EU flight cancellation compensation

Flight cancellations happen a lot.

And one day it may happen to you as well.

Sometimes flights get cancelled because of technical problems, other times - because of natural disasters, and there are many more reasons why flights get cancelled. Whenever that happens and it’s the airline’s fault, you may be entitled to flight cancellation compensation up to €600 per passenger.

This applies to most flights to and from Europe.

Check compensation online.

EU flight cancellation compensation

First things first.

In most situations everyone should be able to get some sort of compensation for flight cancellation, when a flight gets cancelled due to the airline’s fault.

Here we will talk about EU flight cancellation compensation.

This is the compensation you can get even when the airline has already given you a full refund for your cancelled flight or you’ve been taken to your destination. Because that's the rules in the European Union - you can get both a flight or refund and compensation.

The rules are as following.

If you are notified of the cancellation between 7 - 14 days before the scheduled time of departure:

• You choose a new flight offered by your airline, which departs not more than 2 hours before the original departure time and you reach your destination less than 4 hours after the original arrival time. In this situation you are not entitled to compensation.
• In other situations you are entitled to compensation.

If you are notified of the cancellation less than 7 days before the scheduled time of departure:

• You choose a new flight offered by your airline, which departs not more than 1 hour before the original departure time and you reach your destination less than 2 hours after the original arrival time. In this situation you are not entitled to compensation.
• In other situations you are entitled to compensation.

As you can see, sometimes even a 2 hour flight delay is enough for you to be entitled to EU flight compensation. That's why it's so important to pay attention to these details.

Other things to take into account

• You must be flying to or from Europe.
• If your flight is with a European airline, these rules apply to all flights to and from Europe.
• If you're flying with a non-EU airline, it applies only to flights departing from Europe.
• You don’t have to be a citizen of the European Union to be entitled to European flight cancellation compensation. Because these rules apply also to tourists from overseas travelling in Europe.
• This applies also to charter airlines.
• It must be your airline's fault.

Situations such as natural disasters, airport staff strikes and everything else that is outside of the airline’s control are called “extraordinary circumstances” and are exempt from compensation. You can't get EU flight cancellation compensation in these situations. But you should remember, that not all airport strikes are the same -- in some situations you will be entitled to compensation.

Even in the worst cases you still have the right to care.

Maybe your flight got cancelled at the very last minute.

Or you were informed about the cancellation a week in advance.

In both situations you may be entitled to compensation.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for compensation or not, fill in our claim form, upload your boarding pass or ticket, and we'll take it from there. If we find out that you aren’t eligible for compensation, it will cost you nothing.

To learn more about flight cancellation compensation, see the EU flight compensation regulation 261/2004 (EC 261). But be prepared that it’s gonna be a long read, and not an easy one.

Am I entitled to compensation for a cancelled flight?

Can you claim compensation for cancelled flight?

If your flight falls under the above mentioned description - yes.

Yes, you might be entitled to compensation.

But you still have to file a claim.

If you do nothing, in 99% of situations you'll get nothing.

EU flight cancellation compensation: How much? How to claim it?

But how much can you claim?

The amount of compensation is based on the distance of your flight.

However, it’s not affected by the price of the flight or airline you are flying with.

You can, for example, get a €250 compensation even if your flight cost only €25. And your Wizz Air flight cancellation compensation is going to be the same as your friend’s BA flight cancellation compensation. That's assuming that both of you’re flying on the same route, the distance was the same, your flights got cancelled due to the same or similar reasons that are within the airline’s control and you were notified about the flight cancellation only 2 weeks or less before the scheduled date of departure.

All thanks to Europe's Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004.

How much can you claim for a cancelled flight?

So how much exactly is your claim worth?

Mostly the answer will be one of these: €250, €400 or €600.

Here is how you can calculate it.

When your destination is within the European Union:

• €250 - if the distance of your flight is up to 1500 kilometres;
• €400 - if the distance of your flight is more than 1500 kilometres.

When your destination is outside the European Union:

• €250 - if the distance of your flight is up to 1500 kilometres;
• €400 - if the distance of your flight is between 1500 - 3500 kilometres;
• €600 - if the distance of your flight is more than 3500 kilometres.

The rules are the same for all passengers. No matter the age, nationality, airline, price of the ticket or travel insurance. Your under 2 years old can receive full flight compensation, too.

Exception. When the distance of your flight is 3500 kilometres or more and you reach your destination with a delay between 3 - 4 hours, you will be entitled to compensation of €300. That’s in case you agree to alternative flight offered by the airline. If you take a refund - you'll be entitled to €600.

How to claim compensation for a cancelled flight?

One of the options is to contact the airline directly.

In a perfect world you would send an email or two to your airline and receive compensation soon afterwards. Unfourtunately mostly it's way more difficult. Because airlines don’t want to pay. They most probably will offer you compensation in the form of vouchers or discount codes. So, you also never know how long is it going to take.

Another option - to seek legal representation.

To put it simply, ask someone more experienced to do it on your behalf.

Sounds difficult and expensive? It isn't.

When working with us, here is all you will have to do:

1. Go to this page;
2. Fill in the details about yourself and your flight cancellation;
3. Upload your boarding pass and passport copy;
4. Sign the claim online.

And that’s it.

You file a claim for cancelled flight. We do the rest.

If we'll need anything else, we'll contact you via e-mail.

When we are done we’ll ask you to provide your bank account details, so we can send you your funds by bank transfer. As easy as that.

Why work with Refundor?

Because it makes things a lot easier.

