EU Regulation (EC) 261/2004 gives you the right to fixed compensation when the airline is responsible for a major disruption.
If these three are true, you likely qualify.
Departing from the EU/EEA/Switzerland, or arriving there on an EU/EEA/Swiss carrier.
Arrival delay of 3+ hours, a short-notice cancellation, or denied boarding.
Not caused by extraordinary circumstances like severe weather or ATC restrictions.
Flying from or to the UK?
UK departures and UK carriers are covered under UK261, a parallel rule to EU261.
Plain-English overview of the rule and who it covers
EU Regulation (EC) 261/2004, in force since 2005, sets passenger rights. If an airline is responsible for a long delay, cancellation, or denied boarding, you can claim fixed compensation without proving financial loss.
Applies to flights departing the EU/EEA/Switzerland or arriving there on an EU/EEA/Swiss carrier. UK departures or UK carriers fall under UK261.
Ticket price does not affect compensation
Points tickets are covered, too. Only free or reduced fares not available to the public (like staff travel) are excluded.
Here's a simple breakdown of which flights qualify
Three situations where airlines owe you money
Arrived more than 3 hours after schedule? The arrival time counts, not the takeoff time.
If the airline cancels your flight and tells you less than 14 days before departure, you can claim unless the rerouting offered gets you there close to the original time.
Showed up on time with a valid booking but got bumped due to overbooking? You can claim.
The amount depends on your flight distance
Everyone on your booking gets paid
Each passenger gets their own compensation. Amounts are fixed by distance and can be reduced by 50% if you were rerouted and arrived within the allowed time window.
There are some situations where airlines are off the hook - but fewer than they'd like you to think
Airlines often blame "technical issues"
Most technical problems are not extraordinary circumstances. If the issue was within the airline's control, compensation is still owed.
Don't worry - you probably have everything already
These are the only things you really need
Booking Confirmation
The email you got when you booked. It has your booking reference (usually 6 letters/numbers like ABC123).
Boarding Pass
Paper or digital - either works. This proves you actually checked in for the flight.
These can speed things up, but don't worry if you don't have them
Delay Certificate
Some airlines hand these out at the airport. If you have one, great. If not, we can prove the delay ourselves.
Airline Communications
Any emails or texts from the airline about the delay or cancellation. Screenshots work fine.
Expense Receipts
Only if you want to claim extra costs like meals or hotels. Keep these separate from the main compensation.
Lost your boarding pass?
No problem. Check your email - most airlines send digital boarding passes. You can also log into the airline's website or app to find past bookings. If all else fails, we can often work with just your booking confirmation.
Good news: you might be able to claim for flights from years ago
The stuff everyone wants to know
It takes a few minutes to submit. We handle the rest.
Tell us your route and disruption to see if EU261 likely applies.
Share your booking confirmation and boarding pass (or whatever you have).
We contact the airline, manage follow-ups, and only charge if we win.
Find out in 2 minutes if you're owed money. It's free to check.
No win, no fee - you only pay if we get you compensated
