Flight compensation questions, answered

EU261 covers every flight that departs from an airport in the EU, whatever the airline. Flights from outside the EU into the EU are covered too, when an EU-licensed airline operates them. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland apply the same rules. Departures from the UK fall under the UK's own version, UK261.

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Only when a European airline operates the flight. Air France from New York to Paris is covered by EU261. The same route on American, Delta or United is not. For flights into the EU from outside, EU261 applies only when an airline licensed in an EU country operates them.

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Yes. EU261 covers every flight that leaves an EU airport, whatever the airline's nationality. United, Delta or American from Paris, Rome or Frankfurt to the US is covered just like Air France. Departures from the UK fall under UK261, which works the same way in pounds.

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Not automatically. EU261 treats the outbound and the return as two separate flights, even when you bought them together. The return is covered only if it qualifies by itself: it departs an EU airport, or it flies into the EU on an EU airline. A US airline flying you back into Europe falls outside EU261.

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Yes. When a flight departs an EU airport, EU261 applies to every operating airline, including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and US carriers. On departures, the airline's home country plays no part. What counts is that the flight leaves the EU, and that the delay, cancellation or denied boarding meets the Regulation's conditions.

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Claim from the airline that operated the flight, not the one whose flight number is on your ticket. EU261 puts the duty on the operating carrier. Your booking or boarding pass usually names it after 'operated by'. The operating airline also decides whether a flight into the EU is covered at all.

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Yes. Article 3(3) of Regulation 261/2004 expressly covers tickets issued under a frequent flyer programme or another commercial programme. An Avios, Miles & More or Flying Blue redemption earns the same compensation as a paid ticket. The exclusion covers only free tickets and reduced fares the public cannot buy, such as airline staff fares.

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No, if the ticket was free or sold at a reduced fare the public cannot buy. Airline staff fares are the usual example. A promotional fare that anyone can book still counts as a public fare, even with conditions attached. Frequent flyer award tickets remain covered by name.

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It is unsettled. The Commission's guidelines exclude infants who travel free, have no seat or boarding pass, and are not named on the booking. An infant named on the reservation, or one whose parents paid an infant fare or fee, is arguably covered. Airlines often dispute these claims, so the answer may depend on the court.

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Yes, if the child has their own ticket. EU261 pays per passenger by flight distance, with no lower rate for children. A child on a flight that arrives three or more hours late is owed the same €250, €400 or €600 as an adult. Free infants without a seat are the exception.

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Yes. The Canary Islands are an outermost region of the EU, and EU261 treats them as EU territory. Any flight departing Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote or Fuerteventura is covered, whatever the airline. So are flights to the islands from other EU airports. Flights from the UK fall under UK261 instead.

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Only if the airline is a UK or EU carrier. UK261 covers flights into the UK from abroad when an airline licensed in the UK or the EU operates them. A Delta, United, Emirates or Qatar Airways flight into London is not covered. Any flight departing a UK airport is covered, whatever the airline.

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Yes. EU261 applies to flights within a package holiday just as it does to flights booked alone. If the package flight departs the EU, or flies into the EU on an EU airline, a delay of three hours or more can bring compensation. Your package travel rights against the tour operator carry on alongside it.

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Claim the fixed EU261 compensation from the airline that operated the flight, even if a tour operator sold you the package. Some tour operators run their own airline, so the operator and the airline can be the same company. Complaints about the rest of the holiday go to the tour operator under package travel law.

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Not if the package was cancelled for a reason other than the flight being cancelled. Article 3(6) of EU261 excludes that case, so your remedy lies under package travel law against the organiser. If the airline cancelled the flight itself, EU261 can still apply to the flight in the usual way.

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Yes. EU261 covers every flight that departs from an airport in an EU country, including flights that never leave that country. A domestic hop such as Hamburg to Munich or Madrid to Barcelona gets the same protection as an international one. In the UK, domestic flights fall under UK261 instead, with amounts in pounds.

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No. EU261 compensation depends on the distance of the flight, not the cabin or the fare. A business class passenger and an economy passenger on the same delayed flight get the same €250, €400 or €600. Ticket price only matters for a downgrade, where the refund is a share of what you paid.

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Yes. EU261 gives the compensation to the passenger who was delayed, cancelled or bumped, not to whoever paid for the ticket. A business trip booked by your company is covered on the same terms as a holiday. Whether you must pass the money to your employer depends on your contract or travel policy, not on the Regulation.

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No. EU261 asks passengers to present themselves for check-in on time, but it expressly leaves cancellations out of that rule. If the airline cancels your flight, you do not need to have checked in, online or at the airport, to claim. You only need a confirmed reservation on the flight.

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Yes. EU261 does not depend on where you bought the ticket, the currency you paid in or the website you used. Coverage depends on the departure airport and the airline that operates the flight. A flight leaving the EU is covered on any airline. You claim from the operating airline, not from Expedia or the agent.

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Under EU261 and UK261, you must reach your final destination at least three hours late. The airline then owes fixed compensation of €250 to €600, or £220 to £520 under UK rules, depending on distance. It can refuse only if extraordinary circumstances caused the delay and it took all reasonable measures.

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Arrival time. Under EU261 and UK261, compensation depends on how late you reach your final destination, not how late you leave. Depart three hours late but arrive two hours fifty late, and no fixed compensation is due. The departure delay still matters for meals, a hotel and the five-hour refund.

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When the doors open. Under EU261 and UK261, a flight arrives when at least one aircraft door opens and passengers may leave. Touchdown and the gate time on a flight tracker do not count. Ten or twenty minutes of taxiing can push a delay past the three-hour line.

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Usually not, because fixed compensation starts at three hours late at your final destination. But check which clock was used. Arrival counts from when a door opened and passengers could leave, not touchdown or the time the airline shows. A flight that landed 2 hours 50 late can pass three hours by the time the doors open.

