EU flight compensation may be available after a long arrival delay, cancellation or denied boarding, but the disruption alone does not prove that a claim qualifies. The route, operating airline, arrival time, cancellation notice and cause all matter. Under EU passenger-rights rules, eligible compensation is generally a fixed amount based on distance, not the ticket price. A refund is a separate option: it can return the cost of an unused ticket, while compensation addresses certain disruption. Check which rules cover your route, keep your travel records and identify the airline that operated the flight before filing.
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 sets common rights for passengers on qualifying flights. It generally applies when a flight departs from an airport in an EU member state, even if the airline is based elsewhere. It can also apply to a flight arriving in the EU from a non-EU country when the operating airline is an EU carrier. Routes involving other European countries may be covered by related arrangements, so check the rules for the specific journey.
Look at the airline that actually operated the flight, not just the company whose name appeared when you booked. On a code-share itinerary, one carrier may sell the ticket while another operates the aircraft. If the operating carrier is responsible for the disruption, it is usually the appropriate airline to approach about an EU261 claim.
For a connection, check whether all legs were part of one booking. If a delay on an earlier leg causes you to reach the final destination of a single booked journey late, that final arrival may be relevant to a compensation claim. Separate tickets can be treated differently, so do not assume that a missed connection on one booking creates the same rights as a missed flight on another.
For a delay claim, the important measure is generally how late you reach your final destination, not how late the plane leaves or lands. Arrival is assessed when at least one aircraft door opens and passengers are allowed to leave. A departure delay of several hours may therefore fall short of the compensation threshold if the flight makes up enough time en route.
If you arrive three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, compensation may be due, provided the route is covered and the airline cannot rely on an applicable exception. A delay of less than three hours at the final destination will not normally qualify for this fixed compensation, though you may still have a right to care while waiting.
For qualifying disruptions, the standard amounts depend on route distance and whether the flight is within the EU or between the EU and another country:
| Route category | Distance | Standard compensation per passenger |
|---|---|---|
| Any covered flight | 1,500 km or less | €250 |
| Flight within the EU | More than 1,500 km | €400 |
| Other covered flights | 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| Other covered flights | More than 3,500 km | €600 |
These amounts are not calculated from what you paid for the ticket. In some rerouting cases, the airline can reduce compensation by 50% if you arrive within specified time limits: two hours for flights up to 1,500 km, three hours for certain medium-distance flights, or four hours for other flights over 3,500 km. The applicable limit depends on the route category and the rerouted arrival time.
A cancellation can give you a right to compensation, but the timing of the airline’s notice and the alternative journey it offered can change the result. The following notice periods are key exceptions to compensation; they do not remove your separate choice between a refund and rerouting.
| When the airline notified you | Rerouting condition that can remove compensation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| At least 14 days before departure | Compensation is generally not due under the cancellation rules. | Keep the message showing when notice was given. |
| Between 7 and 14 days before departure | The alternative departs no more than two hours earlier and arrives less than four hours later than the original schedule. | Compare both departure and arrival times with the original itinerary. |
| Less than 7 days before departure | The alternative departs no more than one hour earlier and arrives less than two hours later than the original schedule. | Check the notice date and the full rerouting itinerary. |
If the relevant exception does not apply, compensation may still depend on why the flight was cancelled. For example, a cancellation notified at short notice does not automatically qualify if an extraordinary circumstance caused it. The airline should also provide a choice of reimbursement or rerouting when the rules apply; that choice is separate from compensation.
An airline may not owe fixed compensation if it can show that extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption and it could not have been avoided even if it had taken reasonable measures. The issue is not simply whether the airline calls an event “extraordinary.” The nature of the event, its connection to the disruption and what steps the carrier could reasonably take all matter.
Severe weather, air traffic management restrictions or security risks can qualify in some circumstances. The same type of event may not always produce the same legal result, so ask the airline to identify the specific cause and explain how it affected your flight. Routine operational problems are not automatically extraordinary just because they caused a delay; technical issues and staffing events need to be assessed in context.
