Everything you need to know about EU261 flight compensation

Flight delays and cancellations are an inevitable part of airline travel.

The Biden administration has pressured airlines to provide passengers with meals, lodging and other reimbursements with a federal dashboard. The website lays out each major U.S. carrier’s guarantees in the event of a “controllable” cancellation or delay — those nonweather disruptions that are the airline’s responsibility.

As of this fall, three new U.S. Department of Transporation rules require U.S. travelers to be compensated by airlines for canceled or significantly delayed flights.

Similar rules have long been in place when traveling from or within the European Union, thanks to a 2005 regulation known as the Air Passengers Rights Regulation — or EU 261. These existing EU regulations provide monetary relief to passengers for flights affected by delays and/or cancellations.

As a result, airlines have shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to passengers.

This guide details how EU261 works and how affected passengers can submit compensation claims.

What countries are part of the EU?

EU261 provides protections for travelers embarking on flights within the 27 EU nations: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

EU airline regulations also cover flights outside the EU, specifically in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion Island, Mayotte, St. Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. (The Faeroe Islands, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not included.)

EU carriers, other carriers operating in these areas, and flights on partner airlines or codeshare flights outside of the EU connecting via Europe, including connecting flights in the U.S. operated by U.S. carriers that originated in Europe or are headed to Europe, must abide by EU261 rules.

What flights are covered by EU261?

There are four scenarios where EU261 may kick in to protect passenger rights, including flight delays and cancellations on itineraries such as:

Flight itinerary	You’re flying an EU carrier	You’re flying a non-EU carrier
Flight from the EU to the EU	This flight is covered by EU261.	This flight is covered by EU261.
Flight from the EU to outside the EU	This flight is covered by EU261.	This flight is covered by EU261.
Flight from outside the EU to the EU	This flight is covered by EU261.	This flight is not covered by EU261.
Flight from outside the EU to outside the EU	This flight is not covered by EU261.	This flight is not covered by EU261.

EU261 applies to all flights entirely within the EU and all flights departing from the EU, regardless of destination if it’s a flight to the EU, though only passengers flying on an EU carrier are subject to EU261 protections.

What about codeshare flights?

Due to airline alliances, there are many cases where you’ll book a ticket on one airline but actually fly on one of its partners. For instance, you could purchase a Delta Air Lines ticket but actually fly aboard Amsterdam-based KLM.

In the case of these codeshare flights, the airline flying the aircraft is responsible — not the airline from which you purchased the ticket.

This means if you bought a ticket through Air France’s website but Delta operates the flight, you wouldn’t have EU261 protections for the flight to Paris. However, if it’s a flight aboard an Air France plane, you would. (You’d be protected on any airline for the return flight from Paris to the U.S.)

What to expect when booking an EU261-eligible ticket

Travelers flying in the EU must receive a printed or electronic notice of EU air passenger rights, which is also posted at check-in desks, check-in kiosks and on the airline’s website. The airline must also give you a copy of this notice if you were denied boarding, your flight was canceled or you experienced a delay of two hours or more.

To file an EU261 claim, you must have a valid ticket and booking confirmation. Although revenue and award tickets qualify for compensation, free or reduced fares that are not available to the public are excluded from compensation.

Certain US domestic flights are eligible

In more limited cases, these protections may even apply to travelers on certain domestic flights in the U.S. (and other countries) thanks to broadening the rule to apply to connecting flights on an itinerary that originated in the EU.

Compensation for delays and cancellations

Rules for compensation are based on the specific time you were notified of the flight delay or cancellation and the distance of your intended flights. The longer the distance, the greater the compensation.

What is considered a flight delay under EU261?

Passengers on a delayed flight have a right to the airline’s assistance, reimbursement and a return flight, depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight.

If you are delayed three or more hours, you are entitled to compensation (see the chart below) unless the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances,” including weather, political instability, security risks and air traffic control decisions that are out of the airline’s control.

Mechanical and technical problems are not considered extraordinary circumstances. However, airline strikes, for example, may be considered an extraordinary circumstance if the disruption is due to strikes at a different airline.

In cases like the latter, airlines may be exempt from paying compensation but must prove the disruptions were unavoidable even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

What should I expect if my flight is delayed?

When your flight is delayed beyond its scheduled departure time, EU261 entitles you to meals (in proportion to the wait time), plus two free phone calls, emails or faxes within the following duration and distance constraints:

• A delay of two or more hours for flights of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) or less
• A delay of three or more hours for intra-EU flights of more than 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and for all other flights from 1,500 to 3,000 kilometers (932 to 1,864 miles)
• A delay of four or more hours for all other flights

If your new departure time is scheduled at least the day after your originally scheduled flight, you are entitled to transportation to and from the airport to complimentary hotel accommodations.

