EU261 Compensation: How Much Are You Owed?

Calculate your flight compensation based on distance and delay

Quick Answer

Under EU Regulation 261/2004 (applied in UK), you can claim €250–€600 depending on flight distance if delayed 3+ hours, cancelled, or overbooked. Short flights under 1,500km get €250. Flights 1,500–3,500km get €400. Flights over 3,500km get €600. Post-Brexit, UK regulations mirror this exactly.

Compensation Amounts by Flight Distance

Up to 1,500 km (e.g., London–Paris)
Short-haul domestic or intra-EU flights
€250
1,500–3,500 km (e.g., London–Middle East)
Medium-haul flights within Europe and to Middle East
€400
Over 3,500 km (e.g., London–USA, Australia)
Long-haul international flights
€600

Who Qualifies for Compensation?

You can claim if your flight was: Cancelled (unless given 2+ weeks notice), delayed 3+ hours at final destination (arrival time, not departure), or overbooked and you were denied boarding. The flight must have operated from a UK airport, or been arriving in the UK on an EU airline, or a UK airline flying from an EU airport.

Airlines can refuse compensation only if they prove "extraordinary circumstances" (weather, air traffic control strikes, security threats). Many airlines falsely claim this—most cases succeed on appeal.

What the Law Says

EC Regulation 261/2004
Common EU flight compensation rules
Establishes compensation amounts for cancellations, delays, and overbooking. Applies to all flights from/to EU airports.
UK Air Passenger Rights Regulations (post-Brexit mirror)
UK flight compensation
UK has mirrored EC 261/2004 post-Brexit. Same compensation amounts and conditions apply to UK flights.
Huzar v Jet2 [2014]
UK court case on extraordinary circumstances
Established that bad weather does not always excuse compensation—airlines must prove it was the sole cause and unforeseeable.

FAQ

Do I get care and assistance in addition to compensation? +

Yes. You're entitled to meals, accommodation (if overnight), refreshments, and phone calls—separate from compensation. These are mandatory if delayed 2+ hours, regardless of compensation.

What if my flight was cancelled? +

You get full compensation (plus care/rebooking) unless given 2+ weeks notice or the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. A cancelled flight with short notice is almost always worth claiming.

Can airlines refuse to pay claiming extraordinary circumstances? +

They can claim it, but courts rarely accept it. Bad weather, strikes, or security threats must be genuinely unforeseeable—mechanical failures and poor planning don't count. Most extraordinary circumstances claims fail.

How long do I have to claim? +

In the UK, you have 2 years from the flight date. In EU countries, it's 3–6 years. Claim sooner rather than later—airlines often dispute old claims more aggressively.

What if I had a connecting flight that was delayed? +

You're entitled to compensation if the final destination was delayed 3+ hours, even if the delay was on a connecting flight. Use the final arrival time for calculating compensation eligibility.

Claim Your Compensation

Use our Flight Compensation Tool to calculate your claim, gather evidence, and file with the airline or a claims handler.

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