Qatar Airways is not an EU or UK airline, so whether you can claim depends on where your journey started. Flights leaving an EU or UK airport are covered by EU261 or UK261; Qatar Airways flights from Doha into Europe are not, even when they land in London or Paris. This page explains Qatar Airways compensation for delays and cancellations, including connections through Doha, and how to claim.
01Which Qatar Airways flights are covered
- Flights from the UK, for example Heathrow or Manchester to Doha, are covered by UK261. Qatar Airways' own UK passenger rights page is written for "QR flights departing from the UK".
- Flights from the EU, for example Frankfurt, Paris or Madrid to Doha, are covered by EU261. The same EU rules apply to flights from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
- Flights into Europe on Qatar Airways, for example Doha to London or Doha to Paris, are not covered. Both laws cover arrivals only when a UK or EU airline operates the flight.
- Return trips are two separate flights. In Emirates v Schenkel (C-173/07), the EU Court of Justice ruled that an outward and a return flight are separate, even on one booking. The way back from Doha is therefore not covered just because the trip started in Europe.
- Partner-operated legs follow the operating airline. If part of your Qatar Airways booking is flown by a UK or EU airline, for example a British Airways flight into London, that leg can be covered under that airline's rules.
02Connections through Doha
Qatar Airways flies from Europe to its hub in Doha, so any trip beyond Doha involves a change of plane there. This is where the rules matter most.
- The whole journey is covered when it starts in the EU or UK. In Wegener v Royal Air Maroc (C-537/17), the EU Court of Justice ruled that a single booking from an EU airport with a change of plane outside the EU is covered all the way to the final destination, even though the airline was not European and the second flight never touched the EU. A trip from Manchester to Bangkok via Doha on one booking is a typical example. This ruling dates from before Brexit, so it also forms part of UK law for UK261 claims.
- Delay is measured at the final destination. If you reach Bangkok, Singapore or Sydney three hours or more late, it does not matter whether the problem was the flight to Doha or the connection from Doha (Air France v Folkerts, C-11/11).
- Distance is measured end to end, from your first departure airport to your final destination in a straight line (Bossen, C-559/16). For journeys from Europe to Asia or Australia via Doha, this usually means the over 3,500 km band.
- Separate bookings don't connect. If you bought the Doha onward flight separately, only the flight from Europe is covered.
03Qatar Airways delay compensation
You can claim when you reach your final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, unless Qatar Airways shows the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount is fixed per passenger and depends on distance: up to 1,500 km, 1,500 to 3,500 km, or over 3,500 km.
- EU261 (flights from the EU, or into the EU on an EU airline): €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, by flight distance.
- UK261 (flights from the UK, or into the UK on a UK or EU airline): £220, £350 or £520 per passenger, by flight distance.
On long-haul journeys over 3,500 km there is one catch. As the Irish Aviation Authority explains, the amount can be reduced by half if you arrive between three and four hours late; from four hours, the full long-haul amount applies. The same halving applies if Qatar Airways re-routed you and you arrived within four hours of the original time.
04Qatar Airways cancellations
If your flight from the UK or EU is cancelled, Qatar Airways' own rights page confirms you can choose a refund within seven days or a replacement flight, with meals, communication and a hotel where needed while you wait. Compensation is due on top of that unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or you were offered a replacement close to your original times (for notice of 7 to 14 days, leaving no more than two hours earlier and arriving less than four hours later; for under 7 days, no more than one hour earlier and less than two hours later), or the cause was an extraordinary circumstance.
05Extraordinary circumstances on Gulf routes
The UK Civil Aviation Authority lists security risks, political or civil unrest and weather that makes flying unsafe among likely extraordinary circumstances. Disruption caused by airspace closures or conflict in the region therefore usually rules out compensation, although Qatar Airways' page confirms you keep your rights to care and, where applicable, a refund or re-routing.
Other causes are treated differently. Technical faults are generally not extraordinary, because the EU Court of Justice ruled in Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07) that problems arising from normal aircraft operation and maintenance are the airline's responsibility. If a rejection gives no detail, ask what exactly caused your delay.