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Record when the first aircraft door opened, because under EU261 and UK261 that is the legal arrival time. Keep your boarding pass and booking. Take a timestamped photo or send a message as the door opens. Then ask the airline in writing for its recorded arrival time and compare it with yours.

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It can. A late incoming aircraft is not an excuse in itself. What matters is why the earlier flight ran late. If a maintenance problem or the airline's own planning caused it, the airline owes compensation for a three-hour delay. If an extraordinary event caused it, the airline must prove that link.

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Usually yes. Staffing the aircraft is part of the airline's normal job under EU261 and UK261. A strike by its own staff generally does not excuse it, even an unexpected one. The airline avoids paying only if it proves extraordinary circumstances outside its control caused your delay of three hours or more.

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The airline must give you a hotel, transport to it, meals and refreshments, and two calls or emails, when the delay needs an overnight stay. This care applies even when bad weather caused the delay. If you then arrive three hours or more late, you may also claim fixed compensation, unless extraordinary circumstances caused it.

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Meals and refreshments, plus two phone calls or emails. Under EU261 and UK261, care starts after two hours on flights up to 1,500 km, three hours on medium flights and four hours on long-haul. If the delay runs overnight, the airline must also provide a hotel and transport. These rights apply whatever caused the delay.

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Yes. Under EU261 and UK261, once a delay reaches five hours you can choose not to travel and ask for a full refund of the ticket. The airline must pay within seven days, in money unless you agree in writing to a voucher. This right applies whatever caused the delay.

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Compensation depends on when the rebooked flight got you to your final destination. Arriving three hours or more late means the full amount for the distance. The airline may halve it only when the new flight arrived within the Article 7(2) limits, which run from two to four hours by distance.

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Likely €300. On flights over 3,500 km, an arrival between three and four hours late lets the airline halve the €600 to €300 under EU261. Under UK261, the same flight pays £260 instead of £520. Arrive four hours or more late, and the airline owes the full amount.

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It depends on the airline that flew the plane. A flight from the USA into the EU falls under EU261 only when an EU airline operates it. Into the UK, UK261 needs a qualifying UK or EU airline. On a US airline flying you home, those rules generally do not apply.

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Yes, if a UK or EU airline flew you home and you arrived three hours or more late. A flight from outside Europe into the UK or EU falls under UK261 or EU261 only on a qualifying European airline. On a Turkish or Egyptian airline, those rules generally do not cover the flight home.

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Under EU261 it is €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for medium flights and €600 for flights over 3,500 km. Under UK261 the amounts are £220, £350 and £520. You must arrive three hours or more late, and long-haul arrivals between three and four hours late may pay half.

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Yes, for compensation it does. Under EU261 and UK261, the delay runs until a door opens at your final destination and passengers may leave. Time on the tarmac before take-off or after landing all adds to your arrival delay. If that totals three hours or more, you may claim.

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Yes, if the small delays add up. The way the delay was announced does not matter. What counts is how late you reach your destination. Three hours or more at arrival can earn €250 to €600 per passenger on a covered flight. The airline can refuse only by proving extraordinary circumstances.

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A cancellation. Once the airline cancels, the hours you already waited stop being measured as a delay. A cancellation at the airport comes with no notice. Compensation of €250 to €600 per passenger is then normally due by distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.

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Often, yes. When a plane takes off, returns to its departure airport and passengers are moved to another flight, the flight counts as cancelled. Compensation then follows the cancellation rules: €250 to €600 per passenger under EU261, by distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.

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The arrival at the destination on your booking. If you booked through to the last stop, the delay and the distance are measured there, not at the stop in the middle. If your ticket ends at the intermediate stop, that stop is your destination. Three hours or more late can mean €250 to €600 under EU261.

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No. If the airline told you about the cancellation at least 14 days before departure, no fixed compensation is due. You still choose between a full refund and a replacement flight. That choice is yours, and if you pick the money, the airline must pay it within seven days.

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Possibly. With 7 to 13 days' notice, the airline owes compensation unless it offered a new flight leaving no more than two hours earlier and arriving less than four hours later. It can also refuse if extraordinary circumstances caused the cancellation and it took all reasonable measures.

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With under seven days' notice, the airline owes compensation unless it offered a flight leaving no more than one hour earlier and arriving less than two hours later. You also choose a refund or rebooking. The airline must provide meals and, when you need an overnight stay, a hotel.

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Often, yes. Inside 14 days' notice, the test is how close the replacement flight was to your original times. With under seven days' notice, a new flight arriving two hours or more late leaves compensation due. With 7 to 13 days, the limit is four hours. Extraordinary circumstances can still excuse the airline.

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You choose. EU261 gives you three options: a full refund within seven days, a new flight at the earliest opportunity, or a later flight on a date that suits you. Take the refund if the trip no longer makes sense. Take rerouting if you still need to travel. Compensation is a separate question either way.

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Yes. Taking a refund does not by itself remove your right to compensation. Compensation depends on how much notice you got, the replacement flight the airline offered and the cause of the cancellation. The refund returns your fare. Compensation is a separate fixed sum of €250, €400 or €600.

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Seven days. When you choose a refund after a cancellation covered by EU261 or UK261, the airline must pay it within seven days. It must pay in money. A voucher only counts as payment if you agree to it in writing.

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No. Under EU261 and UK261, the airline can offer a voucher, but it can only pay you that way with your signed agreement. If you choose a refund, the airline owes you the money within seven days. Read any voucher button or email carefully before you accept.

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Yes, if the airline brought your departure forward by more than one hour. The Court of Justice treats that flight as cancelled. You then get cancellation rights: a refund or another flight, and possibly compensation depending on how much notice you had and the new times.

