Flight cancellations and delays can be inconvenient and even ruin a trip. However, there is some good news – if you are traveling to, from, or within Europe, you may be entitled to receive compensation for significant flight delays caused by the airline.
According to European law, American passengers have several rights when their flights are delayed or canceled in Europe, in contrast to their rights in the U.S., as explained by Scott Keyes, founder of flight deals site Going.com.
European legislation EC 261 protects passengers and grants them monetary compensation, which can amount to approximately $700, in the following situations:
- If your flight departed from the EU and arrived at its final destination with a delay of three or more hours, regardless of the airline.
- If your flight took off from outside the EU on a European airline and landed within the EU, and arrived at your final destination with a delay of at least three hours. For example, an AirFrance flight from New York to Madrid would qualify.
To be eligible for compensation in both scenarios, you must have checked in for your flight on time.
There are exceptions, however. Airlines are not required to provide compensation if the flight delay is caused by “extraordinary circumstances” such as political unrest, extreme weather conditions, or terrorist acts. Staff strikes, on the other hand, are the responsibility of the airline.
The amount of money you can receive as compensation depends on the duration of the flight, not the cost of the ticket. On short-haul trips up to 1,500 kilometers (or 932 miles), you can earn up to 250 euros. On mid-distance flights, the maximum compensation is 400 euros, and on long-haul trips, passengers are entitled to 600 euros.
Claiming compensation directly from the airline can be difficult and time-consuming, and airlines often try to discourage passengers from filing claims. That’s why claim companies like FlightRight and AirHelp exist – they enforce passengers’ rights against the airlines.
These services typically keep a percentage of the compensation payout if successful, and passengers owe nothing if the claim is unsuccessful. However, it is not cost-effective for passengers to hire lawyers for smaller claims.
Airlines often rely on passengers’ lack of knowledge about their rights, hoping that they will lose interest or give up on their claims. Despite this, some passengers have successfully filed claims directly with airlines, but processing times for compensation can be lengthy.
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