Delayed flight? Your rights to compensation under EU261

The 3-hour rule

What counts is the delay at ARRIVAL, not departure — measured when the aircraft door opens at your final destination. A flight that leaves 3 hours late but arrives 2 h 55 min late does not qualify; one that leaves 2 hours late and arrives 3 h 05 min late does.

With connecting flights on one booking, the delay is measured at the FINAL destination. A 40-minute delay that makes you miss a connection and arrive 5 hours late qualifies for full compensation.

How much you get

Up to 1 500 km: €250. Between 1 500 and 3 500 km: €400. Over 3 500 km: €600 (halved to €300 if you arrived less than 4 hours late).

Compensation is per passenger, including children with a paid seat. A family of four delayed on a Thailand trip can be owed €2 400.

While you wait: right to care

From 2 hours of delay (short haul) the airline must provide meals, refreshments and communication. From an overnight delay: hotel and transfers. If they don't, pay yourself, keep receipts, and claim reimbursement on top of compensation.

When the airline doesn't have to pay

Extraordinary circumstances: severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security risks, hidden manufacturing defects. In these cases you still get care and rebooking, but not cash compensation.

NOT extraordinary (you can still claim): most technical faults, crew scheduling problems, strikes by the airline's own staff, knock-on delays from the aircraft's earlier rotation in many cases. Airlines routinely over-use the "extraordinary" excuse — it's worth challenging.