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It depends on the direction and the notice. A departure moved more than one hour earlier counts as a cancellation. A later retiming is less settled, so check whether your booked flight still operates. With 14 days' notice or more, the airline owes no fixed compensation either way.

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Yes. When a cancellation leaves you needing an overnight stay, the airline must provide a hotel, transport between the airport and the hotel, and meals for the wait. This duty applies even when the cause was extraordinary, such as bad weather. If it provides nothing, pay reasonable costs yourself and keep receipts.

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Sometimes. You can recover reasonable costs of a replacement flight when the airline failed to offer a proper reroute at the earliest opportunity. You must show the purchase was necessary and that you kept the cost reasonable. Ask the airline first, and keep a record of its answer.

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'Operational reasons' is not a legal defence by itself. The airline owes compensation unless it proves extraordinary circumstances that reasonable measures could not avoid. Routine technical faults and strikes by its own staff generally do not qualify. Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause.

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Usually yes, if you got less than 14 days' notice. A technical problem found or caused during maintenance is generally part of the airline's normal operations, so it does not excuse compensation. Hidden manufacturing defects, sabotage or terrorism can be different. The replacement flight's times still matter.

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Yes, the claim goes to the airline that operated the flight, not the agent. The 14-day notice rule looks at when you were told about the cancellation. If the agent's message reached you late, the airline's exception for long notice may not apply. Keep the email that first told you.

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It can be. A diversion to an airport that does not serve the same town, city or region may count as a cancellation. A diversion to another airport serving the same area does not, but the airline must still get you to your booked airport or an agreed destination.

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Usually yes, when both flights are on one booking and the cancellation leaves the trip pointless. Your EU261 refund right covers the ticket, not just one leg. Ask for the full refund in writing, and say clearly that you will not travel.

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Under EU261, €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights inside the EU over 1,500 km and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond 3,500 km. UK261 pays £220, £350 or £520. It applies only with under 14 days' notice and no extraordinary circumstances.

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Choose what you want first: a refund, the earliest new flight, or a later date. Ask staff for meal vouchers and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel with transport. Photograph the departures board, keep every receipt and ask in writing why the flight was cancelled.

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The airline does. If it reroutes you to another airport serving the same city or region, it must pay for the transfer. That means getting you to the airport you booked, or to a nearby destination you agree on. That is separate from any cancellation compensation of €250 to €600, which depends on the notice and the new times.

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Under EU261 the airline owes you €250, €400 or €600 when it refuses you boarding against your will on an overbooked flight. The amount depends on the flight distance. You need a confirmed booking, valid travel documents and to have presented yourself on time.

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Under UK261 the airline owes you £220, £350 or £520 if it bumps you against your will. The amount depends on the flight distance, using the same bands as EU261. You must hold a confirmed booking, carry valid documents and present yourself on time for the flight.

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Usually not the fixed amount. EU261 and UK261 tie the €250 to €600 payment to involuntary denied boarding. If you volunteer, you accept whatever deal you agree with the airline instead. Read the offer before you say yes, and get it in writing.

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Yes, it can still happen. Checking in or holding a seat number does not stop an airline refusing you boarding. What it does do is help show you presented yourself on time with a confirmed booking. If you are then bumped against your will, EU261 or UK261 compensation applies.

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Usually not, if you arrived after the airline's published boarding deadline. EU261 protects passengers who present themselves on time. If you reached the gate before the deadline and staff still refused you, or the gate shut early, that can count as denied boarding.

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Not if the refusal was reasonable. EU261 excludes denied boarding on reasonable document grounds, such as a passport that does not meet entry rules. If your documents were actually valid and the airline got the rules wrong, the refusal can count as denied boarding, and compensation may be due.

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Yes, an airline can refuse you on reasonable safety or security grounds, and then EU261 compensation is not due. Intoxication or disruptive behaviour can be such a ground. If the refusal had no reasonable basis, it can count as involuntary denied boarding, and the usual compensation may apply.

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Not when the airline refused you on reasonable health grounds, such as missing the medical certificate its published rules require. EU261 excludes those refusals. If you met the airline's written requirements and staff still refused you, it can count as involuntary denied boarding, and compensation may apply.

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Yes, under EU261 it can count as involuntary denied boarding. The excluded reasons are health, safety, security and document grounds; a smaller aircraft is not among them. If you had a confirmed booking, valid documents and presented on time, the airline owes €250 to €600, plus rerouting or refund and care.

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It depends on timing. If you reached the connecting gate after boarding closed, it is a missed connection, and compensation depends on arriving at least three hours late at your final destination. If you got there in time and staff gave your seat away, it can be denied boarding.

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The airline owes you care: meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel with transport to it if you must stay overnight. This comes on top of the fixed compensation and your choice of a refund or a new flight.

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Yes. Under EU261 you choose: a refund of your ticket, the earliest available replacement flight, or a later flight at a date that suits you, subject to seats. The airline must pay a refund within seven days. You keep the fixed compensation whichever option you choose.

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Only if you prefer it. Under EU261 the airline pays compensation in money, and it may use vouchers only with your signed agreement. If you are bumped against your will, you can refuse a voucher and ask for the cash amount for your flight distance instead.

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Under EU261 the airline must refund 30%, 50% or 75% of the ticket price for the downgraded flight. The share depends on distance: 30% up to 1,500 km, 50% for 1,500 to 3,500 km or intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and 75% for longer flights.

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Article 10 bases the refund on the price of the ticket for the affected flight. On a multi-flight booking, that means the share of the fare linked to the downgraded flight, not the whole trip. How that share is worked out is often disputed, so ask the airline to show its calculation.

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Yes, on a flight covered by EU261 or UK261. Premium economy counts as a higher class, so the airline must refund 30%, 50% or 75% of the ticket price for that flight, depending on distance. A refund of only the fare difference may fall short of what the rule provides.