Here is how:

1. It saves your time. In most of the situations all you have to do is to submit your information once and… wait for the money. That’s it. No paperwork. No need to negotiate anything.
2. It saves your money. Would you sooner or later decide to search for legal advice to make a claim against the airline, you’ll have to cover all the related expanses yourself. How much does it cost? It depends from a lot of factors. But with us you pay only €25 + 25% of the amount of the compensation. No administration fees or tax expenses. You know exactly what you are paying. No upfront fees.
3. It's zero risk for you. It will cost you nothing, if we're unable to collect your compensation for some reason. No win, no fees.

Let’s work together! Click here, enter all the information asked, all of what you can find on your boarding pass and flight ticket. And we’ll get the ball rolling.

When we finish the job, you’ll just tell us your bank account details.

And we’ll make the money transfer.

Deal?

Flight cancellations due to extraordinary circumstances

Extreme weather conditions.

Airport employee strikes or national strikes.

Or a global pandemic after all, as we see now in 2020.

All kind of unexpected things happen, have happened and will happen. And there are a few things you need to remember about these kind of situations, when a flight or flights get cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. And when it isn't your airline's fault.

First of all, the airline should handle this. The rules are very specific.

According to the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004:

• if your flight is cancelled,
• the airline should offer you either a new flight or a full refund.

The refund should be paid within 7 days to your bank account.

You don't have to accept coupons if you don't want to.

In Europe you also have the right to care.

So, yes, even if your flight is cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances, you are still protected by the laws of the European Union.

Claiming compensation for a cancelled flight: Frequently asked questions

1. How long does it take?

On average it takes 2-3 months, sometimes - more.

But you can rest assured, because we do finish every case we start, and whenever there will be any news regarding your claim we will let you know. And if you'll have questions during the process, you can always contact our customer support team via e-mail.

Why does it take so long?

Because there are no strict regulations regarding that.

Because no one has told airlines how quickly they should respond to such claims. So, yes, it may take a while. Depending on the time of the year, airline and, of course, the number of other people doing the same at the same time, or in other words - how busy the airline is at that particular time.

Speaking of the factors we can control, to achieve the best and fastest results at Refundor we use computer system that allows us to automate one big part of the process. Meaning that your claim can be processed much faster than if the whole process would be done by a human.

2. How much does it cost?

We pursue your compensation for a €25 + 25% fee.

No hidden administration fees or tax expenses. No upfront fees.

For example, if we'll win a 400 EUR compensation for you, we will transfer you 275 EUR and keep 125 EUR for our services.

At the same time it will cost you nothing, if we're unable to collect your compensation for some reason, if the airline goes bankrupt or if it turns out you aren't entitled to it. No win, no fees.

3. How far back can I claim cancelled flight compensation?

It varies from country to country.

There is no one answer to the question how far back can you claim for flight cancellations. It depends from the local laws of the country your flight is from.

Mostly it’s at least 2-3 years, sometimes - less.

4. What if you can’t get my compensation?

It’s a possibility.

As already mentioned, it will cost you nothing. No matter the reason.

Step by step: What to do if your flight is cancelled?

Unfortunately, but flight cancellations happen more or less every day.

So even if you don’t fly too often it’s still likely that sooner or later you are going to experience flight cancellation yourself. What happens if flight is cancelled? And what should you do next?

Follow these steps.

1. Don’t stress over it. Flight cancellations happen. It’s just how it is.
2. Where are you right now? If you are already at the airport - go and talk with a representative of your airline, ask at the airport information desk or wait for the announcement. If you are still at home - stay there before you find out what’s going to happen next.
3. Listen to what your airline is saying. Whenever there is a flight cancellation, it’s your airline’s responsibility to inform you about it. Read that email or listen to that announcement carefully, so you know what to do next. Get in touch with the airline if you aren’t sure about something.
4. Know your rights. As long as the cancellation is the airline’s fault (including technical problems) you must be offered a choice between a new flight at the earliest opportunity, a new flight at a later date or a full refund. You can also claim for flight cancellation compensation, if it's airline's fault. Even if it isn't fault of the airline, you should still be given a choice between a new flight or full refund.
5. Make a decision. See what exactly is your airline offering and make a choice. Choose what suites you the best.

What else you should know:

1. Do you have a next flight that you can’t miss? If it’s a connecting flight, and because of this cancellation you are going to miss the next flight, don’t worry, because the airline will take care of that and most probably will put you on another flight for free. If, however, you have a very strict schedule, look for an alternative flight or flights to your destination. And if you decide so book a new flight. Note that two or more separately booked flights isn’t a connecting flight, but a self transfer flight.
2. After 3 hours. If you have to wait for more than 3 hours the airline must provide you with free meal and drink plus two free phone calls, two e-mails or faxes. In Europe that's called the right to care. All passengers have the right to care.
3. An overnight delay. In case of an overnight delay, when you choose a flight offered by your airline that’s going to leave only on the next day, the airline must provide you with free hotel accomodation and transport to and from it. That's a part of the above mentioned right to care.

How to get a free meal and drink?

What about free hotel if it’s going to be an overnight delay?

Wait for the announcement from your airline or head over to their information booth at the airport and they will help you. They should help you.

Read more: What to do if your flight is cancelled?

Submit your claim for flight cancellation compensation now.

Have you ever had your flight delayed? Learn more about EU flight delay compensation, and what are your rights in these situations.

In short - often you can get both a new flight (if necessary), which can be another flight operated by your airline or you may be offered to fly with another airline at no extra cost to you, and - if you reach your destionation 3 or more hours later than planned - you an also claim for compensation.

Has something like this happened to you recently or during the last 3 years?

Submit your claim for airline compensation now.

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By Europe and EU we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin, the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.