Passenger rights for delayed and cancelled flights and missed connections

In the event of a delay of 3 hours or more on arrival at the final destination, a cancelled flight, denied boarding or a missed connection, passengers may be entitled to compensation of between €250 and €600 per passenger under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. The Regulation covers flights departing from the EU, as well as those arriving in the EU operated by an EU carrier. The right to compensation also depends on the cause of the flight disruption.

What happened to your flight?

Delayed flight - you arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late.
Cancelled flight - the airline has cancelled the flight and, as a rule, has notified you less than 14 days before the departure date.
Denied boarding - you were denied boarding against your will, even though you had a confirmed booking and arrived on time.
Missed connection - you missed a connecting flight due to a delay on the previous flight and arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late. This applies when the flights are on a single booking.
Compensation in the event of a strike - your flight was delayed or cancelled because of a strike. Whether compensation is due depends on whose staff are on strike.
Compensation refused - the airline has refused to pay you compensation. This refusal does not necessarily mean that you are not entitled to compensation.
Flights from, to and via Turkey - you travelled from or to Turkey or with a connection there, and your flight was delayed or cancelled, you missed a connection or you were denied boarding.

For which flights can compensation be claimed?

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies in two cases:

when the flight departs from an airport in the European Union - regardless of the airline;
when the flight lands at an airport in the EU and is operated by an EU airline, regardless of the place of departure.

The same rules apply to Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

In addition to the European Regulation, a claim for compensation may also be made in a number of non-EU countries which have their own rules protecting passengers’ rights - such as the United Kingdom (UK261), Turkey (SHY-YOLCU / SHY-PASSENGER), Serbia and North Macedonia.

The Regulation applies equally to scheduled, low-cost and charter flights, including where the ticket forms part of a tour operator’s package.

When is the airline not liable to pay compensation?

In the event of a flight delay or cancellation, the airline is not liable to pay compensation if it can prove that the problem was caused by extraordinary circumstances - events outside its normal operations and beyond its control - and that it could not have avoided them even by taking all reasonable measures. These may include severe weather conditions, restrictions or a strike by air traffic control or airport staff, bird strikes, or a security risk.

The mere existence of extraordinary circumstances is not sufficient - there must be a direct link between them and the delay or cancellation of the specific flight. Technical faults with the aircraft are not, as a rule, extraordinary circumstances (judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU in Case C-257/14). A strike by the airline’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance either.

How do we verify the cause?

When an airline cites extraordinary circumstances, we do not simply accept its explanation at face value. We check whether the event in question actually affected your flight and whether the airline could have avoided it.

If the airline has already refused your claim, find out why airlines refuse to pay compensation and how you can proceed.

How much is the compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004?

The amount of compensation depends on the distance between the first and the final airport of the journey and does not depend on the ticket price:

€250 - for flights of up to 1,500 km;
€400 - for flights over 1,500 km and up to 3,500 km, and for all flights within the EU of more than 1,500 km;
€600 - for flights of more than 3,500 km that are not entirely within the EU.

In certain cases, the compensation amount may be reduced by 50%, depending on the arrival delay and the conditions of re-routing.

Compensation amount by flight distance - €250, €400 or €600

€250 ≤ 1,500 km

€400 1,500 - 3,500 km

€600 > 3,500 km (not entirely within the EU)

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How long do you have to claim compensation?

The Regulation does not set a general deadline for submitting a claim to the airline. The limitation period for bringing a claim before a court is determined by the national law of each country - in Bulgaria, it is three years from the date of the flight.

From 23 October 2027, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 also introduces a separate deadline: a claim for compensation must be submitted to the airline within 9 months of the flight date shown on the ticket. Check the deadlines by country and find out what will change.

What other rights do you have if your flight is disrupted?

In the event of a flight disruption, the Regulation also provides for two categories of rights that are separate from financial compensation.

A ticket refund or an alternative flight

In the event of cancellation or denied boarding, the airline is obliged to offer you a choice between a refund of the ticket price, transport to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, or transport on a later date convenient to you. The choice is yours - the carrier cannot impose an alternative flight on you instead of a refund. If departure is delayed by 5 hours or more, you are entitled to cancel your journey and receive a refund.

Meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation whilst you wait

The airline is obliged to provide meals and refreshments appropriate to the waiting time, as well as the opportunity to make two telephone calls or send two messages. In the event of a delay, these rights apply when departure is expected to be delayed by:

2 hours or more - for flights of up to 1,500 km;
3 hours or more - for flights within the EU of more than 1,500 km and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km;
4 hours or more - for all other flights.

