that BA organises.
If the airline’s proposed flight arrangements don’t work out for you, say so. Don’t be intimidated.
You MAY also be eligible for flight cancellation compensation. Eligibility for this is based on the following factors:
- You were not notified of the cancellation, or
- You were notified less than 14 days in advance
- You ended up at your final destination 2 hours or more later than expected on your rebooked flight
However, if YOU cancelled the flight yourself, or you were told of the cancellation 14 or more days in advance, you will NOT receive any compensation.
The amount of flight cancellation compensation you can get ranges from 125€ (£105) and 600€ (£500). Working out how much you're eligible to receive can be a right pain. Use our free compensation calculator to work this out in the most simple way possible!
What to do if my BA flight is cancelled?
If your BA flight is cancelled, don’t go into panic mode. Stay calm and walk through the following steps.
First, make sure you keep hold of all your important travel documents. This includes your booking reference, flight details and boarding pass.
Ask the customer service team why your flight was cancelled. This is a key bit of information and could be the difference between a heavy wallet and severe disappointment
Find out if the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances, and try to get this in writing.
If applicable, request that BA reroutes you on an alternative flight and send you on your way.
You should also request a meal and refreshments if your flight cancellation causes you to be delayed by 2 hours or more.
If your flight reroute causes you to be delayed for 6 hours or results in an overnight delay, BA should also offer you hotel accommodation. Request that you also receive transportation from the hotel to the airport too.
British Airways Overbooking and Denied Boarding Compensation
What happens when British Airways overbooks a flight?
Sad but true, British Airways, like most airlines will sometimes overbook flights. If you find yourself on an overbooked flight, BA will do the following.
At first they will appeal for volunteers to give up their seats. If there are not enough people volunteering, the airline will bump people off the flight. Here, they will take into consideration a number of factors.
These factors include:
- The passenger’s fare type
- Whether or not the passenger is a member of the frequent flyer program and,
- Whether the passenger has a severe hardship.
If you are one of the unfortunate souls bumped from a BA flight, you will thankfully be owed some overbooking compensation.
To be eligible under EC261 you must:
- Have been prevented from boarding due to overbooking
- Not have voluntarily given up your seat
- Not accept any alternative form of compensation
- Arrive on time to check-in
- Have all of the correct travel documents
The amount of compensation you are entitled to is determined the same way as flight cancellation compensation.
British Airways Customer Service
How long does it take to get compensation from British Airways?
Concerning BA compensation claim processing time, the airline does okay. It scored a respectable 6.5/10 overall in our ratings.
On average, it takes British Airways around 30 days to respond to a claim, which isn’t the best response rate in the industry.
However, when it comes to solving the claim the airline takes 47.6 days on average, and 46 days to deliver compensation after the case goes to court. So, you know if you are owed compensation, it shouldn’t take TOO long for it to come into your possession.
How do I speak to someone at British Airways?
If you want to get in touch with British Airways and speak to its customer service team you have a few options.
You can call:
- 0344 493 0787 for the main help desk and customer care
- 0344 493 0747 to contact British Airways from abroad
Or you can visit its Facebook page and Twitter page.
IATA code:
BA
ICAO code:
BAW
Did you know the parent company of BA, International Airlines Group (IAG) is also the parent company of Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling?
British Airways delivers 145,000 passengers to 200 destinations in 80 countries every day! That being said, it is the second largest airline in the UK after EasyJet.
The airline has two hubs, located at London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
Its pilot staff is made up of 230 women, positioning it at third place in the world for most female pilots.
It has a fleet of more than 280 aircrafts, and is the largest operator of the Boeing 747 in the world.
When it comes to carry-on luggage, BA permits one piece of hand luggage with the maximum dimensions 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. Passengers can also bring aboard an additional smaller item measured at 40cm x 30cm x 15cm
The airline has a frequent flyer program called the British Airways Executive Club.
Through this scheme, you collect Avios when you fly with the airline, and Oneworld airline partners like American Airlines.
Passengers can then spend Avios on cabin upgrades, priority check-in and reward flights.
British Airways Ratings
The tab below provides specific data regarding the airline's on-time performance. It includes the amount of flights operated by the airline each month, which portion of these flight arrived on time (i.e with less than 15 minutes delay), which portion consists of delayed flights, and the average delay of their flights in minutes. Source: Flightstats.com
Number of flights
On-time (<15 min delay)
Delayed (15+ min late)
Average delay (in min)
Average
30776.85
77.03%
22.97%
43.76
Sep 2019
32032
75.80%
24.20%
43.70
Aug 2019
32677
72.35%
27.65%
48.50
Jul 2019
33030
71.99%
28.01%
47.00
Jun 2019
31926
71.49%
28.51%
42.80
May 2019
32698
83.25%
16.75%
41.20
Apr 2019
31137
83.17%
16.83%
41.20
Mar 2019
30660
73.96%
26.04%
45.70
Feb 2019
27125
80.37%
19.63%
45.60
Jan 2019
27863
84.78%
15.22%
43.80
Dec 2018
27943
72.66%
27.34%
43.30
Nov 2018
28602
76.10%
23.90%
43.50
Oct 2018
32403
75.55%
24.45%
41.40
Sep 2018
32003
79.86%
20.14%
41.20
As you can see from the data above, since January 2018, about 23% of British Airways’ flights arrived 15 minutes late or more. On average, flights by the airline were delayed by 45.5 minutes.
However, a summary by quarter highlights a negative trend: fewer flights arrived on-time during the second quarter than during the first one - and even fewer during the last quarter.
That being said, the on-time performance of British Airways remains above average. As such, the airline’s flight performance since January 2018 is rated 5.2 out of 10.
Many air passengers have already entrusted their compensation claim against British Airways to ClaimCompass. As one of the largest airlines in the world, it’s normal that they also receive a larger than average amount of claims when their flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked.
As you can see from the data below, the airline is rather cooperative when it comes to processing passenger claims.
Average number of days for the airline to reply once the claim is submitted
30.1
Average number of days to solve the claim
47.6
Average number of days to pay the compensation after the case was sent to court
46.0
Because it is one of the largest airlines in the world, British Airways usually takes some time before providing a statement once the compensation claim for flight delayed or cancelled was submitted.
However, they are very quick to process the claim and pay the compensation when it is due. It takes on average 5 weeks to secure your compensation from British Airways (47.6 days).
Because some cases are more complicated, they need to be sent to the court or a National Enforcement Body (NEB). When the court rules in favour of the passenger, British Airways is usually quick to transfer the compensation (46 days on average).
Keep in mind that these data represent averages: some problematic cases can take much longer.
Our experts are used to dealing with British Airways and work hard to secure your compensation in as little time as possible.
FAQ
What is British Airways’ flight cancellation policy?
You may have discovered that you've made a mistake when purchasing your BA tickets. Don’t worry, you can cancel your booking with no extra charge within the first 24 hours and receive a full refund.
After this 24 hour period, the cancellation policy changes. Depending on the type of ticket you purchased, you will be charged anywhere between £15 and £40.
You can calculate how much you will be charged using the airline’s cancellation calculator.
How much does it take to change a flight on British Airways?
To change the details of your flight with BA after the fee free period of 24 hours, you should use the ‘Manage My Booking’ page on the BA website.
The airline does not have standard change flight fee. Your ability to change flight details, and the fee you pay is determined by your fare type.
However as a rule of thumb, the lower the fare type, the less flexibility you have and the higher the fee.
In addition, not all changes can be made through the ‘Manage My Booking’ page. For example, if you want to change which airport you fly from, you may be required to call the Customer Support team
