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EU261 compensation: up to €600 for delays of 3+ hours

The answer: if your flight departed an EU/EEA airport (any airline) or arrived in the EU on an EU airline, and you reached your final destination 3 or more hours late for a reason within the airline's control, you are owed €250–€600 cash under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — not vouchers. Technical faults and airline-staff strikes count as within the airline's control.

Amounts (Art. 7)

Flight distanceCompensationLegal basis
Up to 1,500 km€250Art. 7(1)(a)
1,500–3,500 km€400Art. 7(1)(b) (also all intra-EU >1500km)
Over 3,500 km€600Art. 7(1)(c)

Delays under 4h on routes over 3,500km: amount may be halved (Art. 7(2)(c)). Distance is great-circle (Art. 7(4)).

What counts — the case law airlines hope you don't know

CauseCompensable?Authority
Technical faultYESvan der Lans (C-257/14, 2015): technical defects in maintenance are inherent in normal activity — NOT extraordinary
Airline's own staff strikeYESKrüsemann (C-195/17, 2018): wildcat strike of own staff NOT extraordinary; Airhelp v SAS (C-28/20, 2021): lawful own-staff strike also NOT extraordinary
Crew shortageYESCrew shortage/scheduling is inherent in normal activity (TAP C-74/19 reasoning)
WeatherNo (care rights only)Recital 14: meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation
ATC restrictionNo (care rights only)Recital 15: air traffic management decision
No reason givenClaim anywayBurden of proving extraordinary circumstances is on the carrier (Art. 5(3)); unproven = compensable

Also yours, regardless of cause (Art. 8–9)

Meals and drinks, communication, hotel if stranded overnight — and for cancellations or 5h+ delays, the choice of a full refund within 7 days. These apply even during extraordinary circumstances.

Deadlines

Limitation periods are national law: Germany 3 years (BGB §195), France 5 years, Spain 5 years, Netherlands 2 years, Italy 26 months, Ireland 6 years. Escalation: National Enforcement Bodies per Art. 16; escalation via NEB complaint or national courts/ADR.

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Generated 2026-07-07 by TravelPulse (The Aslan Group LLC) from the same source-cited legal reference data our paid engine uses. Informational, not legal advice — regulations change; verify with the cited instruments. Contact: info@theaslangroupllc.com