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Guida compagnia aerea

British Airways compensation

British Airways flights from the UK fall under UK261 and flights from the EU under EU261. The thresholds are the same; only the currency of the fixed amounts differs.

Quick answer

British Airways flights from the UK fall under UK261 and flights from the EU under EU261. The thresholds are the same; only the currency of the fixed amounts differs.

Airline
British Airways
Main hub
London Heathrow
Potential compensation
€250–€600 or £220–£520 per passenger
Route coverage
EU261 and UK261, depending on route

British Airways deve pagare?

British Airways vola da aeroporti UE e SEE, quindi il regolamento CE 261/2004 si applica a quelle partenze indipendentemente da dove va il volo. Heathrow and Gatwick connect to the whole of Europe and to long-haul markets where the top band applies. La maggior parte di quelle rotte rientra nella fascia dei 250 €, con quelle più lunghe che raggiungono i 400 €.

Cosa di solito decide il reclamo

  • UK departures are compensated in pounds (£220/£350/£520); EU departures in euros.
  • BA's own staff strikes do not excuse payment; third-party air traffic control strikes can.
  • IT failures in the airline's own systems are within its control.
  • For UK flights the regulator is the Civil Aviation Authority, not a national EU body.

Come inviare il tuo reclamo

BA uses an online claim form under Manage My Booking. Paste the letter in full so the legal basis is on record, then keep the reference number.

Se rifiutano

Le compagnie aeree spesso rifiutano un primo reclamo con un riferimento generico a circostanze eccezionali. Chiedi loro di indicare la causa specifica e le misure ragionevoli adottate. Se la risposta non è convincente o non arriva entro 14 giorni, fai ricorso all'organismo nazionale di controllo del paese di partenza — per i voli con hub a London Heathrow è l'ente regolatore di quello stato — oppure a uno schema di risoluzione alternativa delle controversie approvato.

Domande frequenti

Is UK261 different from EU261?
It is the same regulation copied into UK law after Brexit, with amounts in pounds. The three-hour threshold and the excuses that do and do not work are unchanged.
My flight left Heathrow and arrived in Spain late. Which applies?
The departure point decides: a UK departure means UK261, handled by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Does British Airways charge to process a claim?
No. Claiming under EU261 is free and the airline has to handle it, which is exactly why handing 25–35% to an agency is hard to justify.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.