Cancelled flight compensation in the EU depends on when the airline told you, the replacement flight it offered and the reason for the cancellation. You may be entitled to a fixed cash payment, but compensation is separate from your choice of a refund or rerouting, and one does not automatically replace the other. Even if an exceptional event means no compensation is due, the airline may still have to offer a refund or alternative travel and provide care while you wait. Check the flight’s route and operating airline first, then compare the cancellation notice and any rerouting offer with the rules below.
The rules in Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 apply to passengers travelling from an airport in an EU member state. They also generally cover passengers flying into the EU from a non-EU country when the operating airline is an EU carrier. The airline that operated, or was due to operate, the flight is usually responsible for handling the claim, even if you booked through a travel agent or another airline.
A flight arriving in the EU from outside it on a non-EU airline is generally outside the regulation’s scope. A route that neither departs from the EU nor arrives there is also generally outside it. The rules extend to Iceland and Norway under EEA arrangements; journeys involving the UK or Switzerland may involve separate rules, so check which regime applies to each leg.
Compensation is not automatic just because a flight was cancelled. The airline may owe it if you received short notice and the replacement flight did not meet the regulation’s timing conditions, unless the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if the airline had taken reasonable measures.
When the airline cancels your flight, it must offer you a choice between a refund and rerouting. These are alternatives: you generally choose one, rather than taking a refund for the cancelled journey and asking the airline to transport you on a replacement flight as well. Compensation, if you qualify, is a separate matter and can be due alongside either choice.
| Option | What it means | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Refund | Reimbursement of the ticket price for the part of the journey not taken. If the trip no longer serves its original purpose, you may also be entitled to a refund for parts already travelled and, where relevant, a return flight to your first departure point. | Travellers who no longer want to make the trip or can arrange other plans themselves. |
| Rerouting at the earliest opportunity | Alternative transport to your final destination under comparable conditions. This may mean a different flight or, where appropriate, another form of transport. | Travellers who still need to reach their destination as soon as reasonably possible. |
| Rerouting at a later date | Alternative travel on a date convenient to you, subject to seat availability. | Travellers whose plans allow them to wait and who prefer to travel later. |
The airline should present the alternatives clearly rather than assume that a voucher is your only option. A voucher or travel credit can replace a cash refund only if you agree to it. If the airline offers a rerouting that does not work for your journey, explain why and ask for an alternative before buying another ticket yourself. If the airline fails to provide rerouting at the earliest opportunity, reasonable replacement-transport costs may be recoverable, but keep evidence of your attempts to contact it and of the price and suitability of the alternative you bought.
The cancellation notice and the timing of the replacement flight matter. If the airline told you at least 14 days before departure, compensation is generally not payable under the cancellation rules. With shorter notice, a sufficiently close rerouting can also remove the right to compensation.
| When you were told | Rerouting that can remove compensation | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| At least 14 days before departure | Compensation is generally not payable, whether or not a replacement flight was offered. | Keep the notice showing when the airline informed you. Refund or rerouting rights still apply. |
| Between 7 and 14 days before departure | The replacement departs no more than 2 hours before the original time and arrives less than 4 hours after the original scheduled arrival. | Compare both departure and arrival times with the original itinerary. |
| Less than 7 days before departure | The replacement departs no more than 1 hour before the original time and arrives less than 2 hours after the original scheduled arrival. | Check the actual arrival at your final destination, not just the new departure time. |
These notice-and-rerouting exceptions do not settle every claim. The airline can also refuse compensation if it proves that extraordinary circumstances caused the cancellation and could not have been avoided despite reasonable measures. Severe weather, air traffic management restrictions and security risks can qualify, depending on the facts. A label such as “operational reasons” is not, by itself, a complete explanation.
Routine technical problems arising in the airline’s normal operations generally do not count as extraordinary circumstances, although the details of an incident matter. Ask the airline to identify the specific cause and explain why it says the event was beyond its control. The burden is on the airline to establish the applicable exception; you do not have to accept a vague denial without asking for a reason.
Where compensation is due, the standard amounts are based on distance, not on the ticket price. For connecting flights booked as one reservation, the relevant distance can be measured from the first departure point to the final destination. The airline may reduce the payment by half if its rerouting gets you to your final destination within the applicable arrival-delay limit.
| Flight distance category | Standard compensation | Arrival delay that may allow a 50% reduction after rerouting |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | €250 | Up to 2 hours |
| More than 1,500 km within the EU, or other flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km | €400 | Up to 3 hours |
| Other flights over 3,500 km | €600 | Up to 4 hours |
For example, if a rerouted passenger on a flight in the €400 category reaches the final destination within three hours of the original scheduled arrival, the airline may be able to pay half the standard amount. This reduction is separate from the rules about how much notice you received. If you are offered compensation as a voucher, you can ask for payment in money instead; a voucher generally requires your agreement.
If you choose rerouting and have to wait, the airline must provide care appropriate to the delay. This generally includes meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, a way to make necessary communications, and hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary. Transport between the airport and the accommodation should also be covered.
The right to care applies even when extraordinary circumstances mean the airline does not owe fixed compensation. If the airline does not arrange the necessary care, buy only what is reasonable for the situation and keep itemised receipts. Luxuries or unusually high costs may be harder to recover. If you choose a refund and abandon the journey instead of waiting for rerouting, the airline’s obligation to provide ongoing care generally ends.
There is no single EU-wide deadline for bringing every compensation claim; time limits depend on the national law that applies. Make the claim promptly and check the relevant country’s limitation period before relying on an old claim. A claims company may handle the paperwork, but compare its fee and terms with the option of claiming directly from the airline.
Usually, yes. Choosing a refund rather than rerouting does not by itself waive a separate compensation claim. You still need to meet the eligibility rules on notice, rerouting and the cause of the cancellation.
It may not owe fixed compensation if it proves that the weather was an extraordinary circumstance and the cancellation could not have been avoided despite reasonable measures. You may still be entitled to a refund or rerouting and care while waiting.
You can generally make the EU261 compensation claim to the airline responsible for operating the flight, rather than the booking agent. Keep your agency booking documents because they can help establish the reservation and the itinerary.
If the flights were booked together as one reservation, assess the disruption at your final destination, not only at the intermediate airport. Keep evidence for each flight and compare your actual arrival with the original scheduled arrival.
The time limit depends on the national law that applies to the claim, so there is no single deadline for all EU countries. Submit your claim as soon as practical and check the applicable limitation period if the cancellation was some time ago.
For cancelled flight compensation in the EU, first establish whether the route and operating airline fall under Regulation 261/2004. Then check the notice period, the replacement flight’s arrival time and the airline’s stated reason. Keep your refund or rerouting choice separate from any compensation claim, and preserve documents and receipts until the airline has resolved the matter.
