UK261 covers flights from a UK airport on any airline, flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline and flights into the EU on a UK airline. The operating airline owes the rights, even on a codeshare.

What passengers can get

• Care: meals, refreshments, two calls or emails and, if needed, a hotel and transport. It applies after cancellations, denied boarding and delays of two, three or four hours or more, depending on distance.

• Refund or re-routing: after a cancellation or denied boarding, a refund within seven days or an alternative flight. After a delay of at least five hours, passengers can choose a refund instead of travelling.

• Compensation: £220 for flights of 1,500 km or less, £350 for 1,500 to 3,500 km and £520 for longer flights, though the CAA says long-haul arrivals three to four hours late get £260. It is due for denied boarding, arrivals three hours or more late and cancellations notified less than 14 days ahead, unless the replacement flight is close to the original times.

• No compensation is due where the airline proves extraordinary circumstances that all reasonable measures could not have avoided. The CAA’s examples include extreme weather and air traffic control strikes. Care is still owed.

Why it matters for travel businesses

• Passengers claim from the airline. After its final response or eight weeks, the CAA says they can go to the airline’s alternative dispute resolution provider or, if it has none, the CAA.

• It applies to flights in packages without affecting Package Travel Regulations rights. Where those Regulations give a refund, it replaces the UK261 refund.

• These rights cannot be limited or waived by contract terms.

• A tour operator with a contract with the airline keeps its right to seek reimbursement or compensation from it.

Our flight delay and cancellation guide has more.