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EU261 entitles you to compensation as soon as the airline refuses you boarding against your will, so ask for it at the desk. If staff cannot pay on the spot, you have not lost anything. Get the refusal in writing and claim the money from the operating airline afterwards.

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Denied boarding means the airline refuses to carry you even though you hold a confirmed booking, carry valid documents and presented yourself on time. It does not cover refusals on reasonable health, safety, security or document grounds. Volunteers are not involuntarily denied boarding, so the fixed compensation does not apply to them.

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Yes. Low-cost airlines follow the same EU261 and UK261 rules as any other carrier. If they refuse you boarding against your will, they owe €250 to €600, or £220 to £520 under UK261. They also owe a refund or new flight and care while you wait.

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Usually, yes. Denied boarding is a refusal to carry you although you presented on time with valid documents. Being removed after you took your seat is still a refusal to carry you. Compensation of €250 to €600, or £220 to £520 under UK261, is due unless there was a reasonable health, safety, security or document reason.

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Yes, it can. If both flights were on one booking, the final arrival is what matters. Reach your final destination at least three hours late, and the airline can owe you €250, €400 or €600 under EU261. The first flight's own delay does not decide it. Extraordinary circumstances can still defeat the claim.

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Yes, you can. On a single booking, even a short delay on the first flight can qualify. What matters is reaching your final destination at least three hours late. The first flight does not need to be three hours late on its own. The airline can still refuse if extraordinary circumstances caused the delay.

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Usually not for the missed flight itself. EU261 treats a connection as one journey only when the flights were booked as a single unit. On separate tickets, each flight stands alone. You can still claim for the first flight alone if it arrived at least three hours late and met the other conditions.

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Self-transfer means your flights are separate bookings, joined by you or a booking site. You collect your bags, check in again and make the connection on your own. EU261 does not treat the two flights as one journey. So if you miss the second flight, its airline owes you nothing.

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At your final destination, when the flights were on one booking. EU261 compares your actual arrival there with the scheduled arrival on your ticket. A gap of three hours or more can bring compensation. Arrival means the moment a door opens and passengers may leave, not touchdown.

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On a single booking, the distance runs from your first departure airport to your final destination, in a straight great-circle line. The miles flown via the connecting airport do not count. That distance sets the band: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 for the middle band, €600 over 3,500 km.

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Yes, it can. A journey that departs from an EU airport is covered whatever the airline's nationality. On one booking, a connection outside the EU does not by itself take you out of EU261. Compensation then depends on your delay at the final destination and the distance to it.

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Not if both flights are on one booking. Ask the airline to put you on the next available flight to your final destination. If it offers no proper rerouting and you buy your own seat, you may recover reasonable costs. On separate tickets, the second airline generally owes you nothing.

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No, not simply because you change planes in Europe. The Court of Justice held that a single-booking journey beginning and ending outside the EU is not covered. Connecting at an EU airport does not change that. That is true even when a European airline operates the flights.

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Yes, it can apply. A flight into the EU is covered when an EU carrier operates it. If that carrier's late arrival makes you miss a connection on the same booking, compensation can be due. It turns on your delay at the final destination. The airline can still rely on extraordinary circumstances.

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Generally the operating airline of the flight whose delay made you miss the connection. EU261 places responsibility on the airline that actually flies the aircraft, not the one that sold the ticket. If the first flight was late and broke the connection, start your claim with that flight's operating airline.

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Yes, when EU261 covers your journey and the rebooking means an overnight stay. The airline owes you a hotel, transport between the airport and the hotel, meals and refreshments, and two calls or emails. This duty of care applies even when the cause was outside the airline's control.

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Yes. Under EU261 the duty of care continues even when extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, caused the disruption. The airline must still give you meals, refreshments and a hotel if you need to stay overnight. Bad weather can remove the fixed compensation, but not the care.

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Usually not, if your flights ran on time. EU261 compensation follows a delay or cancellation by the airline. A queue at passport control or security is not the airline's flight running late. If your first flight was also late, the claim depends on why it was late and how late you arrived.

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Under EU261 it is €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, set by the distance from your first airport to your final destination. Under UK261 it is £220, £350 or £520. You need to arrive at least three hours late. In some long-haul and rerouting cases the amount can be halved.

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Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause and its evidence. A routine technical fault or a strike by the airline's own staff is generally not extraordinary. Weather or air traffic control can be, but the airline must prove the event caused your delay and that it took all reasonable measures.

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Often yes. A cancellation with less than 14 days' notice can earn compensation unless the replacement stays close to your original times. With under seven days' notice, the rerouting must leave no more than an hour early and arrive less than two hours late. A connection that lands later than that keeps your claim alive.

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Yes, when your journey falls within UK261. It covers flights departing from the UK, and flights into the UK on a qualifying UK or EU carrier. On one booking, the delay at your final destination is what counts. The amounts are £220, £350 or £520 by distance.

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Yes, if your first flight was late at all and both flights were on one booking. What counts is how late you reach your final destination. If that is three hours or more, the airline owes compensation unless it proves extraordinary circumstances. If the first flight landed on time and you still missed the second, a compensation claim is much harder.

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Usually the full amount for your route, plus a hotel and meals. Arriving a day late on one booking is well past the three-hour mark. The airline owes €250, €400 or €600 by distance, unless it proves extraordinary circumstances. While you wait overnight, it must also provide a hotel, transport to it and meals, whatever caused the delay.

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Extraordinary circumstances are events outside the airline's normal operations that it could not avoid even with all reasonable measures. Severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security events, bird strikes and strikes by outside staff may qualify. Ordinary technical problems and strikes by the airline's own staff generally do not. The airline must prove the defence.