If your flight is delayed at least five hours after the scheduled departure, the airline must reimburse your ticket. If you have a connecting flight, the airline must also offer you a return flight to the departure airport at the earliest opportunity.

What is considered a flight cancellation under EU261?

For EU261 compensation, a cancellation means one of the following:

• Your original flight is canceled, and you are moved to another scheduled flight.
• Your aircraft took off but was forced to return to the departing airport, and the airline transferred you to another flight.
• Your flight arrived at an airport other than the final destination indicated on your itinerary — unless you accepted rerouting or the airport of arrival and the airport of the original itinerary service the same town, city or region. In this case, the disruption is considered a delay.

What should I expect if my flight is canceled?

When a flight covered by EU261 is canceled, you have the right to reimbursement, rerouting, assistance from the airline and compensation if the airline fails to inform you of the cancellation at least 14 days before takeoff.

Airlines are also obligated to prove they properly notified you of the cancellation. But again, compensation is not owed in cases of flights canceled due to extraordinary circumstances.

If your flight is canceled, the airline must offer you three options:

• Ticket reimbursement, plus a return flight to the airport of departure if you have a connecting flight
• Rerouting to your final destination at the earliest opportunity
• Rerouting at a later date at your convenience under comparable conditions, subject to seat availability

Additionally, you are entitled to compensation depending on the distance of your flight and the length of the delay past your originally planned arrival.

The airline must offer assistance, including food, refreshments, accommodation (if you are rebooked to travel the next day), transport to and from the hotel and two free phone calls, faxes or emails.

What should I expect if my flight is rescheduled for an earlier time?

On Dec. 21, 2021, EU regulators ruled that passengers on flights departing more than an hour earlier than the original departure time are owed compensation under EU261. When that happens within 14 days of departure, the flight is considered canceled under the rules.

How much compensation will I get for a delay or flight cancellation?

If you meet the eligibility requirements discussed above for either a delay or cancellation, you’ll receive compensation accordingly:

If you accept a reroute from the airline to your final destination, with delays of two to four hours, any compensation may be reduced by half.

How does EU261 affect US-based passengers?

Suppose you live in the U.S., and while flying from New York to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, you encounter a three-hour delay at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. If the pilot cannot make up the time in the air and you arrive three hours later than your scheduled arrival time in Frankfurt, you are entitled to meals and refreshments along with additional compensation, thanks to EU261. U.S.-based flyers can claim compensation since an EU carrier operates the flight.

In the same scenario as above but flying United Airlines back to the U.S. from Europe, a passenger would also be eligible for compensation under EU261, as they depart from an EU country.

Because of a recent addition to the rule, passengers on any flight originating in Europe, even if they’re ticketed on a different airline for a connecting flight, are eligible to get money back.

You don’t need to be a citizen of the EU to qualify for compensation as long as you meet the aforementioned requirements. U.S.-based passengers can also make compensation claims.

How to claim compensation

Passengers must file a claim within the specific deadlines set forth by each country to receive compensation.

The deadline to file a claim is based on the location of the headquarters of the airline you flew. For example, if you fly Air France, check the rules in France. If you fly Brussels Airlines, consult Belgian law.

Thus, we recommend filing immediately after your flight goes awry.

Airlines typically allow passengers to file an EU261 claim in a few different ways. Some ask you to fill out a form electronically, while others provide instructions on filing a claim via email or mail.

Regardless of the method, you’ll need to provide pertinent documentation (such as a boarding pass, a letter stating what went wrong with your flight and how much you are claiming while referencing EU261 terms and conditions) to the airline in question.

You can generally find instructions on how to submit a claim on a carrier’s website. However, if you have trouble finding that information, you can print and complete the Air Passenger Rights EU Complaint Form (PDF link) and submit it directly to the airline.

Because airlines handle a large number of claims, you can expect to wait as little as a few weeks or as much as a few months for the airline to respond to your claim.

Additionally, there are other third-party companies, like EUclaim and Flightright, that will handle your claim application while also taking a percentage of the amount owed (15% to 25%) for themselves.

Bottom line

Under EU law, the consumer-friendly EU261 regulation supports passengers who encounter delays or cancellations. It requires airlines to pay compensation in certain circumstances.

U.S.-based passengers can file an EU261 claim under eligible conditions when on a flight departing the EU or when flying with an EU-based carrier en route to the EU.

While delays and cancellations are part of commercial aviation, it pays to know your rights.

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