EU261 flight delay and cancellation compensation: what you're owed

What EU261 actually is (and where it applies)

EU Regulation 261/2004 — usually called EU261 or EC261 — is a passenger-rights law that forces airlines to pay fixed cash compensation, plus provide care (food, hotel, rebooking), when flights are seriously delayed, cancelled, or overbooked. It's one of the most generous consumer protections in aviation, and it applies whether you're flying on holiday or for work.

Coverage is broader than most travelers realize. You're protected on any flight departing an EU or UK airport, regardless of the airline's nationality. You're also protected on flights into the EU or UK — but only if operated by an EU or UK carrier (Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Ryanair, British Airways, etc.). A Delta or American flight from New York to Paris is not covered on the outbound; the return from Paris is.

The UK kept an almost-identical version after Brexit, called UK261. Amounts are in pounds (£220 / £350 / £520) but the rules and thresholds work the same way.

How much you're owed under EU261

Compensation is a flat amount based on flight distance and how late you arrived at your final destination — not on ticket price. A €99 Ryanair fare can trigger a €400 payout. The airline can reduce the amount by 50% if they rebook you and you arrive within a few hours of the original time (2 hours for short flights, 3 for medium, 4 for long-haul).

Delay is measured at arrival, not departure. If you push back three hours late but the pilot makes up time and you land 2 hours 55 minutes late, you get nothing. Get the actual arrival time from the airline's own records if you plan to claim.

Who qualifies (and who doesn't)

Three situations trigger EU261 compensation: a delay of 3+ hours at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, or denied boarding due to overbooking. In each case, the airline has to prove the cause was within its control. If they can't, you're owed.

The big carve-out is extraordinary circumstances. Airlines routinely try to hide behind this phrase, but courts have narrowed it a lot. Genuinely extraordinary: severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security threats, bird strikes, medical diversions. Not extraordinary (you can still claim): technical faults discovered during routine maintenance, crew shortages, most IT outages, a strike by the airline's own staff, or a knock-on delay from an earlier flight that was itself the airline's fault.

You also qualify regardless of whether you bought the ticket yourself, used points, or were on a business fare. Children with their own seat qualify for the full amount; lap infants generally don't. Everyone on the booking claims individually — a family of four on a delayed long-haul flight is looking at €2,400.

The care and rebooking rights nobody uses

Separate from the cash compensation, EU261 forces the airline to look after you during the disruption — this is called the 'duty of care' and it kicks in as soon as your delay hits 2 hours (short-haul), 3 hours (medium) or 4 hours (long-haul). The airline must provide, at their cost: meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and hotel accommodation plus transport if you're stuck overnight.

If the airline doesn't organise it (common when things are chaotic), book it yourself and keep every receipt. Reasonable means reasonable — a €40 airport meal is fine, a €400 tasting menu is not. Airport hotels near the terminal are the safe choice. You then submit the receipts alongside your compensation claim.

If your flight is cancelled, you have a choice the airline must offer you: a full refund of the unused portion within 7 days, or rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity (which can include putting you on a different airline). Airlines often 'forget' to mention the second option — insist on it if it gets you there sooner.

How to file an EU261 claim (step by step)

You don't need a lawyer or a claim-management company (they take 25–35% of your payout). The airline's own process is free and usually online. Keep your boarding pass, booking reference and any texts or emails the airline sent about the delay — these are your evidence.

If the airline stalls, ignores you, or rejects the claim with a vague 'extraordinary circumstances' line, escalate. The EU has a national enforcement body (NEB) in each member state; the UK equivalent is the CAA. Aviation ADR schemes (like CEDR in the UK) issue binding decisions and are free for passengers. Small-claims court is the nuclear option and works surprisingly well — airlines often settle the day the court paperwork lands.

