Flight delayed? Now what?!
Delayed flights are never fun. Whether you have to entertain your tired and hungry children, miss an important meeting or precious holiday moments, at EUclaim we know that every moment counts! If your flight is delayed, you have rights as a passenger under EU regulation 261/2004. Below is an overview of your entitlements when your flight is delayed.
Vouchers for refreshments
When your flight delay exceeds two hours you are entitled to vouchers for food and drinks. Often the airline will offer vouchers for this, but if they don’t you can purchase refreshments yourself and reclaim the costs from the airline. Always keep your receipts! If the delay is substantial enough you are also entitled to a hotel room. Your rights regarding refreshments are covered in the treaty of Montreal and apply even when your flight is delayed due to extraordinary circumstances.
Compensation when your flight is delayed
When your arrival delay exceeds three hours you are entitled to financial compensation. The amount of compensation is determined by the distance of your flight. Flights up to 1500 km equal €250, flights between 1500 and 3500 km equal €400 and flights exceeding 3500 km equal €600 in compensation. Delays on flights over 3500 km arriving with a delay between three and four hours equal 50 % of the compensation: €300. You are not entitled to compensation when your flight is delayed due to extraordinary circumstances, such as poor weather conditions.
Example: You are flying from London to Amsterdam and your flight has been delayed by four hours due to a technical defect. You arrive in Amsterdam 3,5 hours later than planned. In this case you are entitled to a compensation of €250. If you fly from London to New York and you arrive with a delay of more than 4 hours this could add up to €600 per person!
What is an extraordinary circumstance?
When your flight is delayed due to an extraordinary circumstance you are not entitled to compensation. Examples of such are poor weather conditions, strikes, emergency landings and terrorism. Airlines often unfairly appeal to extraordinary circumstances. That is why we developed a claim calculator that provides you with precise and instant advice regarding your entitlements.
Example: You are flying from London to Malaga for a sunny vacation with your family. The flight is delayed by two hours because of fog in London. You arrive in Malaga 1,5 hours later than planned. In this case you are not entitled to compensation because of two reasons: The delay did not exceed three hours and the flight was delayed due to fog, which is an extraordinary circumstance.
Flight delayed? Check your rights!
If your flight is delayed, EUclaim can help you receive the compensation that you are entitled to. Submit your flight details using the calculator on our website and we will give you free and instant advice on your rights! We take care of all the hassle so that you can enjoy the moments that are important.
EUclaim has been helping passengers for 10 years
Since 2007 EUclaim has committed itself for the rights of airline passengers. By keeping close ties with the European Union in Brussels and developing our own database, we help more passengers every year claim the compensation they are entitled to. EUclaim is active in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. If you need help claiming compensation we are here to help!
