EU261 (Regulation 261/2004)
EU261 Passenger Rights: Compensation for Delays & Cancellations
EU261 is the European Union's air-passenger-rights law. It gives you fixed cash compensation of €250–€600 for long delays, short-notice cancellations, and being bumped — plus a right to care and a refund — on flights departing the EU/EEA, and on flights into the EU operated by an EU airline.
Reviewed June 2026 · Source: EU “Your Europe” (europa.eu) and Regulation (EC) 261/2004
What you're owed
€250 / €400 / €600 by distance, for delays of 3+ hours
Enforced by the national enforcement body of the relevant EU Member State.
TL;DR, verified June 26, 2026
What does EU261 (Regulation 261/2004) actually give you?
Direct answer: €250 / €400 / €600 by distance, for delays of 3+ hours. This summary is checked against Your Europe air passenger rights, accessed June 26, 2026.
| Sourced fact | How to use it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 250 / EUR 400 / EUR 600 compensation bands | The fixed amount depends on flight distance and qualifying delay, cancellation, or denied boarding. | Your Europe air passenger rights, accessed June 26, 2026 |
| Three-hour arrival-delay trigger | Delay compensation is assessed at final arrival, not just departure delay. | Your Europe air passenger rights, accessed June 26, 2026 |
Method: DelayPayer summarizes the regulator's public rule set; it does not decide legal liability. Re-check the official source and airline response before filing or escalating a claim.
Latest rule changes
2026 passenger-rights change watch
When EU261 applies
EU261 covers you if your flight departs from an airport in the EU/EEA (plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland) on any airline, or arrives in the EU/EEA on an EU/EEA airline. The airline's nationality only matters for inbound flights from outside the bloc.
Compensation amounts
The fixed amount depends on the great-circle distance of your flight:
- €250 — flights of 1,500 km or less
- €400 — flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km (and all intra-EU flights over 1,500 km)
- €600 — flights over 3,500 km (halved to €300 if a long-haul flight arrives 3–4 hours late)
What triggers compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 or more hours late, when your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or when you are involuntarily denied boarding (overbooking) — unless the airline proves an extraordinary circumstance.
Your right to care
While you wait, the airline must provide meals and refreshments, two phone calls or emails, and — for overnight delays — hotel accommodation and transfers. This applies even when cash compensation doesn't (for example, in bad weather).
Refund or re-routing
If your flight is cancelled or delayed 5+ hours, you can choose a full refund of the unused ticket OR re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity. The choice is yours, not the airline's.
Extraordinary circumstances
Airlines can avoid compensation only for genuine extraordinary circumstances they prove — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, security risks, political instability, or certain hidden manufacturing defects. The EU Court has ruled that most technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff do NOT count.
Check your own flight
See instantly whether your specific flight qualifies and how much it's worth — free, no personal data.
Check my compensationFrequently asked questions
What is EU261 compensation?
EU261 compensation is the fixed cash amount owed for qualifying long delays, short-notice cancellations, or involuntary denied boarding when EU air-passenger-rights rules apply. The page amounts are €250, €400, or €600 by flight distance, with the usual airline-fault and extraordinary-circumstance tests.
How much is EU 261 compensation?
The amount is €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less, €400 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km or intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and €600 for flights over 3,500 km. For the top long-haul band, a 3-4 hour arrival delay can be halved to €300.
Is EC261 compensation the same thing as EU261 compensation?
Yes. EC261 and EU261 are common names for Regulation (EC) 261/2004. On this page they refer to the same EU passenger-rights framework: fixed compensation by distance, care while you wait, and refund or re-routing rights when the rule applies.
Does EU261 apply to non-EU airlines?
On departure, yes — any airline flying you out of an EU/EEA airport is covered. On arrival into the EU, only EU/EEA airlines are covered, so a flight from New York to Paris on a U.S. airline is not covered by EU261 (but the same flight on Air France is).
How long do I have to claim under EU261?
The time limit is set by national law where you'd file, and ranges from roughly 1 to 6 years across Member States. Don't wait — claim while you still have your boarding pass and the airline's delay notification.