An unexpected flight cancellation can be incredibly stressful and frustrating. Luckily, the European Union has Regulation 261/2004 to protect passengers in such cases. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to compensation of up to €600, as well as assistance from the airline.
In this article, we will consider your rights as a passenger and how to claim compensation from the airline.
Passenger Rights in Case of Flight Cancellation
In this stressful situation, it is very important to understand your rights as a passenger under EU Regulation 261/2004. The Regulation includes basic safety measures, such as:
- Refund: A passenger has a right to a full refund of the ticket’s price, including extra expenses and service fee;
- Alternative flight: The airline company must offer you an alternative flight (re-routing) to your point of final destination.
- Compensation: Passengers are entitled to financial compensation of up to €600 if the flight is canceled due to the airline’s fault;
- Right to care: The airline must provide meals, refreshments, means of communication (phone calls or e-mail), and hotel accommodation if necessary.
When Are You Entitled to Flight Cancellation Compensation?
Understanding the requirements for compensation claims is key to a successful solution to a frustrating situation. Sure, the entire process is quite intricate, and you have to know diverse conditions to win your flight compensation reimbursement. Here are the major factors to consider:
- Your flight should have taken off in the European Union; in some cases, the flights that are heading to the EU also qualify;
- You received the notification from the airline company less than 14 days before the flight departure. Note that if the airline company fails to notify you on time, you can expect a reimbursement ranging from €250 to €600;
- If you decided to take advantage of the alternative flight, however, your arrival time was substantially different from the original time;
- Your case of the flight cancellation happened within the past three years;
- You had proof of the confirmed flight reservation — a booking confirmation that also indicates the flight number and the passengers’ names;
- The reason for the flight cancellation is within the control of the airline, such as strikes by airline personnel, operational circumstances, or technical difficulties.
Just in case, keep in mind this useful tip: before claiming flight cancellation compensation, check your email inbox’s “spam” or “clutter” folders, since airline notices (e.g., cancellation ones) may get up there mistakenly.
Flight Cancellation Compensation
According to EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to compensation of up to €600 for a canceled flight if the airline did not notify them at least 14 days before the scheduled departure. However, the airline may be exempt from paying compensation if it offers an alternative flight to the final destination.
Check out the conditions that an alternative flight must meet in the table below:
| Advance Notice | Re-routing Requirements |
| 14 Days | None |
| 7 – 13 Days | Alternative flight departing no more than 2 hours before and arriving less than 4 hours after the original flight |
| Less than 7Days | Alternative flight departing no more than 1 hour before and arriving less than 2 hours after the original flight |
Nonetheless, in case you agree on the alternative flight, but the aircraft arrives late at your final point of destination, you still may be eligible for compensation. The amount of compensation depends on the flight’s distance and the time of delay. In the table, you can see more details:
| Under 2 hours | 2-3 hours | 3-4 hours | Over 4 hours | Never arrived | Distance |
| €125 | €250 | €250 | €250 | €250 | All flights 1,500 km or less |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Internal EU flights over 1,500 km |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km |
| €300 | €300 | €300 | €600 | €600 | Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km |
Which Flights Are Covered by EU261?
The EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all flights departing from an airport in the European Union and to all flights arriving at an airport in the European Union if they are operated by an airline based in the EU. In addition, these rules also apply to airlines from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
See the table below to learn more:
| Itinerary | EU Air Carrier | Non-EU Air Carrier |
| From inside the EU to inside the EU | ✅ Covered | ✅ Covered |
| From inside the EU to outside the EU | ✅ Covered | ✅ Covered |
| From outside the EU to inside the EU | ✅ Covered | ❌ Not Covered |
| From outside the EU to outside the EU | ❌ Not Covered | ❌ Not Covered |
Extraordinary Circumstances Are Not Covered
mportantly, according to Regulation 261/2004, a passenger cannot claim delay compensation if any extraordinary circumstances occur. These circumstances cover the conditions/events outside the airline company’s control. Check out the examples in the list below
- Bad weather;
- Airport or union strikes;
- Bird strikes;
- Restrictions set by air traffic controllers (e.g., runway closure);
- Political and civil unrest;
- Security risks/threats at the airport.
How to Claim Flight Cancellation Compensation
Although the procedure for claiming compensation looks simple, it can actually be quite complicated due to the numerous requirements and the need for proper documentation. We will help you avoid mistakes and accompany you at every stage. Here’s what you need to do to start the process:
- Fill in the form: Our compensation claim form is very easy and convenient, yet it will ask you to provide all the critical information. You will need to share such details as flight number, date, specific details about your issue, and also contact information.
- Get help from our specialists: Right after you fill out the form, our expert employee will work on your case. Our team of professionals is keen on the EU laws and flight passenger rights. And if your case is more complicated and requires legal action, we cooperate with lawyers who will take care of all airline claims procedures, including necessary follow-ups and appeals, on your behalf. Besides, we apply the No-win, no-fee approach in our work, meaning that you do not have to pay anything until we successfully solve your case.
In most cases, flight cancellations due to bad weather are considered an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline’s control. However, if the bad weather was foreseeable and other airlines canceled their flights in advance, you may still be entitled to some compensation.
To answer this question, it is important to know from what country you are making your claim. People mostly have up to 3 years starting from the date of the cancellation and up to flight claim compensation. Yet, some countries give passengers only 2 months to claim, while others generously give you up to 10 years. Therefore, it is important to act fast, when cancellations happen.
This fully depends on a few factors: the country of departure (you may get as much as $650 in the EU, while in Brazil, it can be up to $1,300); the flight distance, delay length, and whether you received notification about cancellation or not.
Yes, you can! One of the airline’s options in case of a flight cancellation is to offer you an alternative ticket. You can either accept it or ask for a refund instead. Additionally, in some cases, you can also get a reimbursement but your flight must be eligible for that.
So, you must know that you have a right to get a refund in case of a flight cancellation. Vouchers are considered to be an alternative to a refund, however, the airline company must be sure that you are okay with getting a voucher instead of a refund. For that reason, read the fine print first before accepting a voucher. And if they continue ignoring your emails, don’t get upset as they may have hundreds of requests and their processing takes time. Just keep messaging them.
Yes, you are eligible for compensation! The thing is that after Brexit, the United Kingdom decided to adopt the European Union law. By doing so, passengers now have the same protection under the United Kingdom regulations.