Flight Compensation Rights: EU261 Explained Practically

What EU261 Covers

Flights departing from EU airports or arriving on EU airlines qualify. Delays over 3 hours, cancellations within 14 days, and denied boarding trigger compensation.

Compensation is €250 for flights under 1,500km, €400 for EU flights over 1,500km, and €600 for flights over 3,500km.

This applies regardless of ticket cost. A €30 budget flight and €300 full-service ticket receive identical compensation.

The distance calculation uses great circle distance between departure and destination airports, not actual flight path. Online calculators determine your compensation tier.

Extraordinary Circumstances Exemptions

Airlines don't pay compensation for delays caused by weather, strikes, security threats, or air traffic control issues.

They must prove the cause was beyond their control. Crew scheduling issues, technical problems, and operational decisions don't qualify as extraordinary.

Dispute airline claims of extraordinary circumstances. They often blame weather when the real cause was controllable.

The burden of proof lies with airlines. If they claim extraordinary circumstances, demand detailed evidence. General weather in the region isn't enough - they must prove weather specifically prevented your flight.

ATC delays qualify as extraordinary only when air traffic control imposes restrictions. General ATC workload doesn't count. Airlines must demonstrate specific ATC directives affecting your flight.

Delay vs Cancellation Rules

Delays over 3 hours at final destination qualify for compensation. Departure delays don't matter; only arrival time counts.

Cancellations within 14 days of departure owe compensation unless the airline rebooks you with minimal delay (under 2-4 hours depending on distance).

Denied boarding (overbooking) qualifies unless you volunteer and accept compensation.

The 3-hour rule applies to your final destination, not connections. A 2-hour delay on your first flight that causes you to miss a connection, arriving 5 hours late, qualifies for compensation.

Cancellation notices 7-14 days before departure trigger compensation unless you're rebooked within 2-4 hours of original times. Notices under 7 days always qualify unless alternative flights depart within 1 hour and arrive within 2 hours of original schedule.

Additional Rights Beyond Compensation

Delays over 2 hours require airlines to provide meals, drinks, and communication access.

Delays requiring overnight stays mean airlines must provide hotel accommodation and transfers.

You can claim these costs if airlines don't provide them. Keep receipts for reasonable expenses.

"Reasonable" means economy hotel (€60-100), not luxury accommodation. Meals should be standard restaurant prices (€15-30), not fine dining. Courts reject excessive claims.

Two free phone calls, emails, or messages are required. Airlines must provide access, not necessarily reimburse your phone bills.

How to Claim Compensation

File claims directly with the airline first. Use their online forms or email their customer service.

Provide flight details, booking reference, and explanation of qualifying situation. Request the specific compensation amount.

Airlines have 6-8 weeks to respond. Many ignore initial claims hoping you'll give up.

Send claims via email with read receipts or registered mail creating paper trails. Document every communication attempt.

Include all evidence: boarding passes, booking confirmations, airport delay boards photos, and any airline communications about the disruption.

When Airlines Reject Claims

Rejections often cite extraordinary circumstances without proof. Request detailed evidence of the cause.

File complaints with your national aviation authority if airlines refuse valid claims. This pressures airlines more than individual complaints.

Compensation companies handle claims for 25-35% of awarded amounts. They fight rejections but take a significant cut.

UK travelers file with CAA, German travelers with LBA, etc. Each EU country has a designated authority enforcing EU261. Filing with them costs nothing and adds regulatory pressure.

Small claims court is another option for denied legitimate claims. The €250-600 compensation exceeds small claims filing fees in most countries.

Documenting Your Claim

Take photos of departure boards showing delays. This proves the delay timing.

Keep boarding passes, booking confirmations, and any airline communications. Claims require proof you were booked and traveled.

Document expenses for meals and accommodation if airlines didn't provide them. Submit receipts with claims.

Screenshots of airline apps or websites showing delay reasons help dispute extraordinary circumstance claims. Airlines sometimes change their stated reason after the fact.

Witness statements from fellow passengers strengthen claims if airlines dispute timing or reasons.

Time Limits for Claims

EU countries set claim deadlines ranging from 1-6 years. Most allow 2-3 years from flight date.

Claim promptly anyway. Airlines handle recent claims more seriously than old ones.

UK allows 6 years, Germany 3 years, France 5 years. Check your departure country's limits.

Statute of limitations applies from the flight date, not when you discovered your rights. A flight from 5 years ago might be too old to claim even if you just learned about EU261.

Package Holiday Considerations

Package holidays include flight delays in overall compensation calculations. You can't claim both EU261 and package compensation.

Choose whichever provides more value. EU261 flight compensation is often higher than package holiday compensation for delays.

Package regulations cover other disruptions beyond flights. Compare total compensation under each framework.

Package organizers sometimes handle EU261 claims on your behalf. They'll contact the airline but take any awarded compensation, offsetting it against package compensation owed to you.

Multiple Passenger Claims

Each passenger on a booking can claim individually. A family of four on a delayed flight gets 4x compensation.

Children and infants qualify for full compensation amounts despite reduced ticket prices.

One person can file claims for all family members. Provide booking references showing all passengers.

Connecting Flights Complications

Single booking connections qualify if final arrival is 3+ hours late. Separate bookings don't qualify - you're responsible for missed connections.

Airlines owe compensation even if only one leg in a connection delays, provided it's on one booking.

Self-connecting (booking separate tickets) means no EU261 protection for missed connections. The first airline owes nothing if you miss your separately-booked second flight.

Compensation vs Refunds

Refunds apply to cancelled flights you don't take. Compensation applies to flights you take despite delays or cancellations you accept rebooking for.

You can claim both if entitled. Cancelled flight compensation plus refund of unused ticket portions.

Choosing refund over rebooking doesn't forfeit compensation rights if the cancellation qualifies.

Enforcement Reality

Airlines deny around 60% of initial claims, often wrongly. Persistence pays as many denials are incorrect.

Regulatory complaints take months but succeed more often than direct airline negotiations.

Compensation companies win 70-80% of cases they take, indicating most airline denials are invalid.

The system relies on passengers giving up. Airlines count on low claim rates and high abandonment after initial denial. Following through increases success substantially.