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Severe weather can be an extraordinary circumstance, so the airline may not owe fixed compensation. It must still prove that the weather actually caused your delay or cancellation, and that it took all reasonable measures to avoid it. A general mention of weather, without the place, time and effect, does not prove the defence.

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Yes, you can challenge it. The airline must prove that severe weather actually caused your delay, not just that weather existed somewhere. If conditions at both airports looked normal and other flights left on time, ask for the specific place, time and evidence. An unproven weather excuse does not meet the airline's burden.

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Look up the airport's METAR reports for your flight date and time. A METAR is the standard aviation weather report that airports issue at regular intervals, and public archives keep past reports. Compare the wind, visibility and storm codes with the airline's explanation. Then check whether other flights operated in the same hours.

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Possibly not, if the airline can prove it. Air traffic control restrictions may be an extraordinary circumstance under EU261 and UK261. The airline must show that the restriction actually caused your delay or cancellation, and that it took all reasonable measures to avoid it. A one-line mention of air traffic control is not proof.

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It can be. A strike by air traffic controllers is a strike by people outside the airline, so it may be an extraordinary circumstance. The airline must still prove the strike caused your delay or cancellation and that it took all reasonable measures. Your rights to care, rerouting and a refund remain either way.

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Generally yes. A strike by the operating airline's own staff is generally not an extraordinary circumstance merely because it was unexpected. The Court of Justice took this approach in Krüsemann v TUIfly. If your flight is in scope and the notice or delay rules are met, the airline can owe you fixed compensation.

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Possibly not. A strike by people who do not work for the airline, such as airport or security staff, may be an extraordinary circumstance. The airline must still prove the strike caused your delay and that it took all reasonable measures. If the strikers are the airline's own employees, the position is different.

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Generally no. The Court of Justice ruled in Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia that a routine or maintenance-related technical problem is part of the airline's normal activity, so it is generally not extraordinary. A hidden manufacturing defect, sabotage or terrorism can be different. An ordinary fault can therefore lead to compensation if the delay rules are met.

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Only if they prove it. A hidden manufacturing defect, sabotage or terrorism can be an extraordinary circumstance. An ordinary fault from normal operation or maintenance generally is not, even if it came without warning. Ask the airline to name the part that failed and to show evidence of a hidden defect, not just the word 'unforeseeable'.

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Possibly not for the bird strike itself. A bird strike may be an extraordinary circumstance, as the Court of Justice accepted in Pešková v Travel Service. The airline must still prove the strike caused your delay and that it took all reasonable measures afterwards. Your right to meals and refreshments continues whatever the outcome.

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Often you can. Staff illness is generally treated as part of an airline's normal operations, not as an extraordinary circumstance. The airline must prove any defence it raises. Check that your flight meets the delay and scope rules.

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It depends on why the crew ran out of hours. The question is what caused the earlier delay that used up their duty time. If that was a technical problem with the aircraft or the airline's own planning, the airline can owe compensation. If it was severe weather or an air traffic control restriction, the airline may argue extraordinary circumstances.

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Possibly not. A drone sighting that closes an airport is a security event outside the airline's control, so it may be an extraordinary circumstance. The airline must still prove it caused your cancellation and that it took all reasonable measures. You keep the right to a refund or rerouting, and to meals and a hotel.

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The airline does. Under Article 5(3) of Regulation 261/2004, it escapes fixed compensation only by proving two things. Extraordinary circumstances caused the delay or cancellation, and all reasonable measures could not have avoided them. You need to show your booking, your flight and how late you arrived. A one-line rejection is not proof.

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It means the airline must show it did what it reasonably could to avoid the disruption or limit it once the event happened. Even when the cause is extraordinary, an airline that let a short problem grow into a long delay without good reason may still owe compensation. The airline must prove its measures.

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Yes. The right to care continues even when the airline owes no compensation because of extraordinary circumstances. The Court of Justice confirmed this in McDonagh v Ryanair. Depending on flight distance, the airline must offer meals and refreshments after two to four hours, plus a hotel and transport if you need to stay overnight.

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Write down and screenshot every reason the airline gave on the day, with times. Then ask the airline in writing which event it now relies on and what evidence it holds. The airline carries the burden of proving extraordinary circumstances, so a shifting explanation is worth pointing out when you challenge a rejection.

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Reply in writing and ask the airline to name the specific event, explain how it caused your delay and show the reasonable measures it took. If it still refuses, complain to the national enforcement body or an approved dispute scheme, or take the claim to court within your country's deadline.

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Usually not. An ash cloud that closes airspace or an airport is outside the airline's control, so it normally counts as an extraordinary circumstance. You keep your other rights: a refund or a new flight. You also keep meals and a hotel while you are stranded, even when the closure lasts days.

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UK261 pays £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and £520 for longer flights. The trigger is the same three-hour arrival delay as EU261. On a long-haul flight the airline may cut the £520 to £260 in limited cases.

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EU261 uses the great-circle distance: the shortest line over the Earth's surface between two airports. The route the plane actually flew, detours and holding patterns do not count. On a single booking with connections, the distance runs from your first departure airport to your final destination.

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Per passenger. Each person on the booking who meets the conditions has their own claim for the full amount for that distance. A family of four on a 1,200 km flight that arrives three hours late can claim €250 each, so €1,000 in total. The booking reference sets no cap.

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Yes, in principle. EU261 ties the amount to distance and arrival delay, not to the fare. A €30 ticket on a 1,000 km flight that arrives three hours late carries the same €250 as a full-price ticket. The airline escapes only if it proves extraordinary circumstances.

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EU261 lets the airline halve compensation in two cases. On a flight over 3,500 km, arriving three to four hours late pays €300 instead of €600. It may also halve it after a cancellation or denied boarding, if the new flight arrived within the regulation's time limits.

