How long flight compensation takes
“Timelines” online are often guessed or copied from old forum posts. This page sticks to timelines with a source you can cite in your own follow-up messages.
“How long should passengers have to wait?”
Short answer: it depends on regime and stage.
- Canada APPR: airline must pay or explain within 30 days after receiving a compensation claim under section 19 (APPR section 19(4) (opens in a new tab)).
- UK complaint path: you can go to the airline's approved ADR scheme once it gives a final response, or 8 weeks after you complained if it has not; if the airline has no ADR scheme, the CAA takes the complaint (CAA: alternative dispute resolution (opens in a new tab)).
- US refunds: when a refund is due, the airline must pay within 7 business days for card payments and within 20 days for other payment methods (US DOT: refunds (opens in a new tab)). Denied boarding compensation has its own rules in Part 250 (14 CFR Part 250 (opens in a new tab)).
Stage 1: Your own prep (usually fastest if organized)
Passengers control this part:
- Assemble evidence.
- Submit one complete claim.
- Save case ID and submission date.
Using the checker and letters first gives you a complete first submission to send.
Stage 2: Airline first response window
APPR cases
This one has the clearest hard rule in your cited set:
- Written claim must reach the airline before the first anniversary of the delay or cancellation (APPR section 19(3) (opens in a new tab)).
- Airline must respond (pay or explain refusal) within 30 days (APPR section 19(4) (opens in a new tab)).
If 30 days pass without compliant response, include the section citation in your follow-up and preserve proof of submission date.
UK pathways
UK claims go to the airline first. After its final response, or 8 weeks after you complained, you can escalate to its ADR scheme, or to the CAA if it has none (CAA: alternative dispute resolution (opens in a new tab)).
“Any idea how long it takes [airline] to process?”
Airline-specific anecdotes vary. Instead of asking “how long normally,” ask:
- “What is my case status code?”
- “Which regulation did you assess under?”
- “What evidence is missing?”
- “What date should I expect a final response?”
This shifts the interaction from generic queue talk to case-accountability.
Stage 3: Payment after approval
A claim can also stall between “approved” and “paid.”
Best practice:
- Request confirmation of approved amount and currency.
- Confirm beneficiary details in one message.
- Ask what payment rail is used (bank transfer, card reversal, etc.).
- Keep all confirmations.
If your claim is under APPR and was approved, keep citing section timing duties until paid (APPR section 19(4) (opens in a new tab)).
What makes claims slow
Things that can slow a claim:
- Wrong operating carrier selected.
- Missing final arrival evidence.
- Confusion between refund and compensation request.
- Multiple passengers but no authority to act stated.
- Regime mismatch (for example citing EU261 where only APPR applies).
Use rules hub to confirm jurisdiction before resubmitting.
“How is it taking over 3 months?” — a practical reset
If you are in prolonged limbo, send a reset email with four lines:
- claim reference,
- regulation relied on,
- amount sought,
- request for final written response by a specific date.
Attach your original claim and one timeline table.
For APPR, include: “Section 19(4) requires payment or explanation within 30 days.” (APPR section 19(4) (opens in a new tab)).
UK escalation timing in plain language
UK passengers often ask when to stop waiting and escalate. Use the regulator pathway rather than social-media timelines.
- Keep your first claim and reminders documented.
- If there is no final response 8 weeks after you complained, or the final response refuses, go to the airline's ADR scheme, or to the CAA if the airline has none (CAA: alternative dispute resolution (opens in a new tab)).
- Keep the court limit in mind while escalating: 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 5 years in Scotland (Limitation Act section 5 (opens in a new tab), Scotland section 6 (opens in a new tab)).
Don’t confuse “response window” with “court deadline”
- Response windows govern handling behavior (for example APPR 30-day response obligation).
- Court deadlines govern how long you can still start legal proceedings if unresolved.
The second one can be much longer than the first. See deadlines.
US timing expectations (quick reality check)
For US-focused routes:
- Part 250 covers involuntary denied boarding compensation structure (14 CFR Part 250 (opens in a new tab)).
- Part 260 covers refund obligations for cancellation/significant change contexts (14 CFR Part 260 (opens in a new tab)).
If your issue is a pure delay without denied boarding, don’t expect a federal delay-compensation timeline equivalent to EU261/APPR compensation systems.
Your practical timeline template
Create this in your notes app:
- Day 0: claim submitted.
- Day X: first airline response.
- Day X+?: rebuttal sent.
- Day Y: escalation opened.
- Day Z: final resolution/payment.
Keep every attachment and timestamp. This is what turns a vague “still waiting” complaint into a process-ready case.
Start from checker, send from letters, and track limits on deadlines.
Self-help information and templates only; this is self-help, not legal advice.
Not sure what you are owed? The free checker applies these rules to your flight in about two minutes and shows the amount and your deadline.
Related guides
This article is self-help information, not legal advice. It explains published rules so you can claim yourself; check the sources below and your own booking before relying on it.