Guide · updated 12 November 2026

Flight delayed: when you are owed compensation, and how much

If you reached your final destination three or more hours late, EU rules give you fixed compensation, whatever the ticket cost.

When a delay gives you compensation

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 doesn’t mention compensation for delays itself, but the EU Court of Justice ruled in Sturgeon (C-402/07) that passengers who arrive three or more hours late have the same rights as passengers whose flight was cancelled. That has applied across Europe ever since.

The rules cover any flight departing from an EU airport, whatever the airline, and flights from outside the EU into the EU when an EU airline operates them. Flights from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, and their airlines, are treated the same as the EU’s.

How much

On flights over 3,500 km, an arrival delay between three and four hours can halve the amount to €300. Every passenger is owed it separately, including children with their own seat. Work out your amount in the compensation calculator.

What counts is when the doors opened

Arrival time is what matters, not departure. In Germanwings (C-452/13) the Court held that arrival is when the aircraft doors open and passengers can get off, not when the wheels touch the runway.

With a connection on one booking, the delay at your final destination counts. See the guide on missed connections.

What the airline must give you while you wait

Separately from compensation, the airline must provide meals and refreshments, two calls or emails, and a hotel and transfer if the flight moves to the next day. This starts after two hours on flights up to 1,500 km, three hours on flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and four hours on longer flights. If the delay reaches five hours, you can abandon the trip and get the ticket refunded.

When “extraordinary circumstances” doesn’t hold

The airline doesn’t pay if the delay was caused by an extraordinary circumstance it couldn’t avoid: bad weather, air traffic control decisions, a security risk or a bird strike. The Court has made clear that ordinary technical faults aren’t extraordinary (Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07; van der Lans, C-257/14), and neither is a strike by the airline’s own staff (C-28/20).

Deadlines

Today the deadline depends on the country where the claim is filed, usually one to six years. For flights from 23 October 2027 it will be nine months from departure under the new EU regulation. See the 2027 rules.

This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. We check every claim individually.