EU261 Explained: The Complete Guide to Flight Compensation in Europe

EU Regulation 261/2004 covers three types of disruption: flight cancellations, delays of 3 or more hours at arrival, and involuntary denied boarding. It applies to all flights departing from EU airports (any airline) and flights arriving at EU airports on EU carriers.

Nationality does not matter. US residents, Canadian citizens, and travelers from any country are fully covered by EU261 when their flight meets the geographic criteria. The only thing that matters is where the flight departs and which airline operates it.

After Brexit, the UK retained EU261 as UK261, which provides identical protections for flights departing UK airports and flights arriving at UK airports on UK carriers. Compensation is paid in GBP instead of EUR. See our UK261 vs EU261 comparison for the differences.

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  Short-haul (up to 1,500 km): €250 per person. Examples: London to Paris, Berlin to Rome.

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  Medium-haul (1,500 to 3,500 km): €400 per person. Examples: London to Istanbul, Paris to Cairo.

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  Long-haul (over 3,500 km): €600 per person. Examples: Any transatlantic flight, Europe to Asia.

Compensation is per person, not per booking. A family of four on a delayed transatlantic flight could claim €2,400 total. These amounts are fixed by distance and are independent of your ticket price. A €49 budget fare earns the same compensation as a €2,000 business class ticket. For detailed calculations, see our EU261 amounts guide.

Airlines can reduce compensation by 50% in specific re-routing scenarios. If the airline offers an alternative flight and you arrive at your destination within 2 hours (short-haul), 3 hours (medium-haul), or 4 hours (long-haul) of your original scheduled arrival, the compensation can be halved. Delays beyond those thresholds receive the full amount.

Airlines are exempt from paying EU261 compensation if the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. However, this exemption is narrower than airlines claim.

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  Extraordinary (airline exempt): Severe weather making flight unsafe, ATC strikes, security threats, political instability, volcanic ash.

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  Not extraordinary (airline must pay): Routine mechanical faults, crew scheduling problems, IT outages, bird strikes (in most rulings), airline staff strikes (in many recent rulings).

Airlines abuse extraordinary circumstances claims. If an airline cites "technical issues" without specifics, push back and request documentation. See our extraordinary circumstances guide for what courts have actually ruled.

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  6 years: England, Wales, Ireland.

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  5 years: France, Spain.

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  3 years: Germany, Austria, Belgium.

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  2 years: Italy, Poland.

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  1 year: Some smaller member states.

The time limit is based on the departure country, not your home country. A flight from London Heathrow disrupted 5 years ago is still claimable under the 6-year English limitation period. See our time limits guide for more details.

1. 1

   Submit your claim directly to the airline, citing EU Regulation 261/2004 by name.

2. 2

   State the exact compensation amount based on your flight distance.

3. 3

   Allow 6 to 8 weeks for the airline to respond.

4. 4

   If rejected, escalate to the National Enforcement Body in the departure country.

5. 5

   For UK departures, escalate to the UK CAA.

Not sure if your flight qualifies? Check it in 30 seconds. We determine the applicable rules and handle the entire claim process. For our detailed EU261 overview, see the EU261 rights page.