Flight Delayed or Cancelled? You Might Be Owed Up to €600 — Here’s How to Claim
Most travellers never claim the compensation they’re legally entitled to. Either they don’t know the rules, or the airline’s “sorry for the inconvenience” email convinces them the case is closed.
It usually isn’t. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, if your flight was delayed by 3+ hours, cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding — and the airline can’t prove “extraordinary circumstances” — you can claim €250 to €600 per passenger, on top of any refund or rebooking.
Here’s the short version of how it works and how to check your case in 2 minutes.
When You’re Entitled to Compensation
EU261 applies if:
- Your flight departed from any EU airport (any airline), OR
- Your flight arrived in the EU on an EU-registered airline (Lufthansa, Air France, Ryanair, etc.)
And one of these happened:
- Delay of 3+ hours at the final destination
- Cancellation announced less than 14 days before departure
- Denied boarding because of overbooking
- Missed connection due to a delayed first leg (same booking)
How Much You Can Claim
| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (short-haul) | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km (medium) | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (long-haul) | €600 |
Per passenger. A family of four on a delayed long-haul flight is looking at €2,400.
When You’re NOT Entitled
The airline can refuse compensation if the disruption was caused by genuinely “extraordinary circumstances”:
- Severe weather (real storms, not light rain)
- Air traffic control strikes
- Political instability or security threats
- Bird strikes that damage the aircraft
What does not count as extraordinary (you still get paid):
- Technical/mechanical issues with the plane
- Crew shortage or sick pilot
- Airline staff strike
- “Operational reasons”
Airlines routinely blame “operational reasons” or “technical issues” hoping you’ll drop it. Don’t.
Check Your Flight in 2 Minutes
Below is a free compensation calculator. Enter your flight details — date, route, airline, reason for delay — and it tells you immediately whether you have a valid claim and how much you can expect.
Should You Use a Claims Service or DIY?
You have two options:
Do it yourself. Write to the airline citing EU261/2004, attach your booking, demand compensation. Free, but airlines often stall, deny, or simply ignore. If they refuse, you escalate to the national aviation authority — and that’s where it gets slow (6–18 months is normal).
Use a claims service. They handle the airline correspondence, escalations, and legal action if needed. No win, no fee — typically they take 25–35% commission, you get the rest. For most travellers the math works: 65% of €600 still beats 100% of nothing.
The calculator above runs through Compensair, which works on this no-win-no-fee basis. They check your claim free; you only pay if they actually get the money.
Time Limit — Don’t Wait
You can claim compensation for flights up to 3 years back in most EU countries (some allow 6 years). So if you had a delay in 2023 or 2024 that you never claimed — it’s not too late.
What You Need to Have Ready
- Booking reference / e-ticket (the PIN-code from your reservation)
- Boarding pass if you have it
- Flight number and date
- What the airline told you about the delay reason (screenshot the app, save the email)
That’s it. The calculator handles the rest.
Heads-up: the calculator above is an affiliate widget. If your claim is successful through Compensair, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it comes out of their service fee, not your compensation. It helps keep this site running.