Compensation for delayed or cancelled Qantas flights from London

Qantas offers two daily flights from London to Australia: the QF2 is the Airbus A380 from London to Sydney via Singapore, while the QF10 flies non-stop to Perth. While both have a good track record of punctuality, delays and even cancellations can still occur.

However, most passengers on a delayed or cancelled QF2 or QF10 flight are unaware that they are entitled to £520 (AU$1,000) in compensation from Qantas under a UK “passenger rights” rule known as UK261.

This payment Also applies to any passenger “ejected” from QF2 or QF10 because the flight is overbooked.

In the event of a delay of three hours or more, as well as cancellation, Qantas is also required to cover reasonable ‘duty of care’ costs such as meals and, in some cases, overnight hotel accommodation, as well as your transport to and from the hotel.

(Similar compensation is available for delays and cancellations on Qantas flights QF34 from Paris and QF6 from Rome under EU passenger rights law EU261 – read our EU261 guide for more details.)

Please note that no legal compensation is required for delayed or cancelled flights. Since Australia or even most other countries has Australia: This could yet take the form of equivalent Australian legislation on “deferred payment”, currently before Parliament.

But if you’re on a flight from London or elsewhere in the UK, UK261 has you covered.

UK261 applies in the following situations:

• when you travel Since a british airport on any of them Airline company
• when you travel has a british airport on a Based in the UK airline (such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet)

UK law261 requires airlines to compensate passengers on these flights in the following circumstances:

• Flight delays three hours or more
• flight cancellations less than 14 days before the departure date
• denied boarding due to overbooking

UK261 compensation for delayed or cancelled Qantas flights

The amount you are entitled to through UK261 is determined by the distance travelled:

• flights of less than 1,500 km: you can claim £220 (AUD$404)
• flights between 1,501 km and 3,499 km: you can claim £350 (AUD$643)
• flights over 3,500 km: you can claim £520 (AUD$956)

UK261 Compensation Claim for Delayed or Cancelled Qantas Flights

In an ideal world, the airline responsible for your flight delay or cancellation would promptly inform you of your rights, including possible cash compensation.

Of course, this rarely happens, leaving it up to the traveler to make their claim and obtain appropriate compensation.

For this reason, always keep your boarding passes as proof of your booking and try to obtain documents from the airline confirming the flight delay or cancellation, or denied boarding (in these cases, the airlines are (required by law to inform you of your rights in writing at the airport).

Airlines should have a page on their website explaining the process for making a claim, as well as the terms of what you are entitled to and when you can make a claim. The British Airways UK261 compensation page is a good example.

Airlines can reject a UK261 claim if the delay or cancellation was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – something out of the ordinary, such as extreme weather conditions (for example, a volcanic ash cloud, industrial action unrelated to the airline and political or civil unrest).

But they can’t play this card if the reasons for a delay or cancellation include technical problems with the aircraft, conventional bad weather such as storms and snow, staff shortages or airline staff strikes.

All UK261 claims should be made to the relevant airline, either by email or post.

It’s easy enough to find a template letter online, but there’s also the option of going through a “no win, no fee” intermediary agent if you simply don’t have the time to make and follow up on your claim – although they will take a cut of the final compensation payment for their services (25% is not uncommon).

A typical complaint letter should include:

• all passenger details
• details of your affected flight, including booking reference number
• declare that you are seeking compensation in accordance with UK261
• state the reasons for your complaint, including what happened and how long you were late.
• reaffirm that the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances or an “act of God”
• the amount of compensation you are seeking, in accordance with the guidelines above
• your payment information and a reasonable time frame in which you would like a response

Each airline approaches the situation differently. In less than ideal situations, some may offer you travel vouchers for less than you are entitled to, others may continue to claim “extraordinary circumstances” or even ignore your letter altogether.

In these cases, it may be easier to try again through one of the many third-party agencies and law firms that pursue UK261 and EU261 cases in exchange for a share of your airline’s payment.

Be aware that accepting a voucher or negotiated offer from the airline – whether at the airport when your flight is delayed or cancelled, or subsequently when you claim compensation – effectively waives your rights to UK261 compensation.