United Airlines delay compensation on flights to and from Canada

Updated October 18, 2026 · Checked against the regulations as current to September 30, 2026 · By LandedLate

On a United flight to or from Canada, United owes $400, $700 or $1,000 per passenger for a delay or cancellation within its control, and says so in its own Canada notice. The amount depends on how late you reach your destination, and it isn't owed for causes outside its control or required for safety, or if you were told 15 or more days ahead. United promises to pay or explain within 30 days of your claim, by transfer or cheque, but its notice names no claim form.

Whether your own flight qualifies depends on its details: the reason the airline gave, how late you reached your destination and how much notice you had. Check it free at landedlate.ca/check.

How much United owes

United, delay or cancellation within its control
You reached your destination	Per passenger
3 to 6 hours late	$400
6 to 9 hours late	$700
9 hours or more	$1,000
Less than 3 hours late	$0

Canadian dollars, per passenger, section 19(1); these are the amounts United lists. Data as of October 18, 2026.

Bumped from a flight for a reason within its control? $900, $1,800 or $2,400, which United says it pays no later than 48 hours after the denied boarding (section 20). Every amount in one chart

When United has to pay, and when it doesn't

You're owed

The cause was within United's control and not for safety, you arrived 3+ hours late, and you were told 14 days or less before departure (section 12).

Worth challenging

United cites safety or weather without detail, or doesn't answer within 30 days. In a complaint the airline has to prove the cause (Canada Transportation Act, section 85.07(2)).

Not owed

Weather that made flying unsafe, air traffic control or a security threat. You still get a new flight within 48 hours, or your choice of a refund or a seat on any airline (section 18).

How to claim from United

Open United's Customer Care request page at united.com/en/ca/customer-care, then sign in or continue as a guest with your confirmation or ticket number and last name.
Say it's a compensation claim under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, with your flight, date, how late you arrived and the reason you were given. United's notice names no dedicated form, so make the request unmistakable.
Claim within a year. United excludes claims not submitted “within one year of the flight delay or cancellation”; the regulations say before the first anniversary (section 19(3)).
Screenshot the confirmation and note the date. United has 30 days to pay or explain. If it hasn't paid

Write my United claim

Free. LandedLate takes no share of what United pays you.

What the regulator has fined United for

Issued	What for	Penalty
April 1, 2026	Itinerary documents missing the required terms and compensation information (2024 to 2025)	$15,400
January 28, 2026	Not telling passengers on UA750 (June 12, 2025) the reason for the delay and the compensation they may be entitled to	$2,500
September 19, 2024	33 compensation requests not paid or answered within 30 days (section 19(4))	$6,600
June 7, 2023	Ten itineraries missing the required terms and information (2022 to 2023)	$75,000

Canadian Transportation Agency enforcement notices; three other penalties (2019, 2023 and 2025) not shown. Link in Sources.

What else United owes you during the disruption

Meals, a way to communicate and a hotel overnight, when the cause was within United's control or for safety, you were told less than 12 hours ahead and you've waited 2 hours past your ticketed departure (section 14). Meals and hotels
A new flight: within control or safety, United says it rebooks you on its own or a partner's flight within 9 hours, and otherwise on any airline within 48 hours (section 17).
A refund within 30 days to the original form of payment, if you choose one (section 18.2).

If United refuses or doesn't answer

Write back and ask for the specific cause and the evidence. You can file a free complaint with the Canadian Transportation Agency 30 days after your claim, or once it's refused; United's notice links the agency's complaint form itself. Expect a long wait: the agency says it may take more than 24 months before an officer reviews a complaint. Answering a refusal · How to file with the agency

Questions

Do Canadian rules apply to a United flight?

Yes, on flights to, from and within Canada (Canada Transportation Act, section 86.11(1)). United's own notice says the regulations cover "travel from and to Canada operated by United Airlines and its United Express (UAX) partners".

Where do I send a United compensation claim?

United's Canada notice promises an answer within 30 days of receiving your claim but names no claim form. Its Customer Care request page, where you can continue as a guest with your confirmation or ticket number and last name, is the general way in; say clearly that it is a compensation claim under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, and keep a screenshot with the date.

Will United pay in cash or a voucher?

United says compensation "will be paid by EFT, bank check or, with your written agreement, in a travel voucher". You don't have to accept a voucher (section 21).

My United flight was operated by Air Canada. Who do I claim from?

The airline that operated the flight (section 2(1)). United's notice covers flights operated by United and United Express.

Can I claim under US rules and the Canadian rules?

United's notice says it won't pay if "You have already been paid under another passenger rights regime for the same event", and Canadian law says the same (Canada Transportation Act, section 86.11(3)). Being eligible elsewhere doesn't block a Canadian claim (section 3(3)); being paid elsewhere does.

Sources

General information, not legal advice.