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Know your Rights
90% of air passengers are unaware of their rights when it comes to air travel.
It’s no surprise, then, that when a disruption happens, many of us are confused about our options. The vast majority of air travel passengers don’t know that, under many government regimes, they are entitled to compensation for cancellations, delays, missed connections, overbookings and downgrades.
Here at JetJustice, our mission is to take the stress and confusion out of these situations. We handle the paperwork, airline communication, and legal processes involved with getting you the compensation that you deserve.
Many travellers don’t realise that in many jurisdictions, airlines are legally and financially responsible for getting you to your final destination. If airlines fail to provide food and drinks, accommodation, transportation to the airport, or rerouting to your final destination, they may also be liable for these costs.
This page breaks down the different air passenger regulations supported by JetJustice, and what each could offer you.
European Economic Area - EC261
EC261 is a European passenger rights regulation that holds airlines accountable when passengers experience flight delays, cancellations, missed connections, downgrades, or are denied boarding. It is one of the strongest passenger protection laws in the world.
The regulation applies to flights departing from an airport in the European Economic Area, as well as flights arriving into the European Economic Area where the flight is operated by a European airline. Depending on the distance of your journey and the length of your delay, passengers may be entitled to compensation of between €250 and €600 per person.
Right to care: In the event of a significant delay, cancellation, or denied boarding, airlines must provide passengers with appropriate care and assistance. This can include rerouting to your final destination, food and drinks, access to communication, and, where necessary, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel. This duty applies regardless of the cause of the disruption.
Extraordinary circumstances: Airlines may be exempt from paying compensation if they can prove that the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside their control, such as extreme weather, air traffic control restrictions, or security issues. However, airlines must still provide care and assistance, whatever the reason for the disruption.
Airlines often incorrectly rely on “extraordinary circumstances” to reject valid claims. JetJustice exists to challenge those decisions and help passengers enforce their rights. To check whether you may be eligible to claim, even if the airline has already rejected you, start a compensation check below.
United Kingdom - UK261
During Britain’s exit from the European Union, many passengers and travel industry professionals were concerned that the UK’s strong passenger protection rules would be weakened or lost. Thankfully, that did not happen.
The UK introduced its own version of the regulation, commonly known as UK261, which broadly mirrors the protections previously available under EC261. This means passengers travelling to or from the UK may still be entitled to compensation, care, and assistance when flights are delayed, cancelled, or overbooked.
There are, however, a few key differences:
UK261 applies to:
- any journey departing from a UK airport; and
- flights arriving in the UK where the operating airline is registered in the UK or EU.
Compensation under UK261 is paid in British pounds (£), rather than euros. The UK regime is also overseen by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, rather than EU aviation authorities.
Compensation amounts range from £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on the distance of your journey and the length of your delay.
Right to care: In the event of a significant delay, cancellation, or a denial of boarding, airlines must provide passengers with appropriate care and assistance. This can include rerouting to your final destination, food and drinks, access to communication, and, where necessary, hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel.
Extraordinary circumstances: Airlines may be exempt from paying compensation if they can prove that the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside their control, such as extreme weather, air traffic control restrictions, or security issues. However, airlines must still provide care and assistance, whatever the reason for the disruption.
Airlines often incorrectly rely on “extraordinary circumstances” to reject valid claims. JetJustice exists to challenge those decisions and help passengers enforce their rights. To check whether you may be eligible to claim, even if the airline has already rejected you, start a compensation check below.
Not sure which legislation applies to your flight? Let us check for you.
Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR)
In Canada, passenger rights are governed by the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, commonly known as APPR. These rules set out what airlines must do when passengers experience flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding, tarmac delays, or baggage issues.
Under APPR, airlines must keep passengers informed about the reason for a disruption, provide regular updates, and explain what assistance or compensation may be available.
The rules can provide for:
- Flight delays and cancellations: compensation of up to CA$1,000 per passenger for large airlines, or up to CA$500 per passenger for small airlines, where the disruption is within the airline’s control and not required for safety.
- Denied boarding: compensation of up to CA$2,400 per passenger where a passenger is involuntarily denied boarding for reasons within the airline’s control and not required for safety.
- Tarmac delays: passengers must be provided with care during a tarmac delay, including access to working toilets, ventilation, food and drink, and the ability to communicate where feasible. At Canadian airports, passengers will usually have the right to disembark after a tarmac delay of three hours, subject to limited exceptions.