1. Confirm your flight qualifies: EU/UK departure, or EU/UK carrier arriving into the EU/UK.
2. Check the arrival delay was 3+ hours (or the cancellation notice was under 14 days).
3. Gather evidence: booking confirmation, boarding pass, any airline messages, receipts for meals/hotel.
4. File directly on the airline's website — search 'EU261 claim [airline]'. Cite the regulation and the amount.
5. Give them 8 weeks to respond. If they refuse or ghost you, escalate to the national enforcement body or ADR scheme.
6. Still nothing? File in small-claims court (MCOL in England/Wales; equivalent in each EU country). Airlines usually settle.

What to do when the airline says no

The most common rejection is 'extraordinary circumstances'. Push back. Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause of the delay and the evidence supporting it. Vague answers like 'operational reasons' or 'technical issue' don't cut it — technical faults are generally the airline's responsibility unless they can show a hidden manufacturing defect.

If they keep refusing, use free tools before spending money. In the UK, file with the CAA-approved ADR body your airline is signed up to (CEDR or AviationADR). In the EU, use the country of departure's national enforcement body — the European Consumer Centre network can point you to the right one. Both processes are free and produce written decisions.

Small-claims court is faster than people think and doesn't need a lawyer. In England and Wales, Money Claim Online charges £35–£455 depending on claim size, and you can add the fee to what you're claiming. Airlines settle a large share of small-claims filings before the hearing because defending them costs more than paying. Similar to how a class action works, the leverage comes from making the fight more expensive than the payout.

EU261 vs. US DOT rules (and airline policies)

US law is much weaker. The Department of Transportation only requires airlines to refund the ticket when they cancel or significantly delay a flight — no fixed cash compensation for delays, no mandatory hotels, no €600 payouts. Some US airlines pay meal vouchers or hotel stays voluntarily under their 'customer service plans', but the amounts are small and discretionary.

This means if you're flying United JFK–LHR and the outbound is delayed 5 hours, you get nothing under US law and nothing under EU261 (US carrier, departing the US). The return LHR–JFK on the same United flight? EU261 applies because you're departing the UK — you're owed £520. Same airline, same route, wildly different outcomes.

If your issue is a US flight, our US flight delay compensation guide covers the DOT rules, airline-by-airline policies, and how to use credit card protections. And if a broader pattern of hidden fees or misleading practices caught you, it's worth checking open class action settlements — hidden-fee cases against travel companies are surprisingly common.

Other money you might be owed

EU261 compensation is separate from — and on top of — several other things airlines owe you. A refund for the unused portion of a cancelled ticket is a separate right. So is reimbursement for reasonable expenses (meals, hotel, ground transport) during the delay. So is compensation for delayed or lost baggage under the Montreal Convention, which caps out around 1,288 SDR (roughly €1,500) per passenger.

Travel insurance may pay on top for missed connections, prepaid non-refundable bookings, or personal items. Credit card travel protection (Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum, many premium cards) often reimburses meals and hotel during a 6+ hour delay — check your benefits guide before spending. These stack; the airline doesn't get to subtract them from your EU261 payout.

And if this is part of a bigger pattern — a class action against the airline for hidden fees, cancellation practices, or loyalty-program changes — you may qualify for a settlement too. Owed tracks those automatically: see what you're owed in about 30 seconds. It's free to find and file, and this guide is not legal advice — for a disputed high-value claim, a specialist aviation solicitor is worth a call.

Glossary

EU261 / EC261

EU Regulation 261/2004, the passenger-rights law that requires cash compensation and care for delayed, cancelled or overbooked flights.

UK261

The UK's retained version of EU261 after Brexit — same rules, amounts in pounds (£220/£350/£520).

Extraordinary circumstances

Events outside the airline's control (severe weather, ATC strikes, security threats) that let the airline avoid paying compensation.

Duty of care

The airline's obligation to provide meals, communication and hotel accommodation during a long delay, on top of any compensation.

National Enforcement Body (NEB)

The government agency in each EU country that handles EU261 complaints. In the UK it's the CAA.

Montreal Convention

International treaty that governs airline liability for baggage loss, damage and injury — separate from EU261.

FAQ