How to claim for delayed or cancelled flights as compensation payouts hits five-year high – with over £400,000 paid to passengers last year

FLIGHT compensation has reached a five year high with a payout of over €460,000 (£400,000) last year.

This is up from just €139,000 (£123,000) in 2018 - and we reveal how you can make a claim if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

Passengers can claim under EU regulation 261/2004 for any flights that are delayed for more than three hours, or flights that are cancelled.

Claims of up to €600 (£536) can be made depending on the length of the flight and the delay time.

According , the Commission for Aviation Regulation paid out for nearly 1,700 claims in 2018, although say there are still 561 open cases which could push the compensation amount even higher.

There were 861 claims for flight delays, up by 180 in 2017, with 728 claims for cancelled flights.

Last year, Ryanair passengers were hit particular hard after 250 flights were cancelled during the summer following a cabin crew strike across Europe.

Other cancellations such as ATC staff shortages also , affecting approximately 800,000 passengers.

Here is what you can do if your flight is cancelled or delayed, and if you are able to make a compensation claim.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Passengers flying with an EU airline or a non-EU airline flying from a EU airport are protected by the Denied Boarding regulations.

This means that the airline must offer you the option of either being reimbursed for a cancelled flight or rerouted on either the next possible flight or on an agreed date.

HOW TO GET AHEAD How you can claim up to £530 if your flight has been delayed

It must also provide you with meals and phone calls and hotel accommodation and transfers if the rerouting involves an overnight stay.

If you opt for a full refund instead then the airline has to give you the money back for the part of the journey that wasn't made and any parts already made that are then useless. You are also entitled to the earliest possible return flight.

In the case of strikes or computer glitches, like the one which affected BA passengers in 2017, you can claim compensation from the airline for cancellations and delays of more than three hours.

Thousands of people are also set to receive refunds and compensation after flights were cancelled at Gatwick following two illegal drones which were flown over the runway.

When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn't have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of the "extraordinary circumstances" but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

For example, if you are told you can't fly due to weather conditions but other flights are departing then you may want to raise this with the airline.

It also doesn't have to pay back your cash if you're told about it at least two weeks in advance, or if it's cancelled and rerouted between one and two weeks of the day you're supposed to leave and gets you to your destination no more than four hours late.

Can I get compensation if the airline has gone bust?

Your rights depend on whether or not you booked your flights through a site that is ATOL protected.

ATOL protection means that you're guaranteed a refund if a company goes into administration and an alternative route home will be found for you.

Your booking will be ATOL protected if you booked A package holiday through a travel agent, booked flights directly through the airline.

If you booked through another company that isn't protected and paid with a credit card you may be able to claim through your provider under the section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Earlier this year, WOW Air went into administration, stranding thousands of passengers.

However, passengers who made flight-only bookings were not able to get refunds or compensation unless they paid with a credit card or had travel insurance.

A new law introduced last year means Brits can now get compensation for delayed flight connections - even if the flight is outside of Europe.