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You do not have to. EU261 allows payment in vouchers only if you sign your agreement; otherwise the airline owes money. A bigger voucher can suit a frequent flyer. Before signing, check its expiry, which flights it covers and whether you can transfer it.

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Only if you agree. Money is the default under EU261, and the airline can pay in vouchers or other non-cash forms only with your signed agreement. If it offers miles or points, you can refuse and ask for the full amount by bank transfer.

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EU261 sets no deadline today for paying fixed compensation. The wait depends on the airline and on whether it disputes the claim. Refunds differ: they are due within seven days. A reform approved in July 2026 will give airlines 30 days to pay or give a reason. It is expected from the second half of 2027.

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Chase in writing and quote the airline's own acceptance. Give a short final deadline. Then look at the national route: a complaint body or a small claims court, within your country's limitation period. Keep every email, because the written acceptance is strong evidence of what the airline owes.

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EU261 sets the amounts in euros, and UK261 sets them in pounds. Outside the eurozone, ask the airline in writing to pay the full euro value in your currency. Ask it to state the rate it used, and check that the amount you receive matches.

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EU261 sets fixed sums, and its only cut is the 50% reduction in specific cases. Nothing in the regulation lets an airline subtract admin or processing fees. If the payment arrives short, ask the airline in writing to explain the difference and pay the balance.

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Yes, the money is still yours. Compensation is a payment owed to you, not a refund of the ticket, so it need not go back to your card. Ask the airline in writing which other methods it can use, such as an international bank transfer. Then give the details your bank needs.

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Possibly. A chargeback is a card-scheme process, separate from EU261, and your card issuer decides it under its own rules and time limits. It can help recover a ticket price the airline will not refund. It is not the route for fixed compensation, which you claim from the operating airline.

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It depends on your country's tax rules, because EU261 and UK261 say nothing about tax. Ask a tax adviser or your tax authority how your country treats it. Keep the airline's payment letter: it shows what the money was for, a fixed sum under Regulation 261/2004.

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Possibly, but not automatically. The Montreal Convention can cover losses you prove a delay caused, such as a prepaid hotel night. The airline's defences and a cap in Special Drawing Rights apply. You must show the loss, the cause and that you tried to limit it. Court action must start within two years.

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Yes. EU261 treats the outbound and the return as two separate flights, even on one booking. Each one that arrives three or more hours late can earn its own payment. That flight must be covered, and its delay must not come from extraordinary circumstances. You may end up with two different amounts.

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No, not under EU261. Once you arrive three hours or more late, the amount is fixed by distance: €250, €400 or €600. A 10-hour delay pays the same as a 3-hour one. The only time element is on flights over 3,500 km, where a delay of 3 to 4 hours can be cut to €300.

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Usually not. When the flights are on one booking, EU261 looks at how late you reach your final destination. It pays one sum per passenger for that journey. The amount uses the distance from your first departure airport to your final one. Two late legs do not add up to two payments.

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Yes. The amount is fixed by the flight's great-circle distance, so an airline that used the wrong band still owes the rest. Check the distance between your departure airport and your final one. If it is over 1,500 km, the amount is at least €400, and you can ask for the missing €150.

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Usually yes. EU261 compensation is owed by the airline that operated the flight, at a fixed amount set by distance. An insurance payout comes from a separate contract with your insurer. What you must check is your policy. Some insurers ask you to claim from the airline first, or to tell them what the airline paid.

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Under EU261 the airline owes you meals and refreshments once the delay reaches 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km. For flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, the threshold is 3 hours. For all other flights it is 4 hours. UK261 keeps the same care rights.

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EU261 sets no fixed euro amount for meal vouchers. The airline must give meals and refreshments that fit the length of your wait. Talk of a set €40 voucher does not come from the regulation. If the voucher buys nothing sensible at the airport, keep receipts for what you buy.

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You can ask the airline to repay what you spent on top of a voucher that was too small. EU261 makes the airline responsible for meals and refreshments during a long wait. Keep the receipts and the spending modest. Send the claim in writing to the operating airline after the trip.

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Yes, under EU261 you can claim reasonable food and drink costs if the airline gave you nothing. The duty starts after 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on distance. Send copies of itemised receipts to the operating airline. It owes this care even when the delay was outside its control.

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Yes. Under EU261 and UK261 the airline owes you a hotel when a delay or cancellation means you must stay overnight. It also owes transport between the airport and the hotel. This care applies even when the cause was bad weather or another extraordinary circumstance.

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Yes, if the airline owed you a hotel under EU261 and did not provide one. Ask the airline first and note its answer. Then book a reasonably priced room near the airport, keep the receipt and claim the cost from the operating airline in writing.

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EU261 sets no euro cap on hotel costs. The airline owes a reasonable room for the night you had to stay. Airlines often publish their own limits, but the real test is what was reasonable and available at the time. Keep proof of the prices you saw.

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Yes. Under EU261, transport between the airport and the hotel is part of the care the airline owes when you must stay overnight. If the airline gives no shuttle and no bus or train runs, a taxi can be a reasonable cost. Keep the receipt and note why you needed it.

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Yes. Under EU261 the airline must still provide a hotel and meals when bad weather forces an overnight stay. Weather can free the airline from paying fixed compensation, but not from its care duty. The Court of Justice confirmed this in McDonagh v Ryanair.

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EU261 ties the hotel duty to the overnight stays the disruption makes necessary. It names no one-night limit. If the airline cannot fly you home for three nights, it owes care for that whole wait. Keep receipts for each night and each meal.

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Yes. Under EU261 the airline owes meals and refreshments during a long delay, even when the cause was extraordinary. A storm or air traffic control limits are typical examples. Extraordinary circumstances can cancel the compensation payment. They do not cancel the airline's care duty.

