How Do I Get Compensated for My United Airlines Flight Being Delayed?

If your flight is delayed, you can suffer some significant financial losses, especially if a missed connecting flight forces you to book an extra night at a hotel or miss reservations you had made at your destination. If a delayed flight on United Airlines has caused problems for you, you can sometimes seek compensation from United, depending on your circumstances.

For Flights That Originate in the EU

In America, there is no law requiring airlines to give passengers compensation for flights that have been delayed. The European Union is a different story. If your United Airlines flight took off anywhere in the EU then you are legally entitled to compensation even though United is not an EU airline. A flight delay of three hours or more means that you are owed from $300 to $400, if your flight's destination was an EU country. The exact amount of your compensation depends on the flight's distance. If your flight was headed outside of the EU, you are owed $360 in compensation, no matter what your original destination was.

United Airlines Delay Policy

United Airlines' policy on delayed flights is as follows:

• If your flight is delayed because of weather, mechanical problems, or similar issues, you could be eligible for a travel credit even if your ticket is nonrefundable.
• If you had already taken part of your trip when the delay occurred, your credit will be for the difference between the ticket price and the value of the flights you have already taken.
• If you purchased your ticket with a discount, then the compensation you are eligible for will have that discount subtracted from it, along with certain charges.

If your flight did not originate in the EU, this is the policy that governs potential compensation. Actual compensation is entirely at the discretion of United Airlines.

How to Make the Refund Request

1. Go to United Airlines' home page.
2. Click on the Sign In link in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
3. Sign in to your United Airlines account.
4. Go to the refund request page.
5. Fill out your personal information in the text fields under the Your Information header.
6. Click on the Add Trip button under the Select Items header.
7. Select the trip that you want a refund for.
8. Add any extra details that you think are relevant in the text box under the Details header.
9. Attach any files that you think would be relevant to your request using the Choose File button under the Details header
10. Leave a contact email in the space under the How to Get Back to You header.
11. Click on the Submit button at the bottom.

If you have any questions concerning your request for compensation, you can contact United Airlines' customer service for help. They have phone line, an online help desk, email support, Twitter support and Facebook support.