TAP UK flights: UK261 compensation (London, Manchester)

Short answer: For TAP flights departing the UK, UK261 (the retained version of Regulation 261/2004) applies, with fixed compensation of GBP 220, 350, or 520 by distance when you arrive three or more hours late or your flight is cancelled at short notice — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Complain to TAP first, then escalate to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. On the return leg from Lisbon, EU261 applies instead, in euros.

Which rules cover your TAP flight

After Brexit, the UK kept Regulation 261/2004 in domestic law as "UK261". It works almost identically to the EU version, but the protected amounts are set in pounds sterling and complaints are handled by UK bodies.

The trigger is the departure airport:

• Departing a UK airport (LHR, LGW, MAN, and any TAP UK route) — UK261, in GBP.
• Departing Lisbon or Porto back to the UK — EU261, in euros, because you leave an EU airport on an EU carrier.

In practice the departure point decides which set of amounts you claim under. If your itinerary mixes both — say Manchester–Lisbon and back — treat each leg on its own rules. Our explainer on UK261 versus EU261 walks through the edge cases.

How much UK261 pays

Compensation depends on the great-circle distance of the flight, not the fare you paid.

London and Manchester to Lisbon sit around 1,600–1,750 km, so most direct UK–Portugal delays fall in the GBP 350 band. If Lisbon is only a stopover and your final destination is farther — São Paulo or New York on a single ticket — the distance to the final destination sets the amount, and a long delay there can reach GBP 520 — connections are always measured to the final destination (Folkerts, C-11/11).

As with EU261, the airline may pay 50% less — GBP 175 in the middle band — if re-routing keeps your arrival delay below the threshold for that distance.

When you qualify

The conditions mirror EU261 almost word for word:

• Delay — you reach your final destination three hours or more late (Sturgeon, C-402/07).
• Cancellation — cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, unless you are re-routed within tight limits.
• Denied boarding — bumped from an overbooked flight against your will.

Compensation is not due when the disruption is caused by extraordinary circumstances the airline could not have avoided — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, or certain third-party strikes. A routine technical fault is normally not extraordinary (Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07; van der Lans, C-257/14). We cover the dividing line in weather, ATC and extraordinary circumstances.

Care, refunds and downgrades still apply

Money compensation is separate from your other entitlements, which apply regardless of the cause of the disruption:

• Right to care — meals, phone calls, and a hotel plus transfers if you are delayed overnight, for as long as you wait.
• Refund or re-routing — if the flight is cancelled or delayed five hours or more, you choose between a full refund and an alternative flight.
• Downgrade — if TAP moves you to a lower cabin, you are owed 30%, 50%, or 75% of the ticket price for that segment by distance (Mennens, C-255/15).

Baggage sits under a different treaty — the Montreal Convention — so file a Property Irregularity Report at the airport and claim separately. That compensation is capped at about 1,519 SDR per passenger and carries its own two-year time limit, entirely separate from any UK261 or EU261 claim.

Complaining in the UK

Start with TAP directly, in writing, quoting your booking reference, flight number, and the length of the delay. Keep boarding passes and receipts.

If TAP rejects the claim or goes silent, escalate to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Its Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) handles disputes where the airline is not signed up to an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme — and TAP currently is not, so UK-departing complaints typically go to PACT. In England and Wales you generally have six years to bring a court claim (five years in Scotland), so check which clock applies. Our guide on TAP compensation time limits sets out the detail.

Let ClaimWinger handle it

Chasing an airline across two legal systems is where most claims stall. ClaimWinger works on a no-win, no-fee basis: we take a commission only if your claim succeeds. We handle the paperwork, the jurisdiction question, and the escalation to the CAA. Start with our main TAP Air Portugal compensation guide, see how to claim against TAP step by step, or check a disrupted flight now at /delayed-flight.

FAQ — Frequently asked questions

Is my TAP flight from Heathrow covered by EU261 or UK261?

UK261. Any flight leaving a UK airport is governed by the retained UK regulation, so you claim in pounds (GBP 220 / 350 / 520), not euros — even though TAP is an EU airline.

What about my return flight from Lisbon?

That leg departs an EU airport on an EU carrier, so EU261 applies and amounts are in euros (EUR 250 / 400 / 600). It is common to claim UK261 outbound and EU261 inbound on the same round trip.

How much for a delayed London–Lisbon flight?

The distance is roughly 1,600 km, so it falls in the middle band: GBP 350 if you arrive three or more hours late and no extraordinary circumstance applies. A reduced GBP 175 can apply if re-routing keeps the delay modest.

TAP said it was a technical problem — can I still claim?

Usually yes. UK261 follows the same case law as EU261, and ordinary technical faults are not treated as extraordinary circumstances (van der Lans, C-257/14). Ask for the reason in writing and challenge a blanket refusal.

How long do I have to claim?

In England and Wales the limit is generally six years from the flight date (five years in Scotland). Don't wait — evidence is far easier to gather early.

Sources

• UK Civil Aviation Authority — resolving travel problems and PACT
• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)
• Court of Justice of the EU — case law (curia.europa.eu)

This guide reflects the legal position in 2026. EU261 currently uses a three-hour delay threshold and EUR 250 / 400 / 600 amounts; UK261 uses GBP 220 / 350 / 520. A proposed EU reform (longer delay thresholds, a nine-month claim window and a 30-day airline response deadline) is a proposal, not yet in force. This is general information, not legal advice.