Flight Delay & Cancellation Compensation - You May Qualify for Up to €600
Check Your Flight Compensation Eligibility
A delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight may qualify for compensation. Start with your route and operating airline, then check the timing, cause and evidence.
Choose Your Claim Route in Three Steps
Step 1 - Check the Rules
Your route and operating airline determine which rules may apply. Start with the passenger-rights guide or choose a country below.
Step 2 - Keep the Evidence
Save your booking, airline notices, arrival time and receipts. The free next-step planner helps you prepare without uploading documents.
Step 3 - Choose Direct or Assisted
Use our airline guides to claim directly, or consider the optional AirHelp service after checking its current fees, terms and privacy policy.
What You Can Claim For
EC 261/2004 can cover several disruption types. Coverage depends mainly on the route and operating airline; timing, notice, cause, and booking structure also matter.
Flight Delay (3+ hours)
For a covered EU delay, arrival at your final destination is the key timing test. A delay of at least three hours may qualify, subject to the cause and other conditions.
Flight Cancelled at Short Notice
Notice, the replacement flight offered and the cause all matter. A covered cancellation can bring refund or rerouting rights even when fixed compensation is not due.
Denied Boarding
Overbooking or another operational refusal can bring rights when you were ready to travel and did not volunteer. Document, health and security refusals need different checks.
Missed Connection Flight
A protected connection and a self-transfer are not the same. Check the complete booking, route and final arrival delay before deciding what to claim.
Start with the country or route that controls your rights
Flight compensation depends on the departure country, arrival country, operating airline, and disruption reason. Use the country guides first, then move into the airline or airport page that matches your case.
Compare EU261, UK261, US DOT refund rules, ECAA coverage, and major European route rules in one hub.
EU routes GermanyFrankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Lufthansa, Ryanair, easyJet, and EU261 route checks.
EU routes FranceParis CDG, Orly, French strikes, connecting flights, and airline-controlled disruption cases.
EU routes SpainMadrid, Barcelona, Malaga, island routes, summer disruption evidence, and EU261 coverage.
UK routes United KingdomUK261 compensation rules for UK departures, UK airlines, missed connections, and refunds.
US rules United StatesUS DOT refunds, cancellations, denied boarding, baggage rights, and where EU261 still applies.
Why Passengers Use FlyClaimer
Find practical passenger-rights guidance, keep the right evidence and compare direct-airline and optional assisted claim routes.
- EU, UK and US guidance, with dedicated help for Albania and Western Balkan routes.
- Clear distinctions between compensation, ticket refunds and necessary expenses.
- Source links, practical evidence checklists and country-specific complaint routes.
- The optional AirHelp form loads automatically when you open the flight-check page. Its provider, fees and privacy links are explained there.
Could Your Disrupted Flight Qualify?
A delay of three hours or more can be important, but it is not the only test. Check the route, operating airline, notice period, disruption cause, and final arrival time before choosing a claim route.
EU Flight Delay Compensation at a Glance
For a qualifying EU261 delay claim, distance, route and final arrival delay determine the fixed amount, not the ticket price. Check coverage and the airline's explanation first.
| Flight distance and route | Final arrival delay | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 3 hours or more | €250 |
| Within the EU: over 1,500 km, including over 3,500 km | 3 hours or more | €400 |
| Other covered flights: over 1,500 km up to 3,500 km | 3 hours or more | €400 |
| Other covered flights: over 3,500 km | At least 3 but less than 4 hours | €300 |
| Other covered flights: over 3,500 km | 4 hours or more | €600 |
This is a delay table, not a universal test for cancellations or denied boarding. Those claims have separate notice, replacement-flight and reduction rules. A refund and reasonable care expenses are different remedies.
Check the full delay guide, UK rules or US refund and passenger rights for your journey. Sources: Your Europe and EU261, Articles 3 and 7.
Choose Your Next Step
Start with the problem you need to solve now. You can use these guides without opening a partner claim.
Still at the airport?
Work out what to ask for and what evidence to keep. Build your next-step plan.
Ready to contact the airline?
Find the operating airline's claim route and prepare a clear request. Choose your airline guide.
Received a rejection?
Ask what caused the disruption and what supports the airline's explanation. Review a rejected claim.
Waiting for a decision?
Separate acknowledgment, decision and payment, then follow up at the right stage. Check claim stages and follow-up steps.
Flying from Albania, Serbia or the Western Balkans?
Our Balkan guides cover Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside the wider EU, UK and US resources.
Tirana International
Check Tirana disruption guidance, then confirm the operating airline and destination.
Other Balkan airports
Use our airport guides and ECAA route explanation; national implementation and enforcement can differ.
When the Cause Can Affect Compensation
For EU delay or cancellation compensation, the airline must establish an extraordinary-circumstances defence, including that reasonable measures could not have avoided the disruption. A broad label is not enough.
See common extraordinary circumstances
Severe weather
Storms, heavy snow, fog, or dangerous wind can affect eligibility when they make safe operation impossible.
Airport or airspace closures
Security incidents, runway closures, or air traffic restrictions may fall outside normal airline responsibility.
Political disruption
Airspace restrictions, instability, or official travel disruption can change the claim route.
Security risks
Unexpected safety or security threats may limit compensation, though care and rerouting rights can still matter.
Your Rights During Delays and Cancellations
Even when fixed cash compensation is uncertain, passengers may still have care, refund, or rerouting rights while waiting for the airline to resolve the disruption.
Open care, refund, and rerouting rights
Meals and refreshments
Long waits can trigger food, drink, or communication support depending on delay length and route.
Hotel accommodation
Overnight disruption may require hotel and airport-transfer support.
Alternative flights
Cancellations and missed connections can create rerouting rights to get you to the final destination.
Refund rights
In some cases passengers may choose reimbursement instead of replacement travel.
What to Prepare Before Checking a Claim
A stronger claim usually starts with clear flight details and basic proof. You do not need every document to begin, but collecting the right information early makes the next step easier.
View document checklist
Why Some Flight Compensation Claims Get Rejected
Airlines may reject claims when they believe the disruption was outside their control or when the passenger does not provide enough information. A rejection does not always mean the airline is correct, but it does mean the facts matter.
See common rejection reasons
Extraordinary circumstances
Weather, ATC restrictions, airport closures, security risks, and emergency events can affect eligibility.
Timing disputes
Arrival delay matters for delayed flights. Cancellation notice and replacement-flight timings require their own checks.
Incomplete details
Missing flight numbers, booking references, or airline notices can slow down or weaken review.
Unclear explanations
A short rejection does not settle every question. Ask for a specific reason and supporting evidence before deciding whether to challenge it.
Flight Compensation Questions
Quick answers before passengers continue to the flight checker.
What is a flight compensation checker?
A flight compensation checker helps passengers review whether delayed, cancelled, overbooked, or disrupted flights may qualify under passenger-rights rules such as EU261, UK261, or ECAA.
Can Balkan flights qualify for compensation?
Yes. Some Balkan flights may qualify depending on the operating airline, departure airport, route, booking structure, and delay at the final destination.
How much compensation could I receive?
Depending on distance and disruption type, qualifying passengers may be owed EUR 250, EUR 400, or EUR 600 per passenger.
Will I be redirected to another website?
FlyClaimer provides informational guidance and may refer passengers to a trusted third-party compensation partner for the full claim process.