Route compensation guides
The distance of your route sets what a disrupted flight is worth: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond. The great-circle distance to your final destination counts, not the fare you paid. Each guide gives the band, the usual disruption pattern and the claim path for one popular route.
Neither the fare you paid nor the class you sat in changes the amount. Only the distance of the route does, and these route compensation guides work it out for each pair.
How do flight distance bands set the amount?
The distance runs great-circle from departure to final destination, not along the path actually flown. The whole journey on one booking counts, not the leg that went wrong. A Dublin–Dubai trip delayed on the Dublin–London leg is a long-haul claim, because Dubai is the destination.
Two adjustments are worth knowing. Every flight inside the EU over 1,500 km sits in the €400 band, whatever its length. And if rerouting kept your arrival within two, three or four hours of schedule, by band, Article 7(2) lets the airline halve the payment. Route distance compensation is otherwise fixed and non-negotiable.
| Route distance | Compensation per passenger | Article 7(2): may be halved if rerouting delays arrival by no more than |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km, and any flight inside the EU over 1,500 km | €400 | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | 4 hours |
The compensation calculator finds the band for any pair of airports, and the free flight check tests your own flight. The airline compensation guides cover how each carrier on a route handles the claim.
Which route compensation guides are available, A to Z?
Amsterdam to London Flight Delay and Cancellation
Delayed from Amsterdam to London? EU261 can pay €250 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a single fixed €39 success fee, charged only if we win.
Read guideAmsterdam to New York Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed Amsterdam to New York flight can be worth €600 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only after we recover.
Read guideBarcelona to London Flight Delay and Cancellation
Delayed from Barcelona to London? EU261 can pay €250 per passenger. Free eligibility check and one fixed €39 success fee, charged only if we recover.
Read guideDublin to London Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Dublin to London flight can be worth €250 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only after we recover money.
Read guideDublin to Malaga Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Dublin to Malaga flight can be worth €400 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only after we recover for you.
Read guideFrankfurt to New York Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed Frankfurt to New York flight can be worth €600 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover.
Read guideLondon to Amsterdam Flight Delay and Cancellation
Delayed from London to Amsterdam? UK261 can pay £220 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a single fixed €39 fee, charged only if your claim wins.
Read guideLondon to Athens Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed London to Athens flight can be worth £350 or €400 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee charged only if your claim wins.
Read guideLondon to Barcelona Flight Delay and Cancellation
Delayed from London to Barcelona? UK261 can pay £220 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a single fixed €39 fee charged only if your claim wins.
Read guideLondon to Dubai Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed London to Dubai flight can be worth £520 per passenger under UK261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only after we recover for you.
Read guideLondon to Dublin Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed London to Dublin flight can be worth £220 per passenger under UK261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover money.
Read guideLondon to Frankfurt Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed London to Frankfurt flight can be worth £220 or €250 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover money.
Read guideLondon to Istanbul Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed London to Istanbul flight can be worth £350 per passenger under UK261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover money.
Read guideLondon to Lisbon Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed London to Lisbon flight can be worth £350 or €400 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only if we recover for you.
Read guideLondon to New York Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed London to New York flight can be worth £520 or €600 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only if we recover for you.
Read guideLondon to Paris Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed London to Paris flight can be worth £220 or €250 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only if we recover for you.
Read guideMadrid to London Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
Delayed from Madrid to London? EU261 can pay €250 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a single fixed €39 fee, charged only if your claim wins.
Read guideManchester to Alicante Flight Delay and Cancellation
A delayed Manchester to Alicante flight can be worth £350 or €400 per passenger. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover money.
Read guideMunich to London Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Munich to London flight can be worth €250 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only when we recover money.
Read guideParis to New York Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Paris to New York flight can be worth €600 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee only after we recover.
Read guideParis to Rome Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Paris to Rome flight can be worth €250 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee charged only if your claim wins.
Read guideRome to London Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation
A delayed Rome to London flight can be worth €250 per passenger under EU261. Free eligibility check and a fixed €39 fee charged only if your claim wins.
Read guide
What do passengers ask about route compensation?
How is the distance for compensation measured?
Great-circle distance between your departure airport and your final destination, in a straight line rather than along the flight path. On a multi-leg booking it is measured end to end, not leg by leg.
My connection went wrong, not the long leg. Which distance counts?
The whole journey, provided it was one booking. The compensation follows the distance to your final destination and how late you arrived there, not which segment caused the problem.
Can the airline pay half?
On some routes, yes. Article 7(2) allows a 50% reduction where rerouting got you to your destination within a limited extra time — two hours on short routes, three on medium, four on long-haul.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — the regulation itself, in every EU language
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — passenger rights — the UK regulator's own guidance and complaint route