Claiming compensation for a delayed flight in Europe

When the rules apply

European air passenger rights apply in two situations. Any flight departing from an airport in the EU, regardless of the airline. And any flight arriving into the EU where the operating airline is an EU carrier.

So a flight from Rome to New York on a non-EU airline is covered because it departs the EU. A flight from New York to Rome on a non-EU airline is not. A flight from New York to Rome on an EU airline is covered.

The UK operates equivalent rules that mirror the EU regulation, with amounts in pounds. Several other countries have adopted similar frameworks.

What you are entitled to

Compensation for delay is based on arrival delay at the final destination and on flight distance.

• Up to 1,500km: EUR 250 for a delay of three hours or more
• 1,500km to 3,500km, and all intra-EU flights over 1,500km: EUR 400
• Over 3,500km outside the EU: EUR 600, reduced to EUR 300 if the delay is between three and four hours
• Cancellation: the same amounts, unless you were told 14 days or more in advance, or were rerouted within tight time limits
• Denied boarding due to overbooking: the same amounts, plus rerouting or a refund

The care obligations, which are separate

This is the part passengers most often do not claim. Regardless of the cause of the delay, including weather and strikes, the airline owes you care once the delay passes a threshold based on distance, typically two to four hours.

Care means: food and drink appropriate to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and where an overnight stay becomes necessary, hotel accommodation and transfers to and from it.

If the airline does not provide it, you can arrange it yourself at a reasonable standard and claim the cost back with receipts. Reasonable means a normal airport hotel, not a suite, and normal meals, not a tasting menu. Keep every receipt.

Extraordinary circumstances

Airlines are not liable for compensation where the cause is an extraordinary circumstance outside their control. Established examples include severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security incidents, political instability, and bird strikes.

Things that are generally not extraordinary: technical faults arising from normal aircraft operation and maintenance, staff shortages, and strikes by the airline own employees. Case law across Europe has narrowed the airline defence considerably in these areas.

If the airline refuses citing extraordinary circumstances, ask them to state the specific cause in writing. Vague refusals citing operational reasons are frequently overturned on escalation.

• Weather and ATC strikes: no compensation, but care still applies
• Airline technical faults: usually compensable
• Airline staff strikes: usually compensable
• Always ask for the specific cause in writing

How to claim

Claim directly with the airline first, through its own web form. It is free. Include the booking reference, flight number, date, the delay length at arrival, and your bank details.

Keep evidence: boarding passes, screenshots of the departure board, and any communication from the airline. The arrival delay is what counts, not the departure delay, so a note of when the doors actually opened is useful.

If the airline refuses or does not respond within the statutory period, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure, or use the alternative dispute resolution scheme the airline belongs to. Both are free.

Claim companies will do this for you and take 25 to 40 percent. They are worth considering only if the airline has already refused and you do not want to handle an escalation, not as a first step.

Time limits and practical notes

Time limits for claiming vary by country and can range from one year to six years. Do not assume a delay from two years ago is out of time without checking the limit in the relevant jurisdiction.

You can claim compensation and still separately claim consequential losses, such as a missed hotel night, through the airline or your travel insurance. Compensation under the regulation does not replace those.

A voucher offered at the airport is not compensation. Airlines sometimes offer travel vouchers in place of the cash entitlement. You are entitled to cash, and accepting a voucher can extinguish the claim. Read what you are signing at the desk.

• Arrival delay is what counts, not departure delay
• Keep boarding passes and departure board screenshots
• Never accept a voucher without knowing what it replaces
• National enforcement bodies and dispute schemes are free
• Time limits vary by country, from one to six years