Had a flight cancelled in the last six years? Martin Lewis has good news for you

You could be entitled to compensation for a flight that was cancelled (Picture: Getty/Metro) Having a flight cancelled throws your much-needed holiday into chaos. And, even when the situation is resolved, you still have to wade through paperwork to claim compensation. Sometimes, the hassle doesn’t feel worth it, and we end up losing valuable cash. But if you’ve had a flight delayed in the past six years, you could be entitled to a good chunk of cash — even if you couldn’t face sorting it out at the time. Personal finance expert Martin Lewis has once again donned his superman cape to help us make sure we hold onto our pennies. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. In the latest edition of his newsletter, the Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder explains that if a flight is cancelled or delayed by over three hours and the airline is at fault, each passenger has the legal right to compensation of between £110 and £520. If your flight has been cancelled over the past six years, it might be worth checking if you’re owed compensation (Picture: Getty Images) And that’s on top of any refund, alternative flight, or food reimbursement you’re entitled to. Better still, you can claim for historic delays going back up to six years —meaning you could still be eligible for compensation for that cancelled flight in 2020. How do I know if I’m eligible for compensation? Before you sit down and pursue a claim, there are a few things to check. The rules exclusively apply to UK or EU ‘regulated’ flights. This means that any flight departing from a UK or EU airport is covered, regardless of the airline. However, for flights arriving at a UK or EU airport, only those operated by a UK or EU airline are covered. Additionally, you are only due compensation if the cancellation or delay was the airline’s fault. This can include things like staff shortages, security concerns, mechanical issues, and or operational decisions. Don't miss our Money tips! Add us as a Preferred Source At Metro Money, we're here to bring you all the latest news and advice on personal finance, cost of living, saving and investing. As part of our vibrant community of highly engaged readers, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search. Add us as a Preferred Source Our Money experts are here to give you the latest tips and insider guides Any ‘extraordinary circumstances’ such as extreme weather or problems caused by the airport or traffic control do not count. Martin highlights missed flights due to lengthy EES delays don’t count either, as it’s not classed as the airline’s fault. There are two kinds of compensation available When you’re making a claim, you’ll be applying for compensation for either a delay or a cancellation. For delay compensation, the flight must have arrived over three hours late. Whether or not your claim is considered will be solely down to your arrival time, as opposed to your departure. Compensation amounts are between £220 and £520 depending on the length of both the flight and the delay (lower for shorter, higher for longer). For a cancellation claim, whether you’re entitled to compensation (beyond the refund or alternative flight an airline is required to provide) depends on when you were told your flight was cancelled and how much it changes your plans. If the cancellation was made within two weeks of your departure, you’re looking at between £110 and £520, which is determined by how much earlier or later than your original flight the alternative flight offered departs. ‘Flight distance also has an effect,’ he adds. If you do think you might be due some money back, your best bet is using a free online complaint tool such as Resolver to make your claim, rather than any paid-for services, Not only will you be reminded to escalate to the relevant resolution scheme if rejected, as Martin stresses, it means if you do succeed, every penny goes straight into your bank account. Sharing their own windfall thanks to the advice, reader Lilia emailed in to MSE and explained: ‘Travelling home from South Korea, a plane tyre change delayed our flight by four hours, so we missed our connection in Germany and arrived in London a day later. ‘When we emailed the airline, it refused compensation, saying we didn’t take off from an EU country. ‘However, after reading Martin’s website, I pointed out my rights, citing the relevant law. It reimbursed us £520 each. A huge thank you.’ Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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