EU261 Compensation Amounts: How Much Are You Owed?
EU261 compensation is based on flight distance, not ticket price. A budget fare earns the same payout as business class. Here is how to calculate exactly what you are owed, including the 50% reduction rule and UK261 equivalents.
Compensation by Distance
Under EU261, compensation is fixed at three tiers based on the great circle distance between your origin and destination airports.
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Up to 1,500 km: €250 per person (approximately $270 USD). Covers most intra-European short-haul flights.
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1,500 to 3,500 km: €400 per person (approximately $435 USD). Covers medium-haul European flights and some North African routes.
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Over 3,500 km: €600 per person (approximately $650 USD). Covers transatlantic flights and all long-haul routes.
Your ticket price is irrelevant. A €29 Ryanair fare earns the same €250 as a €500 business class seat. EU261 compensation is based solely on distance. This often means compensation exceeds the original fare for budget flights.
UK261 Amounts in GBP
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Up to 1,500 km: £220 per person.
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1,500 to 3,500 km: £350 per person.
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Over 3,500 km: £520 per person.
UK261 amounts are fixed in GBP and do not fluctuate with exchange rates. For more on UK vs EU differences, see our UK261 vs EU261 guide.
How Distance Is Measured
EU261 uses great circle distance (the shortest distance between two points on the Earth's surface, measured as the crow flies) between the departure and final destination airports. This is not the actual flight path, which may be longer due to routing.
For connecting flights on a single booking, the distance is measured from the origin airport to the final destination airport, not the sum of individual legs. A London to Los Angeles flight via Frankfurt uses the London to LA distance (over 3,500 km = €600), not the sum of London to Frankfurt plus Frankfurt to LA.
The 50% Reduction
Airlines can reduce compensation by 50% if they offer re-routing and you arrive within a threshold of your original arrival time.
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Short-haul: Arrive within 2 hours of original time = 50% reduction (€125 instead of €250).
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Medium-haul: Arrive within 3 hours = 50% reduction (€200 instead of €400).
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Long-haul: Arrive within 4 hours = 50% reduction (€300 instead of €600).
If you arrive later than these thresholds, the full amount applies. For a complete overview, see our EU261 guide. To check what you are owed, use our calculator.
Per-Person, Per-Flight
EU261 compensation is per person, not per booking. Every passenger on the disrupted flight, including children who had a ticket, is entitled to the full amount. A family of four on a delayed transatlantic flight can claim €2,400 (4 x €600). Infants who traveled without a seat (lap infants) generally do not qualify, as they did not have a separate ticket.