Flight Delay — Claim up to €600 Compensation

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, you are entitled to financial compensation when your flight arrives at its final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours.

This was confirmed by the European Court of Justice in the landmark ruling Sturgeon vs Condor (C-402/07) in 2009.

Compensation ranges from €250 to €600, depending on the flight distance. This is a fixed amount per passenger, regardless of the ticket price.

Compensation amounts are fixed in EU Regulation 261/2004 and depend on the flight distance:

• €250 — flights up to 1,500 km
  e.g., Amsterdam → London, Barcelona → Paris
• €400 — flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km
  e.g., Amsterdam → Istanbul, Frankfurt → Malaga
• €600 — flights over 3,500 km
  e.g., Amsterdam → New York, Paris → Bangkok

Airlines do not have to pay compensation if the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided.

Claiming compensation can be a lengthy and frustrating process. Airlines often reject claims citing "extraordinary circumstances." Follow these steps:

1. Keep all documents — boarding pass, booking confirmation, airline communications
2. Document the delay — note the actual arrival time and keep proof
3. Ask for the reason — request the airline to provide the cause in writing
4. Submit your claim — FlyClaim.AI automatically sends a legal demand letter
5. Wait for response — the airline has 6 weeks to respond

The deadline for filing a claim varies by country: