Flight delayed? Up to €600

Free eligibility check →
WairHelp
Check
Know Your Rights

EU261/2004: The Complete Guide to Flight Compensation

Delayed, cancelled, or bumped from a flight? EU law says you're owed up to €600. This is everything you need to know about your rights under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

Check My Compensation — FreeSee compensation amounts ↓
🛡️90-day money-back⚡AI-powered claims💰Flat €20 fee — not 35%

Last updated March 2026 · 12 min read

What is EU261/2004?

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — commonly called “EU261” — is a European Union regulation that establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to air passengers in the event of:

  • ✓Flight delays — arriving 3+ hours late at your final destination
  • ✓Flight cancellations — with less than 14 days' notice
  • ✓Denied boarding — typically due to overbooking

The regulation was adopted by the European Parliament on 11 February 2004 and came into force on 17 February 2005. It applies regardless of your nationality, the price you paid for your ticket, or whether you're travelling for business or leisure.

Under EU261, airlines are required to pay fixed compensation of €250, €400, or €600 depending on the flight distance — regardless of how much you paid for the ticket. A €30 Ryanair ticket gets the same compensation as a €500 business-class fare.

Key Fact

EU261 compensation is standardised and fixed by law. Airlines cannot reduce the amount based on your ticket price or class of travel. A passenger who paid €19 for their seat receives the same €600 as one who paid €900.

Who is eligible for EU261 compensation?

EU261 applies based on the flight route and airline, not your nationality.

✓

You ARE covered

  • ✈️Any flight departing from an EU/EEA airport — on any airline worldwide (including US carriers, Emirates, etc.)
  • 🇪🇺Flights arriving in the EU/EEA — but only if operated by an EU-based airline
  • 🇬🇧Flights departing from UK airports — covered under UK261 (retained EU law)
  • 🇨🇭Switzerland, Norway, Iceland — EU261 applies to EEA + Switzerland
✗

You are NOT covered

  • ✗Flights from outside EU arriving in EU on a non-EU airline (e.g., United from New York to Paris)
  • ✗Flights entirely outside the EU (e.g., domestic US flights, Asia-to-Africa routes)
  • ✗Passengers travelling on free or discounted staff tickets not available to the public
  • ✗Disruptions caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control
💡 Important: Your nationality doesn't matter. A Brazilian, Japanese, or American passenger on a Ryanair flight from Rome to Berlin has the exact same rights as a French citizen. EU261 is based on the flight, not the passenger.

How much compensation are you owed?

Compensation is fixed by distance — not by ticket price. Even budget flights qualify.

1
€250

Short-haul flights

Under 1,500 km

London → Paris (344 km)

Berlin → Rome (1,181 km)

Madrid → Lisbon (503 km)

Most common
2
€400

Medium-haul flights

1,500 – 3,500 km

London → Istanbul (2,499 km)

Paris → Moscow (2,486 km)

Amsterdam → Tenerife (3,246 km)

3
€600

Long-haul flights

Over 3,500 km

London → New York (5,570 km)

Paris → Tokyo (9,713 km)

Frankfurt → Dubai (4,837 km)

📏 How is distance calculated? EU261 uses the great-circle distance (shortest route between two airports), measured using the coordinates of the departure and arrival airports. For connecting flights on a single booking, it's the distance from origin to final destination — not the sum of individual legs.
⚠️ 50% reduction rule: Airlines can reduce compensation by 50% if they offer you re-routing that arrives within a certain window — 2 hours for short-haul, 3 hours for medium-haul, or 4 hours for long-haul. This means you could receive €125, €200, or €300 instead. In practice, this rarely applies because most re-routed flights don't arrive within these windows.

Not sure about your flight distance?

Enter your flight details and our AI calculates your compensation instantly.

Check My Compensation — Free
⏱️

Flight Delay Compensation

When does a delay qualify for compensation under EU261?

Under EU261, you're entitled to compensation if your flight arrives at your final destination 3 or more hours late. This was established by the landmark Sturgeon v Condor ruling (2009) by the European Court of Justice, which extended cancellation-level compensation rights to delayed passengers.

The key point: it's the arrival delay that counts, not the departure delay. If your flight departs 4 hours late but makes up time in the air and arrives only 2 hours 45 minutes late, you're technically not eligible.

Delay thresholds

Arrival delayCompensationRight to care
Under 2 hoursNoneNone
2–3 hoursNoneMeals & refreshments
3+ hours€250 / €400 / €600Meals, hotel if needed
5+ hours€250 / €400 / €600+ right to full refund & return flight

• Arrival time = when at least one aircraft door opens at the gate (not when wheels touch down)

• The airline must prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances to avoid paying

• Compensation is per passenger — a family of 4 on a delayed long-haul flight could claim €2,400 total

❌

Flight Cancellation Compensation

Your rights when the airline cancels your flight.

If your flight is cancelled, EU261 gives you three rights: compensation (up to €600), a choice between re-routing or a full refund, and right to care (meals, hotel). Whether you get compensation depends on when the airline notified you and the alternative flight offered.

Cancellation notification rules

!

Less than 7 days before departure

You're eligible for full compensation UNLESS the alternative flight departs no more than 1 hour before the original AND arrives no more than 2 hours after the original arrival time.

!

7–14 days before departure

Eligible for full compensation UNLESS the alternative departs no more than 2 hours before original AND arrives no more than 4 hours after the original arrival.

✓

More than 14 days before departure

No compensation is owed (the airline gave sufficient notice). However, you still have the right to choose between re-routing and a full refund.

🔄 Refund or re-routing — your choice: For any cancelled flight (regardless of notice period), the airline must offer you either: (a) a full refund within 7 days, including any connecting flights, plus a return flight if needed; or (b) re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity or a later date of your choosing. This is in addition to any compensation owed.

Flight cancelled recently?

Check if you're eligible for up to €600 in compensation — takes 30 seconds.

Check My Compensation — Free
🚫

Denied Boarding (Overbooking)

Bumped from an overbooked flight? You're always owed compensation.

Denied boarding due to overbooking is the strongest case under EU261. If you're involuntarily denied boarding despite having a valid ticket and checking in on time, the airline must compensate you — no exceptions. There is no “extraordinary circumstances” defence for overbooking.

Involuntary denial

You checked in on time, had a valid ticket, but were turned away. Full compensation applies: €250/€400/€600 based on distance. Plus re-routing or refund, plus right to care.

Voluntary denial

The airline asks for volunteers to give up their seat. If you volunteer, you negotiate benefits directly (vouchers, upgrades, cash). EU261 statutory compensation does not apply to voluntary bumps.

⚠️ Pro tip: Airlines must first ask for volunteers before denying anyone involuntarily. If no one volunteers, they cannot “choose” passengers to bump without paying compensation. If this happens to you, insist on written confirmation of the denial at the gate.
🔗

Connecting Flights

Missed a connection? You may still be owed compensation.

If you booked connecting flights on a single ticket/booking reference, EU261 treats the entire journey as one trip. What matters is the delay at your final destination, not at any individual transfer point.

This means: if a short delay on the first leg caused you to miss your connection, and you ultimately arrived at your final destination 3+ hours late, you can claim compensation based on the total distance from origin to final destination.

Example: You're booked London → Munich → Bangkok on one ticket. The London→Munich leg is delayed 90 minutes, causing you to miss the connection. You arrive in Bangkok 7 hours late. The distance London→Bangkok is 9,544 km, so you're owed €600 — even though the initial delay was under 3 hours.
⚠️ Important: This only applies to flights booked on a single reservation. If you booked two separate tickets (e.g., one Ryanair and one Lufthansa), each leg is treated independently. Self-connecting flights are not protected under EU261.
🍽️

Right to Care

What the airline must provide during delays — regardless of cause.

Separate from compensation, EU261 requires airlines to “take care of” passengers during long waits. This applies even if the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances (weather, strikes, etc.) — meaning airlines must provide care even when they don't owe financial compensation.

🥤

After 2 hours

  • ✓Meals and refreshments appropriate to the waiting time
  • ✓Two free phone calls, emails, or faxes

For flights under 1,500 km. For longer flights the threshold is also 2-4 hours depending on distance.

🏨

Overnight delay

  • ✓Hotel accommodation (if overnight stay required)
  • ✓Transport between airport and hotel
💸

After 5 hours

  • ✓Full ticket refund (within 7 days)
  • ✓Return flight to original departure point if needed

You can also choose to abandon your journey entirely.

