Everything you need to know about cancelled flight compensation with Delayed!

A cancelled flight can seriously disrupt travel plans, whether for a holiday or a business trip. Fortunately, Regulation EC No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union provides for the reimbursement and/or compensation of cancelled flights to or from an EU member state, depending on the circumstances.

Flight compensation is precisely our area of expertise at Delayed. We invite you to explore our services for a simplified and fully digital process for your compensation claim for a cancelled flight within the last 3 years. Up to €600 in compensation may be waiting for you. To find out, use our online platform now.

Claim compensation for a cancelled flight

Compensation and refund for a cancelled flight: what's the difference? 

To better understand your rights as an air passenger and ensure they are respected, it's important to know the difference between a refund and compensation for a cancelled flight. A refund is related to the purchase price of your plane ticket. Compensation, on the other hand, is a fixed amount determined by the flight distance between the departure and arrival airports. This amount is €250 for flights of 1500 km or less, €400 for flights between 1500 and 3500 km, and €600 for flights over 3500 km. The fixed compensation is intended to remedy the inconvenience caused, in this case, the cancellation of a flight.

Refunds and compensation can be combined in the event of a cancelled or overbooked flight. At Delayed, we do not handle refund requests. However, our online platform allows you to check the eligibility of your compensation claim for free for any cancelled, delayed, or overbooked flight within the last 3 years. You can then entrust us with managing your compensation claim and avoid the stress of administrative procedures. Our team will verify the compliance of your supporting documents and send them to the relevant authorities. Additionally, we cover all legal fees related to your compensation claim: a fixed commission of 25% will only be charged if your claim is successful.

Simplicity and efficiency define our compensation assistance services for air passengers. As a Delayed client, you will have a dedicated contact within our team who will proactively follow up on your compensation claim for a cancelled, delayed, or overbooked flight. Your dedicated advisor will keep you informed in real-time about the progress of your claim, through the communication channel of your choice. Risk-free guarantee, our compensation claim process for a cancelled, delayed, or overbooked flight ensures you always come out on top.

Passenger at the airport in front of the display board sees their flight cancelled

How to be eligible for compensation for a cancelled flight? 

Within the European Union, compensation for delayed, cancelled, and overbooked flights is strictly regulated by Regulation EC No 261/2004. A cancelled flight is only eligible for compensation if its departure airport is located within the European Union, regardless of the airline operating the flight, or if its arrival airport is within the European Union and the airline's headquarters are also located within the European Union. Regulation EC No 261/2004 also covers member countries of the European Economic Area that are not EU members, namely Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. The nationality of passengers does not affect compensation for cancelled, delayed, or overbooked flights.

Regulation EC No 261/2004 holds airlines financially responsible for cancelled flights, unless the cancellation is due to circumstances entirely beyond their control. Thus, technical issues, excluding manufacturing defects, or operational problems, such as staff shortages within an airline, entitle passengers to fixed compensation if they are responsible for the flight cancellation.

However, compensation for a cancelled flight is not applicable if the airline informs passengers of the cancellation more than 14 days before the departure date. If the information is provided less than 14 days before departure, Regulation EC No 261/2004 considers that passengers lack sufficient time to reorganise their travel plans and requires airlines to pay fixed compensation as a remedy.

Thus, a flight cancellation obliges your airline to offer you an alternative flight or to fully refund the purchase price of your plane ticket. If you choose to be rerouted, the amount of your fixed compensation is calculated based on the flight distance and your delay upon arrival compared to the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, up to a limit of €600 per traveller.

Compensation per passenger for a cancelled flight with an alternative flight offer:

 Distance / DelayLess than 2hBetween 2 and 3hBetween 3 and 4h+ than 4h or never arrived
Less than 1500km125 €250 €250 €250 €
EU and more than 1500km200 €200 €400 €400 €
Outside EU between 1500 and 3500km200 €200 €400 €400 €
Outside EU more than 3500 km300 €300 €300 €600 €

However, no compensation for a cancelled flight is due if your airline offers you rerouting that meets the following criteria: 

  •  For a flight cancelled between 7 to 13 days before the departure date: your airline offers you a replacement flight that departs no more than 2 hours before the original flight and arrives at the destination less than 4 hours after the original flight.
  •  For a flight cancelled less than 7 days before the departure date: your airline offers you a replacement flight that departs no more than 1 hour before the original flight and arrives at the destination less than 2 hours after the original flight.
  •  If you choose to be refunded for your flight cancelled less than 14 days before the departure date, the amount of your fixed compensation depends solely on the initially planned flight distance for the cancelled flight, up to €600 per traveller.
Air passenger with their plane ticket for a cancelled flight

What circumstances do not entitle you to compensation for a cancelled flight?