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Yes. Care and compensation are separate rights under EU261. The airline owes food, drinks and a hotel while you wait. It may also owe €250, €400 or €600 if the cause was within its control. That applies when you arrive at least 3 hours late. One does not reduce the other.

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Yes, in practice. The airline will ask what you spent and why. Keep itemised receipts that show what you bought, not just card slips. Add your boarding pass, the delay notice and any message from the airline. Send copies and keep the originals.

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Reply in writing and cite Article 9 of EU261. Explain that the disruption forced the overnight stay and that the airline gave no hotel. Attach receipts and proof that you asked for help. If it still refuses, take the claim to the national enforcement body or a court.

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Under EU261 you choose between a refund, rerouting at the earliest opportunity or a later flight that suits you. If you wait for rerouting, the airline owes meals and a hotel in the meantime. If it offers nothing reasonable, the cost of booking your own flight may be recoverable with proof.

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It may, if the airline failed to offer proper rerouting at the earliest opportunity. The 2024 Commission Guidelines say reasonable self-rerouting costs can be recoverable. You must show the journey was necessary and that you chose a sensible option. Keep tickets, receipts and the airline's messages.

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Yes. Under UK261 the airline owes you a hotel and transfers when a cancellation forces an overnight stay. This covers flights leaving a UK airport on any airline, and some flights into the UK on a UK airline. Meals and refreshments are due during the wait too.

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Often, yes. Under the Montreal Convention the airline can be liable for damage caused by delayed checked baggage, such as essential clothes and toiletries. You must prove the costs and keep them reasonable. Complain in writing within 21 days of getting the bag back. Limits apply.

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Under the Montreal Convention you must complain to the airline in writing within 21 days of receiving the delayed bag. For a damaged bag the window is 7 days. Court action must start within two years. Report the problem at the airport too, before you leave.

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Under the Montreal Convention the airline can be liable for the loss of checked baggage. Its liability stops at a limit set in Special Drawing Rights. You claim the value of the missing items, with proof. This sits apart from any EU261 compensation for the cancellation itself.

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It depends on the country where you bring the claim, because EU261 sets no time limit of its own. National limits run from one year in Poland to six years in England and Wales. Germany allows three years, the Netherlands two, and France and Spain five. Claim as soon as you can.

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Often yes, but the country decides. A three-year-old flight can still be inside the limit in England and Wales and Ireland (six years). So can one in Scotland, France, Spain and Greece (five). It is outside the limit in Poland, the Netherlands and Italy. Germany's three years run to the end of the third year.

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In England and Wales you have six years from the flight to bring a UK261 claim, under section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980. Scotland allows five years. UK261, the UK's own version of the EU rules, pays £220, £350 or £520 depending on distance.

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Three years, counted from the end of the year. Germany's general limitation period, under sections 195 and 199 of the German Civil Code, starts at the end of the year of the flight. So a flight delayed in December 2023 can reach a German court until 31 December 2026.

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Yes, for claims heard under Polish law. In resolution III CZP 111/16, the Polish Supreme Court applied the one-year period in article 778 of the Civil Code. That gives Poland the tightest major deadline in Europe. If a Polish court may hear your claim, act within months, not years.

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Two years in both countries. The Netherlands applies two years under article 8:1835 of the Dutch Civil Code. Italy uses two years as well, which Italian courts read as about 26 months. Both are short by European standards, so if you flew from Amsterdam or Rome, claim well inside that window.

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Spain and France each allow five years, under article 1964 of the Spanish Civil Code and article 2224 of the French Civil Code. Ireland allows six years under the Statute of Limitations 1957. These are among the longest windows in Europe. Even so, the limit that counts is the one where your claim would go.

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The limit of the country whose courts hear the claim. EU261 sets none, so in Cuadrench Moré v KLM the Court of Justice left it to national law. On a route between two countries, you may have a choice of courts. Each one brings its own deadline.

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Yes, once the reform applies. The European Parliament approved it on 7 July 2026, and it should apply from the second half of 2027. One EU-wide 9-month claim deadline will replace the national limits. Until then the current rules stand, with limits from one year in Poland to six in England and Wales.

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Not yet. The European Parliament approved the reform on 7 July 2026, but it should only apply from the second half of 2027. Until then Regulation 261/2004 stands as it is, with the same compensation amounts, the same three-hour arrival-delay threshold and the current national claim deadlines.

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Usually yes. EU261 asks for a confirmed reservation and that you present yourself for check-in on time, not for a boarding pass as such. A booking confirmation, e-ticket receipt, airline emails or a bank statement for the ticket can show you held a seat. Send whatever proof you have with your claim.

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You need proof of a confirmed booking, the flight number and date, and every passenger's name. A booking confirmation or e-ticket covers the booking, and a boarding pass helps if you kept it. Add any airline messages about the delay, plus receipts for meals, hotels or transport you paid for.

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It is the code of letters and numbers, usually six characters, on your booking confirmation email or e-ticket. Airlines call it the booking reference, PNR or confirmation code. Put it in your claim's subject line, with the flight number and date, so the airline can find your reservation.

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Keep it short and factual. Give the booking reference, flight number, date, route and every passenger's name. Say what happened and when you reached your final destination. Cite Article 7 of Regulation 261/2004 and state the amount per passenger. Add your bank details and set a reply deadline, such as 28 days.

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Yes. The right is yours, and you can claim directly from the airline that operated the flight at no cost. Use its claim form, or write to it with the booking reference, flight details and the amount Regulation 261/2004 sets. You pay nothing unless you choose outside help or go to court.

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Today, EU261 sets no fixed reply deadline for compensation claims, so set your own in your letter, such as 28 days. That will change under the reform the European Parliament approved on 7 July 2026. From the second half of 2027, the airline should have 30 days to pay or give a specific reason.

