South African Airways flight compensation (2026)
Laws current as of July 2026.
US law sets no delay-payout, but an involuntary bump pays cash up to $2,150 (14 CFR Part 250) and a cancelled flight you decline owes an automatic cash refund (14 CFR Part 260). If your South African Airways flight qualifies, you can prepare and send the claim yourself and keep 100% of the payout — no commission to a claims company.
If your South African Airways flight was delayed 3+ hours, cancelled, or overbooked, you may be legally owed cash compensation under undefined. Here is what the law says, and how to claim it yourself without giving 35% to a claims company.
How much is a South African Airways claim worth?
| Situation | What US law owes you |
|---|---|
| Involuntary denied boarding — short delay | up to $1,075 (200% of fare, in cash) |
| Involuntary denied boarding — long delay | up to $2,150 (400% of fare, in cash) |
| Cancelled or significantly changed flight you decline | Automatic full cash refund — not a voucher |
US law has no fixed delay-compensation statute. Denied-boarding compensation is 14 CFR Part 250; the automatic refund rule is 14 CFR Part 260.
Primary source: undefined.
The airline will say "extraordinary circumstances"
That is a defence the airline must PROVE, and it bears the burden. Technical faults, the airline's own staff strikes, and knock-on delays generally do NOT count. Make them show contemporaneous evidence.
How far back can I claim?
Time limits vary by country — e.g. Germany: 3 years, counted from the end of the calendar year of the flight. France: 5 years. England & Wales: 6 years (Scotland: 5). Older flights are often still claimable.
What you get
Run the free checker below. If you're owed, a flat-fee pack gives you a demand letter with the exact citations, a regulator escalation letter, and a rebuttal playbook — you send it and keep 100%.
Open a claim — free