Aurigny Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Compensation Guide
Updated June 2026 · EU261/UK261 rules applied to Aurigny's network
A long delay on a Aurigny flight is not just lost time. Under EU and UK passenger rights rules it can be worth up to €600 per person, paid in cash, regardless of the ticket price. Aurigny is the airline of Guernsey, owned by the States of Guernsey since 2003 and based at Guernsey Airport.
The airline's core route links Guernsey with London Gatwick, supported by services to other British airports and the Channel Islands. Here is the practical version: when Aurigny must pay, how the distance bands work on its actual routes, and how to claim without giving away more commission than you need to.
Not sure where your Aurigny flight lands in these bands? The calculator does the distance math for you.
Does EU261 apply to Aurigny?
Aurigny is a UK carrier. Its departures from UK airports are covered by UK261 (£220–£520), its departures from EU airports by EU261 (€250–€600), and its arrivals into the UK from anywhere in the world by UK261 again.
One post-Brexit gap to know: a Aurigny flight from outside Europe *into the EU* (not the UK) is no longer covered by EU261, because UK carriers stopped counting as "Community carriers" in 2021. The same flight into the UK is covered.
How much is your Aurigny flight worth?
Forget ticket price — the law pays by distance. Applied to actual Aurigny routes:
| Example route | Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Peter Port (GCI) → London (LGW) | 257 km | €250 / £220 |
| Saint Peter Port (GCI) → Manchester (MAN) | 436 km | €250 / £220 |
| Saint Peter Port (GCI) → Bristol (BRS) | 217 km | €250 / £220 |
Two refinements: intra-European flights over 3,500 km cap at €400, and on long-haul routes the airline may halve the €600 to €300 when it gets you there less than 4 hours late.
Claiming from Aurigny yourself — step by step
You do not need anyone's help to claim — the direct route is free and often works. The process with Aurigny:
- Gather your booking reference, boarding passes, and proof of the disruption — screenshots of the airline app, the cancellation email, or a flight-tracker page showing the actual arrival time.
- Submit the claim through Aurigny's customer relations contact form on its website, citing UK261 (the retained Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and stating your arrival delay and the compensation amount you are owed.
- Name every passenger on the booking — each paid seat qualifies separately, including children.
- Give the airline a clear deadline (four to six weeks is reasonable) and decline any voucher unless it is worth more to you than cash; you are entitled to a bank transfer.
- If the claim is rejected or ignored, escalate to the national enforcement body or an ADR scheme — or hand it to a no-win-no-fee service at that point, having lost nothing.
The statute of limitations for a claim against Aurigny is typically between one and six years depending on the country whose courts hear the claim, so even older flights may still be claimable.
Claim service or DIY?
The honest math: claim services take about a quarter to a third of the payout as commission. Claiming yourself keeps 100% — and works fine when the case is clear-cut and Aurigny plays fair. Services earn their cut on the contested cases.
Our suggestion: try the free direct route first if your case looks clear-cut. Use a claim service if you have already been rejected, if the cause of the disruption is disputed, or if you simply don't want to deal with it.
Claim services typically keep 25–35% of your payout as commission. Claiming directly with the airline yourself is free.
Aurigny compensation FAQ
- How much compensation does Aurigny have to pay?
- Fixed amounts by distance: €250 (under 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km, and longer intra-European routes), €600 (over 3,500 km), with UK equivalents of £220/£350/£520. On Aurigny's typical routes that works out to €250 per passenger, independent of the fare you paid.
- Does EU261 apply to Aurigny flights?
- Mostly yes: UK261 covers Aurigny departures from the UK and arrivals into the UK; EU261 covers its departures from EU airports. The gap is flights from outside Europe into the EU, which lost coverage after Brexit.
- Is it too late to claim from Aurigny?
- The deadline depends on the country whose courts would hear the case — often where the airline is based or where you flew from. For Aurigny (Guernsey) that is typically between one and six years depending on the country whose courts hear the claim. Treat these as indicative and check before filing an old claim.
- What if my Aurigny flight was disrupted by a strike?
- It depends whose strike. Air-traffic-control or airport staff strikes usually count as extraordinary circumstances and kill the claim. A strike by Aurigny's own staff does not — the EU Court of Justice ruled in 2021 (C-28/20) that airlines must pay compensation for their own crews' strikes, though many still reject these claims at first.
- Aurigny offered me a voucher — should I take it?
- Only if you genuinely prefer it. You are entitled to compensation in money, and refunds for cancelled flights must be paid in cash within 7 days unless you agree otherwise in writing. A voucher offer does not extinguish your compensation claim either — you can take the refund and still claim the fixed amount.
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Free eligibility check · service fee 25–35% only if you win · claiming directly yourself is free