Regulation (EC) 261/2004 gives passengers fixed compensation for long delays, cancellations at short notice and denied boarding - €250, €400 or €600 per person, regardless of the ticket price.
Which flights are covered
- Any flight departing from an EU airport (plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland), on any airline.
- Flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline (e.g. Delhi → Frankfurt on Lufthansa).
- Not covered: Delhi → Frankfurt on Air India (non-EU airline into the EU). Flights from the UK are covered by UK261, which mirrors EU261.
Compensation by distance
| Distance (great circle) | Amount | Can be halved if you arrived within |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | 2 hours late |
| 1,500 - 3,500 km, and all intra-EU flights over 1,500 km | €400 | 3 hours late |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | 4 hours late (if re-routed) |
UK261: £220 / £350 / £520 (and £260 for 3-4 hour delays on flights over 3,500 km).
When you qualify
- Delay: arrived 3 hours or more late at your final destination (CJEU Sturgeon). Arrival time is when the doors open (Germanwings).
- Cancellation: told less than 14 days before departure (with exceptions if you were re-routed close to your original times).
- Denied boarding: against your will, for example overbooking.
Extraordinary circumstances
The airline doesn't pay if the cause was genuinely outside its control: severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security risks, political instability, bird strikes (Pešková), and strikes by third parties like ATC. Technical problems are usually NOT extraordinary (Wallentin-Hermann, van der Lans), and since Airhelp v SAS (C-28/20), a strike by the airline's own staff is not either.
Connecting flights
On a single booking, what counts is the delay at the final destination. If the first leg departs from the EU, the whole journey is covered - even if the delay happened on a non-EU leg (Wegener; Gahan v Emirates in the UK).
How long you have
Depends on the country where you claim: e.g. UK 6 years (5 in Scotland), Germany 3 years, France and Spain 5 years, Netherlands 2 years, Ireland 6 years.
Claim it yourself - keep 100%
Claims companies take around 35% plus extra legal fees. Claiming yourself:
- Write to the airline with booking reference, flight, date, delay and the amount, citing EU261 Article 7.
- If refused or ignored for 6-8 weeks: escalate to the national enforcement body or ADR (UK: AviationADR/CEDR or the CAA's PACT).
- Then the small claims court - the European Small Claims Procedure handles cross-border claims up to €5,000.
Generate your claim letter - it works out the distance, the amount and the right legal points for your flight.
Reform note: the EU has agreed an updated passenger rights regulation in 2026; it keeps the 3-hour threshold and the amounts and is expected to apply from around 2027. Current claims follow the existing rules.