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Send one written reminder that quotes your first claim and sets a final date. If the airline stays silent, use an approved dispute-resolution scheme if it belongs to one. If not, go to the national body that enforces passenger rights. Court remains the last option, inside your country's limitation period.

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The UK Civil Aviation Authority publishes guidance for passengers whose delay or cancellation claims go wrong. Complain to the airline first. If it refuses or stays silent, your next step depends on whether the airline belongs to an approved dispute-resolution scheme. The CAA's guidance on delays and cancellations explains which route fits your airline.

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Complain to the national body that enforces air passenger rights in the country where the problem happened. Some countries also run out-of-court dispute schemes for airline complaints. These routes cost nothing to use but can take months, so keep your country's court deadline in view while you wait.

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Yes. If the airline refuses or ignores a valid claim, you can sue it for the fixed amount. Many countries offer a simplified procedure for low-value claims. Start the case before the national limitation period ends, for example within six years in England and Wales or one year in Poland.

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Yes. The UK kept the EU rules as its own law, known as UK261. It works much like EU261, with the same three-hour delay test and distance bands, but it pays in pounds: £220, £350 or £520. It covers flights from UK airports, and flights into the UK on UK or EU airlines.

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It depends on where you take off. London to Paris falls under UK261 because it leaves a UK airport, whatever the airline. Paris to London falls under EU261 because it leaves an EU airport. A UK or EU airline can bring the Paris flight under UK261 too, but you claim once, not twice.

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Usually not on American. UK261 covers a flight into the UK from outside only when a UK or EU airline operates it. A British Airways-operated flight from New York to London qualifies. An American Airlines-operated one does not, even on a BA ticket. Your return from London qualifies on either airline.

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No. No US federal law makes airlines pay a fixed sum for a delayed flight. US rules mainly protect your money. When the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you choose not to travel, you can ask for a refund. Meal vouchers or hotels for delays come from each airline's own policy.

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Yes. EU261 covers every flight that departs an EU airport, whatever the airline's nationality. A United or Delta flight from Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam to the US qualifies. If you reach your destination three hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control, it can owe you up to €600.

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Yes. EU261 looks at the flight, not your passport. Article 3 sets its scope by the departure airport and the operating airline. On a qualifying flight, an American, Canadian or Israeli passenger has the same rights as an EU citizen. That includes compensation of €250 to €600 by distance.

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Not when the flight starts in Dubai. Emirates is not an EU airline, so EU261 does not reach its flights from Dubai into Europe. Nor does UK261 reach its flights into the UK. Emirates flights leaving Europe or the UK do qualify. Booking the return with your outbound changes nothing.

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In general, yes. Norway and Iceland apply EU261 as members of the European Economic Area, and Switzerland applies it through its air transport agreement with the EU. A departure from Oslo, Reykjavík or Zurich counts like an EU departure. Some Swiss airlines have resisted delay claims, so expect pushback.

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Not on a flight that starts in Istanbul. Turkey sits outside the EU, and Turkish Airlines is not an EU airline, so its flights from Istanbul into Europe fall outside EU261. Its flights leaving EU airports qualify, and UK departures fall under UK261. Turkey's own passenger rules are a separate system.

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Israel's Aviation Services Law sets fixed amounts by distance. It pays about ₪1,490 up to 2,000 km, about ₪2,390 for 2,000 to 4,500 km, and about ₪3,580 beyond that. The law ties the figures to the consumer price index, so check the current official amount. A long enough delay counts as a cancellation.

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Israel's Aviation Services Law does not use the EU's three-hour rule. It sets its own, longer delay thresholds. Fixed compensation becomes due only once a delay is long enough to count as a cancellation. Read the current statutory text for your flight date before you claim, because EU logic does not carry across.

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Only on flights that leave Europe. EU261 covers every flight that departs an EU airport, so El Al's Paris to Tel Aviv flight qualifies. El Al's Tel Aviv to Paris flight does not, because El Al is not an EU airline. Israel's Aviation Services Law covers both directions, under its own rules.

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Write to the airline that operated the flight, name the Aviation Services Law, and give the flight, date and what happened. The law covers foreign airlines on flights to and from Israel too. Israeli law gives you four years to claim. The amounts follow the consumer price index, so quote the current official figure.

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Under Canada's APPR, a large airline owes CA$400 for a three to six hour late arrival. It owes CA$700 for six to nine hours and CA$1,000 for nine hours or more. That applies only when the delay was within its control and not required for safety. Small airlines pay less.

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Possibly. Under APPR, a delay within the airline's control but required for safety pays no compensation, so the label matters. You can challenge it. Ask the airline in writing for the specific cause. If you disagree with how it classed the delay, complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency.

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Send a written compensation request to the airline within one year of the disruption. Give your booking, flight number and real arrival time. If the airline refuses or does not answer, you can complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency. That complaint process runs separately from your request to the airline.

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Both rules can reach that flight. EU261 covers every flight leaving an EU airport, on any airline, and APPR covers flights to Canada. Compare them first. On a long flight from Europe landing five hours late, EU261 pays €600, while APPR pays CA$400. The excuses each rule accepts also differ.

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Yes, but only for losses you can prove. The Montreal Convention does not pay a fixed sum like EU261. It lets you claim damage the delay caused, such as a lost hotel night or extra meals. A limit set in Special Drawing Rights caps the claim. The airline escapes liability if it took all reasonable measures.

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No, not on its own. EU261 covers flights departing the EU, and flights into the EU on an EU airline. A flight that both departs and lands outside the EU falls under neither, even when an EU airline operates it. The exception is a leg that is part of one booking that started in the EU.

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UK261. Belfast's airports are in the UK. Every flight departing Belfast falls under the UK rules, whatever the airline, with compensation in pounds. EU261 comes in for the flight back from an EU airport. If you cross the border and fly from Dublin, EU261 covers that departure instead.

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