💡 Tip: If the airline doesn't provide meals/hotel, keep all receipts for “reasonable expenses” incurred. You can claim these back separately. Stick to reasonable amounts — a €15 airport sandwich is fine; a €200 champagne dinner is not.

Extraordinary Circumstances

When airlines DON'T have to pay — and when they claim this defence falsely.

Airlines reject ~50% of valid claims by incorrectly citing extraordinary circumstances. Know the difference.

✗Genuinely extraordinary (no compensation)

🌪️

Severe weather

Storms, heavy fog, volcanic ash, extreme wind shear, heavy snow making runways unsafe

📡

ATC restrictions

Air traffic control strikes, ATC capacity limitations, airspace closures

🔒

Security threats

Terrorism alerts, bomb threats, airport security evacuations

🏛️

Political instability

Airspace closures due to conflict, coup, or civil unrest

⚕️

Onboard medical emergencies

Passenger medical events requiring emergency diversion

🦠

Pandemic restrictions

Government-mandated travel bans (as seen during COVID-19)

✓NOT extraordinary (compensation IS owed)

🔧

Technical faults

Mechanical issues, engine problems, broken parts — these are part of normal airline operations

👨‍✈️

Crew shortages

Sick pilots or cabin crew, crew exceeding working hours, scheduling errors

⚙️

Operational issues

Late arriving aircraft from previous rotation, baggage loading problems

🦅

Bird strikes

Most EU courts now consider this the airline's responsibility (precedent: Peskova case 2017)

💺

Overbooking

Selling more tickets than seats is the airline's business decision — never extraordinary

👷

Airline staff strikes

Strikes by the airline's own employees are within their control (CJEU ruling 2018)

⚖️ The burden of proof is on the airline

Under EU261, the airline must prove that the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances AND that they took all reasonable measures to avoid it. Simply stating “operational reasons” or “technical issue” is not enough. Many passengers give up when the airline refuses their claim — don't. Our AI analyses your specific flight against public records to identify whether the airline's defence holds up.

💺

Downgrading Compensation

Moved to a lower class? The airline owes you a partial refund.

If the airline places you in a lower class than your ticket (e.g., business class ticket but seated in economy), EU261 Article 10 requires a partial ticket refund within 7 days:

Flight distanceRefund of ticket price
Under 1,500 km30%
1,500 – 3,500 km50%
Over 3,500 km75%

Note: If the airline upgrades you to a higher class, they cannot charge you extra. Upgrades are free under EU261.

⏰ Time Limits by Country

EU261 itself doesn't set a time limit — it's determined by national law. Act fast: once the statute expires, your claim is gone forever.

The applicable statute depends on where you file. You can usually choose the country of departure, arrival, or the airline's headquarters.

CountryTime limit
🇬🇧United Kingdom6 years
🇫🇷France5 years
🇪🇸Spain5 years
🇮🇹Italy2 years
🇩🇪Germany3 years
🇳🇱Netherlands2 years
🇧🇪Belgium1 year
🇵🇱Poland1 year
🇵🇹Portugal3 years
🇦🇹Austria3 years
🇸🇪Sweden3 years
🇩🇰Denmark3 years
🇮🇪Ireland6 years
🇨🇿Czech Republic3 years
🇬🇷Greece5 years
⚡ Don't wait: Even if you have years to file, airlines are more likely to pay promptly for recent flights. Evidence is fresher, flight records are more accessible, and you avoid the risk of the airline going bankrupt. The best time to file is now.

Have an old flight to claim?

Enter your flight details — our AI checks the applicable time limit for your specific route.

Check My Compensation — Free

How to Claim Your Compensation

You have three options. Here's a honest comparison.

Option 1

DIY (Free)

  • 1.Write a formal claim letter to the airline
  • 2.Wait 4–8 weeks for response
  • 3.Get rejected (common first response)
  • 4.Appeal with documentation
  • 5.Escalate to NEB or court

Cost: Free (your time)

Time: 3–12 months

Success rate: ~30-40%

Option 2

AirHelp et al. (35%)

  • 1.Submit claim through their website
  • 2.They file and negotiate
  • 3.If successful, you get paid
  • 4.They deduct 25–35% + legal fees
  • 5.You keep €390 of a €600 claim

Cost: 25-35% of compensation

Time: 2–6 months

You keep: €390-€450 of €600

Best value

Option 3

WairHelp (€20 flat)

  • 1.Enter flight details (30 seconds)
  • 2.AI checks eligibility instantly
  • 3.Pay €20 flat fee
  • 4.We handle everything
  • 5.You keep €580 of a €600 claim

Cost: €20 flat (not 35%)

You keep: €580 of €600

Guarantee: 90-day money-back

Start My Claim — Keep €580

Takes 30 seconds · 90-day money-back guarantee

Airline-Specific EU261 Compensation Guides

Every airline handles EU261 claims differently. Read our detailed guides for the airline that disrupted your flight.

