EU261: your flight delay and cancellation rights, explained

A plain-English breakdown of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — what it covers, how much you can claim, and how airlines try to get out of paying.

Who's covered?

EU261 applies to your flight if:

It doesn't matter what you paid for the ticket, whether you booked directly or through an agent, or whether you're an EU resident — what matters is the route and the airline.

How much can you claim?

Flight distanceCompensation
Up to 1,500 km€250
1,500–3,500 km€400
Over 3,500 km€600

Compensation can be reduced by 50% if you were rerouted and still arrived within 2–4 hours of your original arrival time (the exact window depends on distance).

What qualifies?

When can the airline refuse to pay?

Airlines don't have to pay compensation if the disruption was caused by "extraordinary circumstances" beyond their control — genuinely severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security threats, or third-party strikes (e.g. an ATC strike, not the airline's own staff).

Worth knowing: airlines frequently cite "technical problems" as extraordinary circumstances to avoid paying — but under established case law, most technical/mechanical faults and the airline's own crew or staffing issues do not count as extraordinary. This is one of the most common reasons legitimate claims get wrongly rejected on first submission.

How long do you have to claim?

EU261 itself doesn't set a deadline — how long you have depends on the limitation period in the relevant EU member state's national law, which varies (commonly somewhere between 2 and 6 years, but check the specific country). Don't assume an old flight is too late to claim.

Check what you're owed →