Does it matter which airline I fly with - low-cost, charter or scheduled?

No. When Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies, your rights are the same whether you fly with a low-cost, scheduled or charter airline. The amount of compensation depends on the distance and route of the flight, not on the airline or the ticket price.

Does it matter how I bought the ticket - directly from the airline, through an online intermediary or from a travel agency?

No, not for the right to compensation. Compensation is owed by the airline that operated the flight, regardless of where the ticket was bought - on the carrier's website, through an online agency or as part of a package from a tour operator. The way you bought the ticket may complicate the procedure, but it does not cancel the right.

At the airport I was offered another flight and I accepted. Do I lose compensation?

Not necessarily. Accepting re-routing is not a waiver of compensation - these are two separate rights. If your flight is cancelled and you find out at the airport, re-routing alone does not deprive you of the right to compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. However, the airline does not owe compensation if it offers you re-routing departing no more than 1 hour earlier than the original departure time and arriving less than 2 hours later than the original arrival time. If you are denied boarding, you can claim compensation even if you are re-routed, but the airline may reduce it by 50% if the arrival delay is no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on the distance and route. Airlines often give the impression that the alternative flight “settles” the matter - it does not.

Airline Information | Flight Compensation

Airline information - compensation for delayed or cancelled flights

If your flight was delayed or cancelled, you were denied boarding or you missed a connection, you can claim compensation of €250 to €600 per person. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and to flights arriving in these countries when the operating carrier is from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Compensation is owed by the operating carrier - the airline that operated or was due to operate the flight, even if the ticket was issued by another airline. For flights not covered by the Regulation, the rules of the country concerned may apply.

Which airline did you fly with?

Choose the airline to see what applies to its flights in case of delay, cancellation, denied boarding or a missed connection.

Your airline is not on the list? When your flight is covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, your rights are the same regardless of the airline and whether the flight is scheduled or charter. Check your flight to find out what compensation you can claim.

Can I get compensation for a delayed or cancelled charter flight?

Yes - Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to charter flights just as it does to scheduled flights. On a charter flight, you can claim compensation if the flight is cancelled, arrives at the final destination 3 or more hours late, or you are denied boarding. Compensation is owed by the airline that operated the flight, not by the tour operator through which the booking was made. Keep your boarding pass - it can help you prove the journey. See the information on BH Air and European Air Charter.