Where an overnight stay, or a stay additional to that intended by the passenger, becomes necessary, the airline must provide hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel.

Care must also be provided in extraordinary circumstances where no financial compensation is payable. Where extraordinary weather conditions are proven, the airline may be exempt from paying financial compensation, but it must still provide meals, refreshments and, where necessary, hotel accommodation.

If the airline has not provided meals, refreshments or hotel accommodation and you have paid for them yourself, keep your receipts. You can claim reimbursement of reasonable expenses.

Why Aeroisk?

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Direct contact with our team
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We handle the whole process
We communicate with the airline and take the necessary action, including when the airline has refused to pay or the case is more complex.

How does the process of collecting your compensation work?

You register a claim

You enter the flight details and provide the necessary documents.

Aeroisk takes on your case

We contact the airline and pursue the claim on your behalf. If it refuses to pay, we take the necessary administrative and legal action.

You receive up to €600 in compensation

If successful, the airline pays the compensation. A commission is only due if you receive compensation.

You can follow the progress of your claim in your personal account, and we email you whenever there is a change in your case. If you have any questions, you can always contact us by phone too.

Did the airline refuse to pay you?

The airline’s refusal does not necessarily mean that you are not entitled to compensation. The reason given in the refusal is not always sufficient to release the airline from liability.

See why airlines refuse to pay compensation and how you can proceed.

Sources and updates

This information has been prepared by the Aeroisk team, which specialises in protecting passengers’ rights and claiming compensation for disrupted flights.

Reneta Yovkova is responsible for ensuring the legal information is up to date.

Legal basis and sources: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; European Commission Interpretative Guidelines C/2024/5687 on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; judgments of the Court of Justice of the EU in Cases C-549/07 (Wallentin-Hermann), C-257/14 (Van der Lans), C-28/20, C-12/11 (McDonagh) and C-139/11 (Moré); the passenger rights regime in the United Kingdom, known as UK261; the Turkish Passenger Rights Regulation SHY-YOLCU (SHY-PASSENGER); the Serbian Law on Obligations and the Basics of Property Relations in Air Transport; the North Macedonian Law on Obligations and Property Relations in Air Transport.

Last updated: 18 October 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not sure which scenario applies to me - my flight was operated the following day. Is this a cancellation or a delay?

A flight operated the following day is not necessarily a cancelled flight. The decisive factor is whether the airline operated the flight as originally planned, albeit later, or whether it abandoned that plan and rebooked you onto another flight. In the first case, it is a delay; in the second, a cancellation. A change in flight number or new boarding passes are not, in themselves, decisive.

Do I need to have insurance to receive compensation?

No. You do not need insurance to receive compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. Compensation is payable by the airline when the conditions set out in the Regulation are met. Insurance provides separate cover under the terms of the policy, and any claims against the insurer must be made separately.

The problem occurred on the return journey, not the outward journey. Does that matter?

No, not in itself. Each flight is assessed individually, even when it is part of a single booking. The fact that the outbound flight operated as scheduled does not affect your rights regarding the return flight. However, where the return flight departs from an airport outside the EU, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies only if the flight is operated by an EU airline.

Several of us were travelling on a single booking. Is the compensation payable to each of us?

Yes, provided the flight qualifies for compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. Compensation is payable to each passenger individually. You can submit a single joint claim for all passengers on the booking, or each passenger can submit a separate claim. In practice, a joint claim is preferable, as separate submissions may delay the process.

The airline has refunded the cost of my ticket. Am I still entitled to compensation?

Yes, provided the conditions for compensation are met. A refund of the ticket price and financial compensation are two separate rights under the Regulation - one does not preclude the other. The airline cannot assume that by refunding the money it has fulfilled its obligations to you.

The ticket was purchased by someone else or by a company. Who is entitled to compensation?

The passenger affected by the flight disruption. Compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 is payable to each passenger personally, regardless of who paid for the ticket - a family member, an employer or a travel agency. For minors, the claim must be submitted by a parent or another legal representative on their behalf.

The airline claims that the problem was not its fault. Does this automatically mean that I am not entitled to compensation?

No. The airline must prove that the delay or cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances which it could not have avoided even if it had taken all reasonable measures. It is not enough for the airline to state that the cause was beyond its control. Technical faults are not, as a rule, considered extraordinary circumstances, whilst bad weather or air traffic restrictions must have actually affected the specific flight. A refusal on the grounds that the disruption was not the airline’s fault is worth checking.