If Heathrow staff or your airline deny you boarding because your flight is overbooked, you're entitled to compensation of £110 to £520 depending on the flight distance and how much later you arrive, plus your choice of a replacement flight or a full refund. This applies whether you're bumped against your will or you agree to give up your seat, though volunteering changes some of what you're owed. These figures and rights come directly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Checked 2026.
What "denied boarding" actually means
Airlines sometimes sell more tickets than a flight has seats, betting that some passengers won't show up. When more people check in than there's room for, the airline has to stop some passengers boarding, known as being "bumped" or "denied boarding". It can also happen if the airline swaps in a smaller aircraft than planned. This is different from a delayed or cancelled flight: you've checked in on time and are physically prevented from getting on the plane.
Airlines are also allowed to deny boarding for reasons unrelated to overbooking, such as a passenger not having a valid passport or required travel documents. That kind of denial doesn't carry compensation rights. This guide covers the overbooking scenario, where UK261 applies.
Volunteering vs being bumped without your agreement
If you volunteer, it's up to you and the airline to negotiate compensation, often announced at the gate as a cash amount or vouchers. You're still entitled to choose between an alternative flight or a refund, but check exactly what you're agreeing to first: some airlines now use a tick-box during online check-in asking if you'd consider a later flight for a voucher. Ticking it can be treated as waiving your statutory UK261 compensation rights if you are later bumped, and can also remove your right to paid hotel accommodation if you're stuck overnight. Read any "voluntary rebooking" offer carefully before you accept it, and get the terms in writing.
If you're bumped without your agreement and you checked in on time, you're legally entitled to the compensation below, no negotiation required.
Compensation if you're bumped involuntarily
The amount depends on your flight's distance and how much later the alternative flight gets you to your destination compared with your original booking:
| Flight distance | Arrive this much later | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,500km (e.g. Heathrow to Edinburgh or Amsterdam) | 2 hours or more | £220 |
| Under 1,500km | Less than 2 hours | £110 |
| 1,500km-3,500km (e.g. Heathrow to Cairo or Marrakesh) | 3 hours or more | £350 |
| 1,500km-3,500km | Less than 3 hours | £175 |
| Over 3,500km (e.g. Heathrow to New York or Dubai) | 4 hours or more | £520 |
| Over 3,500km | Less than 4 hours | £260 |
This is a different set of thresholds from UK261 compensation for a delayed flight, which pays a fixed amount once you arrive 3 hours or more late regardless of distance band detail. Denied boarding compensation instead halves if your replacement flight gets you there reasonably close to your original schedule. See our guide to UK261 delay compensation if your issue is a late or cancelled flight rather than being bumped.
Your right to choose: reroute or refund
Whether you volunteered or were bumped against your will, the airline must let you choose between two options.
Option 1: an alternative flight
You can ask to fly as soon as possible, or wait and travel on a later date that suits you better. While you wait for a flight booked ASAP, the airline must also provide:
- Reasonable food and drink, often as vouchers
- A way to communicate, often by refunding call costs
- Hotel accommodation if you're rerouted the next day
- Transport to and from that accommodation, or home if you can get there
These must be provided for as long as the delay lasts, whatever the reason for it.
Option 2: a full refund
If you'd rather not travel, you get your money back for every unused part of the ticket. On a return booking, being bumped from the outbound leg entitles you to a refund of the whole return fare. If you're partway through a longer journey when you're bumped, the airline should also fly you back to where you started.
UK261 only applies to certain flights
This protection covers flights departing a UK airport, such as Heathrow, on any airline, and flights arriving into the UK on a UK or EU airline. If you're flying into Heathrow on a non-UK, non-EU carrier from outside Europe, UK261 won't apply, and you'll need to check that airline's own denied-boarding policy instead.
What to do if you're bumped at Heathrow
- Ask the gate agent for written confirmation of the compensation amount and whether you're volunteering or being involuntarily denied boarding, before you agree to anything.
- Keep your boarding pass and any denied-boarding form the airline gives you.
- If you're offered a voucher instead of cash, you can ask for the statutory cash amount instead; airlines must offer this option.
- If the airline later disputes what it promised at the gate, the paperwork you kept is your evidence.
- For related delays once you're rebooked, see our check-in deadlines by airline guide so you don't miss your replacement flight's cut-off.
If your airline won't pay up
Contact your airline's customer service team first and put your claim in writing. If they refuse or you don't hear back within a reasonable time, you can escalate to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme the airline is signed up to, or ultimately the CAA itself, which publishes guidance on what to do if your airline won't help. Keep every piece of correspondence.