06How to claim Qatar Airways compensation directly
Claiming yourself is free.
- Qatar Airways' EU and UK passenger rights pages send complaints to the customer feedback form in its Help section.
- Give the booking reference and ticket number, every flight number and date, all passengers on the booking, and the time you actually reached your final destination.
- Keep boarding passes and receipts for meals, transport or hotels.
Compensation should be paid in money. The regulation allows vouchers or other services only with your signed agreement. Award tickets booked through Privilege Club count, because the rules expressly include frequent flyer tickets.
07If Qatar Airways says no
This is where Qatar Airways claims get harder. Qatar Airways' EU passenger rights page states that, with the exception of Germany, it is "not currently obliged or prepared to submit to ADR". In practice that means:
- Flights from the UK: there is no approved dispute resolution scheme to go to. Once you have complained in writing and either disagree with the answer or had no reply within eight weeks, the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team can review the case, but its view is not binding.
- Flights from Germany: you can turn to the German conciliation body Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr, which lists Qatar Airways as a member. It is free for consumers.
- Flights from other EU countries: under the EU complaint procedure, if the airline hasn't replied within six weeks or you disagree with its answer, you can send the complaint to the enforcement body in the country you flew from.
- Court: without a binding dispute resolution scheme, court is often the only way to get a final decision if Qatar Airways stands by its refusal. The time limit depends on the country whose courts hear the claim (Moré, C-139/11): generally six years in England and Wales, five in Scotland, and three years from the end of the year in Germany.
For flights from the EU, a revised EU regulation (2026/2202) applies from 23 October 2027 and asks passengers to submit compensation requests within nine months of the flight. UK261 is separate UK law and is not changed by it.
08How StopDelay can help with your Qatar Airways claim
Connections via Doha and the lack of a dispute resolution scheme are exactly the situations where help is useful. We check your full journey on the booking, the arrival time at your final destination and the reason given. If you go ahead, you sign an authority so we can act for you; we then send the claim to Qatar Airways, answer its objections, escalate to the regulator where that helps and go to court where it makes sense.
If the claim doesn't succeed, you pay nothing. If it does, our success fee applies; it's shown below and again before you sign. Read more in our passenger rights guides.
09Questions
Can I claim Qatar Airways compensation for a delayed flight from Doha to London?
Usually not. UK261 covers flights into the UK only when a UK or EU airline operates them, and EU261 works the same way for flights into the EU. Qatar Airways is neither, so its flights from Doha into Europe are not covered.
My London to Doha to Bangkok trip arrived late because of the second flight. Am I covered?
If both flights were on one booking, yes. The whole journey counts from your departure in the UK or EU, and what matters is a delay of three hours or more at the final destination, even if the problem happened on the flight from Doha.
What about the return flight on the same booking?
The return is a separate flight, even when booked together. A Qatar Airways return flight from Doha into the UK or EU is not covered by EU261 or UK261.
How do I claim from Qatar Airways?
Qatar Airways’ EU and UK passenger rights pages direct complaints to the customer feedback form in its Help section. Include the booking reference, flight numbers, dates, all passengers and the times you actually arrived.
What if Qatar Airways rejects my claim?
Qatar Airways states that, except for Germany, it is not prepared to submit to dispute resolution. For UK departures, the CAA’s complaints team can review the case; for EU departures, the enforcement body of that country can. Court remains possible within the time limits.
Are airspace closures in the Gulf an extraordinary circumstance?
Usually, yes. Security risks and political unrest are classic extraordinary circumstances, so compensation is unlikely. You keep the right to meals, a hotel if needed, and a refund or re-routing.
Can I claim on a Privilege Club award ticket?
Yes. The regulation excludes free and non-public fares but expressly includes tickets issued under frequent flyer programmes.
How long do I have to claim from Qatar Airways?
It depends on the country whose courts hear the claim. In England and Wales it is generally six years, in Scotland five, and in Germany three years from the end of the year of the flight.
Our fee: 30% incl. VAT, only if you get paid (+15% only if court action is needed).