Even when extraordinary circumstances remove the right to fixed compensation, the airline may still have to provide care while you wait and offer a refund or rerouting after a cancellation. Do not treat a denial of compensation as an answer to every other passenger right.
Passengers often use “refund” to mean any money due after a disruption, but EU rules distinguish several options. A fixed compensation payment does not replace the ticket refund or assistance that may be available. Depending on what happened and what you choose, you may be entitled to more than one of these remedies.
| Option | What it addresses | When it may apply |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation | A fixed payment based mainly on route distance. | Qualifying delay, cancellation or denied boarding, subject to the rules and exceptions. |
| Ticket reimbursement | The cost of the relevant unused part of the ticket; in some cases, a return journey to the first departure point may also be relevant. | For example, after cancellation or a departure delay of at least five hours, if you choose not to travel. |
| Rerouting | A replacement journey to the destination. | Usually an option after cancellation, with timing and availability depending on the circumstances. |
| Care | Reasonable meals and refreshments, communications, and hotel accommodation and transport when needed. | While waiting during qualifying delays or for rerouting after a cancellation. |
After a cancellation, the airline should generally offer a choice between reimbursement and rerouting under the applicable rules. Reimbursement is normally due within seven days. If you choose rerouting, the airline must arrange travel to your destination under the relevant conditions rather than treating a voucher as an automatic substitute.
For a long departure delay, the right to care begins after the applicable waiting threshold: two hours for flights up to 1,500 km, three hours for certain medium-distance flights, and four hours for other flights over 3,500 km. Care can include meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, two communications, and hotel accommodation plus transport when an overnight stay is necessary. If the departure delay reaches five hours, you can choose not to travel and request reimbursement for the unused journey under the rules.
Keep receipts if you had to pay for reasonable care yourself because it was not provided. Reimbursement of necessary expenses is a separate request from fixed compensation, and the airline may assess whether the costs were appropriate.
A short evidence check can help you submit a clear claim and avoid confusing compensation with a refund request.
Send the claim to the airline that operated the disrupted flight. Provide the passenger names, booking reference, flight number, travel date, a concise account of what happened and the remedy you are requesting. If you are claiming compensation, identify it as a request under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and explain the relevant arrival delay or cancellation circumstances.
Do not accept a travel voucher as though it were automatically equivalent to cash compensation. Under the EU rules, vouchers or other services can be used for compensation only with the passenger’s agreement. If you prefer a monetary payment, say so clearly and keep a copy of your submission and the airline’s response.
If the airline rejects the claim, ask for its reasoning in writing and consider whether the response addresses the route, timing and cause of the disruption. If you cannot resolve the matter with the carrier, the European Commission’s list of National Enforcement Bodies can help you identify the relevant body for your route. Complaint procedures and the authority responsible can vary. Court deadlines also depend on national law, so do not assume there is one EU-wide filing period.
A claims company may offer to handle the process, but it may charge a fee or require you to authorise it to act for you. Filing directly with the airline is an option; before using a service, read its charges and terms and check what it will do if the airline disputes the claim.
Usually not as fixed compensation, because the relevant delay is generally measured at the final destination and must be at least three hours. A two-hour wait may still trigger a right to care, depending on the route and the departure delay threshold.
They address different things, so both may be possible in some situations. A refund covers the ticket or unused part of the journey when you choose not to travel; compensation is a separate fixed payment for a qualifying disruption.
Start with the operating carrier, even if a different airline sold the ticket or its code appeared on your booking. Keep the booking details so you can show which carrier operated the disrupted service.
No. Weather can amount to an extraordinary circumstance, but the specific conditions and their effect on the flight matter. Ask the airline to explain the event and why reasonable measures could not have avoided the disruption.
There is no single claim deadline that applies in the same way across the EU; limitation periods are determined under national law. Submit your claim promptly and check the rules that apply to the country connected with your case.
Before filing for EU flight compensation, establish which airline operated the flight, how late you reached your final destination, and whether the cancellation notice or disruption cause affects eligibility. Then state clearly whether you want compensation, a refund, rerouting or reimbursement of care expenses. Keeping those requests separate makes it easier to assess what the airline owes under the circumstances.
