EU Flight Rights: How to Claim Up to €600 Compensation Under EC 261
Delayed, cancelled, or bumped from your flight? EU Regulation EC 261/2004 gives passengers some of the strongest air travel rights in the world — including cash compensation of up to €600. Here is exactly how it works, when it applies, and how to claim it.
Table of Contents
🎯 Key Takeaways
If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked, you may have a legally enforceable right to a significant cash payment — not a voucher, not air miles, actual money. Yet the majority of eligible passengers never claim it.
Which flights are covered?
| Your flight | Covered? |
|---|---|
| Departing from an EU airport (any airline) | ✅ Yes |
| Arriving in the EU on an EU-registered airline | ✅ Yes |
| Arriving in the EU on a non-EU airline | ❌ No |
| Departing from the UK (any airline) | ✅ Yes (UK 261) |
| Departing from a non-EU, non-UK country on a non-EU airline | ❌ No |
What disruptions trigger compensation?
Delays: You are entitled to compensation if your flight arrives at the final destination 3 hours or more late. On connecting itineraries booked as one ticket, the 3-hour rule applies to when you reach your final destination.
Cancellations: You are owed compensation unless the airline gave you 14+ days' notice, or offered adequate rerouting within specific timeframes. Less than 14 days' notice without an adequate rerouting option = full compensation.
Denied boarding: If involuntarily bumped, you are entitled to full compensation regardless of delay length. Voluntarily accepting vouchers typically waives your EC 261 cash rights — read what you sign before accepting anything.
How much are you owed?
| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (within EU) | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (outside EU) | €600 |
This is per passenger, per disruption. A family of four on a cancelled transatlantic flight is entitled to €2,400.
Duty of care
Regardless of the disruption cause, airlines must also provide: meals and refreshments, two free communications, hotel accommodation if an overnight stay becomes necessary, and transport between airport and hotel. This applies even when extraordinary circumstances cancel the cash compensation entitlement.
The "extraordinary circumstances" escape clause
Airlines are exempt from cash compensation if disruption was caused by circumstances outside their control: severe weather, air traffic control strikes, airport security incidents. Technical faults, crew shortages, and knock-on delays are not extraordinary circumstances under established EU case law — do not accept these excuses without challenge. The burden of proof is on the airline.
How to claim
- Document everything: boarding pass, departure board screenshot, exact arrival time at the final destination
- Submit a claim via the airline's EC 261 form — include flight number, date, airports, original and actual arrival times, and number of passengers
- Wait up to 6 weeks; if rejected, request the airline's specific legal justification in writing
- Escalate to your country's National Enforcement Body (UK: Civil Aviation Authority) or Small Claims Court if the rejection is unsatisfactory
No claims management company is needed. Most straightforward EC 261 claims can be handled in under 30 minutes — and a 25–35% commission fee is money you do not need to give up.
Your rights at a glance
| Disruption | Minimum delay | Compensation (short-haul) | Compensation (long-haul) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delay | 3 hours at destination | €250 | €300–600 |
| Cancellation (<14 days notice) | Any | €250 | €300–600 |
| Denied boarding (involuntary) | Any | €250 | €300–600 |
Plus: meals, hotel, and transport while you wait — regardless of cause.
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