- Lost, damaged, or delayed baggage: passengers may be entitled to reimbursement or compensation, subject to the applicable limits and timeframes.
While Canada’s rules appear similar to European passenger rights laws, there are important differences. In particular, APPR places more emphasis on whether the disruption was within the airline’s control, within the airline’s control but required for safety, or outside the airline’s control.
Airlines often rely on these categories to reject claims, even where passengers may still be owed compensation or assistance. JetJustice exists to challenge incorrect rejections and help passengers understand their rights.
Use our free tool below to check whether you may be owed compensation.
Turkish SHY Regulations
Turkey has its own air passenger rights regulation, commonly known as SHY-PASSENGER. It is broadly modelled on EC261 and sets out passenger rights in cases of denied boarding, flight cancellations, delays, and downgrades. The official Turkish regulation states that it was introduced “in parallel with” EU Regulation 261/2004.
SHY applies to flights operated by Turkish airlines to or from Turkish airports, as well as flights operated by foreign airlines departing from Turkey. Passengers must usually have a confirmed reservation and meet the applicable check-in requirements.
Compensation under SHY is calculated in Turkish Lira, based on euro-denominated amounts. For domestic flights, compensation is the Turkish Lira equivalent of €100. For international flights, compensation is the Turkish Lira equivalent of €250, €400, or €600, depending on the distance of the flight.
Right to rerouting or reimbursement: Where the regulation applies, passengers may be entitled to choose between a refund, rerouting to their final destination at the earliest opportunity, or rerouting at a later date subject to seat availability. Where an airline reroutes a passenger to a different airport serving the same city or region, it must cover the cost of transfer to the original airport or another agreed destination.
Right to care: In the event of a significant delay, cancellation, or denied boarding, airlines must provide passengers with appropriate care and assistance. This can include hot and cold drinks, meals depending on the length of the delay, hotel accommodation where necessary, transport between the airport and hotel, and access to communication.
Exemptions: Airlines may be exempt from paying compensation for cancellations where they can prove that the disruption was caused by force majeure, even though they took all possible precautions. The regulation gives examples such as political instability, unsuitable weather, natural disasters, security risks, unexpected flight safety deficiencies, and strikes. However, airlines must still provide assistance where the regulation requires it.
Although SHY is similar to EC261, there are important differences, particularly around scope, currency, enforcement, and how disruption reasons are assessed. Airlines often rely on technical or operational explanations to reject claims, even where passengers may still be entitled to compensation or assistance.
Not sure whether SHY applies to your flight? Use our free compensation checker below, and let JetJustice do the hard part for you.
United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Regulations
In the United States, passenger rights are overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, commonly known as the USDOT. US passenger protection rules do provide important rights in certain situations, but they are generally more limited than their European, UK, or Canadian equivalents.
Unlike EC261, UK261, and APPR, US law does not usually require airlines to pay fixed compensation simply because a flight is delayed or cancelled. Instead, US rules focus mainly on refunds, overbooking, tarmac delays, baggage issues, and airline disclosure requirements. The USDOT confirms that, for domestic itineraries, airlines are generally not required to compensate passengers for delayed or cancelled flights, except in specific situations such as involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight.
That said, many flights to or from the United States may still fall under other passenger rights regimes, depending on your itinerary, departure airport, destination, and operating airline.
Flight delays and cancellations: US law does not generally provide fixed cash compensation for delays or cancellations. However, passengers may be entitled to a refund where their flight is cancelled or significantly changed and they do not accept the alternative travel offered.
Denied boarding: Passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding because a flight has been oversold may be entitled to compensation, depending on the length of the delay caused by being rebooked.
Tarmac delays: Airlines cannot keep passengers on the tarmac indefinitely. For most flights, passengers must be given an opportunity to deplane after three hours on domestic flights or four hours on international flights, subject to limited safety, security, or air traffic control exceptions. Airlines must also provide basic care during extended tarmac delays, including food, water, access to toilets, and medical assistance where needed.
Refunds: Passengers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels their flight or makes a significant change and the passenger chooses not to travel on the alternative offered.
Baggage: Airlines can be liable for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage, subject to legal limits and conditions. For international journeys, baggage claims are often governed by the Montreal Convention, which can also provide rights in relation to certain delay-related losses.
Although US passenger rights are narrower than those available in Europe, the UK, and Canada, passengers travelling to or from the United States may still have a valid claim under another regime.
Not sure which rules apply to your flight? Use our free compensation checker below, and let JetJustice do the hard part for you.