Ryanair

Budget carrier, high claim volume

Compensation guide →

EasyJet

UK-based, EU261 & UK261

Compensation guide →

Lufthansa

German flag carrier & Star Alliance

Compensation guide →

British Airways

BA claims under EU261 & UK261

Compensation guide →

Wizz Air

Eastern European budget carrier

Compensation guide →

Vueling

Spanish budget airline

Compensation guide →

TAP Air Portugal

Portugal flag carrier

Compensation guide →

KLM

Dutch carrier, Schiphol hub

Compensation guide →

Air France

French flag carrier, CDG hub

Compensation guide →

Norwegian Air

Scandinavian low-cost carrier

Compensation guide →

Iberia

Spanish flag carrier, Madrid hub

Compensation guide →
Which airlines pay compensation? →Denied boarding guide →Delayed at the airport? →

Useful tools & resources

Savings calculatorCompare pricingDIY claim guideTime limits by country

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything else you need to know about EU261 claims.

Yes — EU261 applies to ALL airlines (including US carriers like United, Delta; Middle Eastern carriers like Emirates, Qatar Airways; etc.) on flights departing from EU/EEA airports. For flights arriving in the EU from outside, it only applies if the operating airline is based in the EU.
Under EU261, you are legally entitled to cash compensation in euros. Airlines may offer vouchers, travel credits, or frequent flyer miles as an alternative, but you are not obligated to accept them. You can insist on monetary payment. If the airline pressures you to accept a voucher, they may be violating the regulation.
Possibly — it depends on the statute of limitations in the relevant country. UK passengers have 6 years, French passengers 5 years, and German passengers 3 years. The applicable country is typically where you file the claim. Use our free eligibility checker to see if your flight is still within the time limit.
At minimum: your booking confirmation (or e-ticket/PNR reference) and proof of the disruption (boarding pass, delay notification from the airline, screenshots of departure boards). For WairHelp, we usually only need your flight number and date — our AI pulls the rest from public flight databases.
EU261 claims are made against the operating carrier — the airline that actually flew (or was supposed to fly) the plane. If you booked Lufthansa but the plane was operated by Eurowings, your claim is against Eurowings. Check your boarding pass for the operating carrier.
Per person. Every passenger on the disrupted flight has an individual right to compensation. A family of 4 on a delayed €600 flight can claim €2,400 in total (€600 per person). Children are also entitled to full compensation.
You're still entitled to compensation for the original disruption. Additionally, if the airline rerouted you to a different airport than originally booked, they must also cover your transport to the original destination airport (or a nearby agreed point).
For flights departing from UK airports: yes, under 'UK261' (the retained EU law version). For EU flights, the original EU261 applies. The rules and compensation amounts are identical. The only change is that UK-based airlines flying from the EU to the UK are covered by EU261, and EU airlines flying from the UK are covered by UK261.
EU261 provides fixed compensation (€250/€400/€600) for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding — you don't need to prove financial loss. The Montreal Convention covers actual damages (expenses incurred due to the disruption) up to ~€5,400 and applies globally. You can claim under both, but compensation from one may be deducted from the other.
Yes, in one specific situation: if the airline offers you re-routing and you arrive at your destination within 2 hours (short-haul), 3 hours (medium-haul), or 4 hours (long-haul) of the original arrival time, compensation can be halved. In practice, this rarely applies because most alternatives don't arrive within these tight windows.

Your flight, your money.
Don't leave it with the airline.

Most passengers never claim the compensation they're legally owed. EU261 exists to protect you — use it.

On a €600 claim, AirHelp keeps €210. We charge €20 flat. You keep €190 more.

Start My Claim — €20 Flat FeeCompare with AirHelp →
🛡️ 90-day money-back🤖 AI-powered💰 Flat €20 — not 35%