Did your flight arrive three hours late, get cancelled at the last minute, or were you denied boarding because the plane was full? In many cases, the airline owes you fixed compensation, on top of its help on the spot. This guide sums up the European rules, checked against the official European Union website, and explains how to claim.
Which flights are covered?
The European regulation EC 261/2004 applies:
- to all flights that depart from an airport in the European Union, whatever the airline;
- to flights that arrive in the European Union from another country, if the airline is European.
The same rules apply to Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, and to the EU’s outermost regions (such as Réunion, Guadeloupe, the Canary Islands or Madeira). A flight between two countries outside the EU isn’t covered, even with a European airline.
When are you entitled to compensation?
- A delay of 3 hours or more on arrival at your final destination (it’s the arrival time that counts, not the departure time).
- A cancellation announced less than 14 days before departure. Between 14 and 7 days, or less than 7 days before, compensation may not apply if the airline offers you another flight that departs and arrives within certain time limits.
- Denied boarding (overbooking): if you showed up on time, you’re entitled to compensation.
How much?
- €250 for a flight of up to 1,500 km;
- €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and for all flights over 1,500 km within the EU;
- €600 over 3,500 km.
The amount is per passenger. It can be cut by half if the airline offered you another flight and your delay on arrival stays limited. Our flight compensation calculator measures the distance of your flight and tells you the amount and whether your flight is covered.
The exceptions: extraordinary circumstances
The airline doesn’t owe compensation if the problem comes from extraordinary circumstances it couldn’t avoid: dangerous weather, air traffic control decisions, security risks, political instability. On the other hand, most technical faults and strikes by the airline’s own staff aren’t considered extraordinary: they do give you a right to compensation. It’s up to the airline to prove the extraordinary circumstance.
Even then, the airline must help you while you wait: meals and drinks depending on how long, accommodation if you have to stay overnight, and the choice between a refund and another flight if your flight is cancelled.
The case of separate tickets
This is the point to know if you travel with two tickets. A missed connection is only compensated if the flights are part of the same booking. With separate tickets, each flight is treated on its own:
- if your first flight arrives 3 hours late or more at its own destination, you can claim for that flight;
- but the airline doesn’t have to pay for the second ticket you missed, or get you to your final destination.
That’s why you need to keep a good margin between two tickets. It’s all explained in our guide to missed connections.
How to claim
- Keep your proof: boarding pass, booking reference, actual arrival time, messages from the airline, receipts for your expenses.
- Write to the airline (the claim form on its website) quoting Regulation EC 261/2004, the flight number, the date and the amount you’re asking for. It’s free.
- If it refuses or doesn’t reply, you can contact the national body in charge of passenger rights in the country concerned, or go through a specialist service such as AirHelp or Compensair, which handles the claim and only keeps a commission if you get compensated.
Don’t wait too long: the time limits for taking action depend on the country, and a claim made quickly, with your proof to hand, succeeds more easily.
This guide sums up the rules described on the official European Union website, Your air passenger rights, and in Regulation EC 261/2004. The exact conditions and how they’re interpreted can change: check your situation at the source. We’re not a law firm. The United Kingdom has applied similar rules since leaving the EU: check with the UK Civil Aviation Authority for a flight departing from there.
Frequently asked questions
Does the departure delay count?
No, it’s the delay on arrival at your final destination that counts: a flight that left 3 hours late but arrived 2 hours 30 minutes late doesn’t give you a right to compensation.
Do I have to accept a voucher?
You don’t have to: compensation is paid in money, unless you agree to a voucher in writing. Read carefully what you sign.
Is a flight to Europe with a non-European airline covered?
No, for a flight arriving in the EU from outside, the airline has to be European. In the other direction (departing from the EU), all airlines are covered.