FlightRepay

ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261

How close must the replacement flight be to avoid compensation?

Art. 5(1)(c) sets exact margins. With notice between two weeks and seven days, the replacement must depart no more than 2 hours before the original time and arrive less than 4 hours after it. With under seven days notice, the margins tighten to 1 hour early and 2 hours late. Miss either margin and compensation of €250, €400 or €600 or £220, £350 or £520 stays on the table.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

The margins, exactly as the regulation sets them

ART. 5(1)(C): WHEN A REROUTE DEFEATS COMPENSATION
NOTICE GIVENREPLACEMENT MUST DEPARTAND ARRIVE
14 days or moreAny timeAny time
Two weeks to seven daysNo more than 2 hours earlyLess than 4 hours late
Under seven daysNo more than 1 hour earlyLess than 2 hours late
Art. 5(1)(c)(i) to (iii) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, identical in the retained UK regulation. Both margins must be met; a reroute that leaves on time but lands 4 hours late fails the test.

The half rate the airline can invoke instead

Where compensation is due but the reroute still landed reasonably close, Art. 7(2) lets the airline halve the payment: within 2 hours of schedule on flights up to 1,500 km, 3 hours on longer intra Community flights and others up to 3,500 km, and 4 hours beyond that.

SOURCES

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 5(1)(c) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(2) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026

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