Various so-called “extraordinary” circumstances indeed exempt airlines from compensating their passengers for a cancelled flight. These circumstances include extreme and difficult weather conditions, partial or total air traffic restrictions, security risks, medical emergencies, bird strikes, health crises, etc. Furthermore, strikes by airport staff, such as baggage handlers, air traffic controllers, or security agents, are also considered extraordinary circumstances and do not allow for a fixed compensation claim, even if they result in a flight cancellation or delay. However, it is possible to obtain compensation for a flight cancelled due to a strike by the airline's cabin crew or engineers.

For compensation not to be owed to passengers, airlines must prove that they took necessary measures, as far as possible, to address this exceptional situation. Otherwise, passengers are entitled to claim compensation for their cancelled flight.

List of exceptional circumstances for a cancelled flight and their eligibility for compensation:

  • Technical problem with the aircraft
  •  Airline staff strike
  •  Extreme and difficult weather conditions
  •  External strike (airport staff, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers, etc.)
  •  Partial or total air traffic restrictions
  •  Malfunction of airport equipment (radar, etc.)
  •  Medical emergencies
  •  Political unrest
  • Security risks
  •  Bird strike
  •  Health crisis
Technician on the tarmac in front of an aircraft that caused a flight cancellation due to a technical problem

How to make a compensation claim for a cancelled flight? 

Have you experienced a flight cancellation in the last 3 years? Gather all travel documents related to this cancelled flight, as they will serve as evidence to support your compensation claim with Delayed.

Next time, enforce your rights! If one of your future flights is unexpectedly cancelled, don't hesitate to ask your airline to cover your meals and drinks, or even book you a hotel room if your alternative flight is scheduled for the next day. Beyond compensation and refunds for cancelled flights, Regulation EC No 261/2004 also provides for the assistance of air passengers.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Straightforward answers to help you understand your rights and prepare your claim.

What are my passenger rights if a flight is cancelled?

If your flight is cancelled, the airline must let you choose between a ticket refund and re-routing to your final destination, either at the earliest opportunity or later, subject to seat availability. While you wait, it must also provide meals, refreshments and, when necessary, accommodation and transfers.

Flat-rate compensation of €250, €400 or €600 may also be payable when EU rules apply, depending on the notice given, the replacement flight offered and the cause of the cancellation. Extraordinary circumstances may exclude compensation, but do not automatically remove the rights to a refund, re-routing or care. Read the European Union’s official passenger-rights guidance.

How can I prove that I am eligible for compensation?

First, show that your booking relates to the cancelled flight: keep the confirmation, flight number and date, the cancellation notice and any replacement itinerary. When you were informed and the times of the alternative flight are particularly important.

Keep any explanation given for the cancellation as well. The airline must prove that it informed you in time or that unavoidable extraordinary circumstances justify refusing compensation. Screenshots from your account and written correspondence make the facts easier to verify.

What can you claim when your flight is cancelled?

You may claim several separate remedies: a ticket refund if you abandon the journey, re-routing if you still want to travel, reimbursement of reasonable expenses when care was not provided and, when the conditions are met, EU flat-rate compensation.

Compensation is calculated per passenger and by distance: €250, €400 or €600. It is unrelated to the ticket price and is not automatic, particularly if you received sufficient notice, were offered a replacement close to the original schedule or the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.

Which documents do I need to make a claim?

Gather your booking confirmation, e-ticket, boarding pass if one was issued, cancellation notice and the replacement times offered. Only provide an identity document if it is genuinely requested through the airline’s or representative’s secure channel.

Also keep itemised receipts for meals, accommodation and transport paid for while waiting, along with written correspondence. Not every document is always essential, but a consistent, dated file prevents lengthy requests for missing information.

Do I need travel insurance if my flight is cancelled?

No. Rights under EU rules are exercised directly against the airline and do not depend on travel insurance or on the bank card used to buy the ticket.

Insurance may separately cover losses outside the regulation, such as certain accommodation costs or missed events, depending on your policy. Do not seek reimbursement twice for the same expense, and keep the evidence sent to each organisation.

Can I claim a refund for separate tickets if my outbound flight is cancelled?

As a rule, when outbound and return flights were bought separately from different airlines, only the cancelled booking must be refunded. The other ticket keeps its own fare conditions even if the trip is no longer useful to you.

If both flights are on one booking, even with different carriers, cancellation of the outbound flight may instead give you a choice between a refund of the entire return ticket and re-routing for the outbound journey. Check the booking reference and the contractual seller.

Can an airline rebook you on another carrier after cancelling your flight?

Yes. Re-routing must be offered under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity, so it may use another airline when that gets you to the destination sooner. The carrier cannot simply impose a refund when you have chosen an available re-routing option.

Before buying a new ticket yourself, request a written solution and give the airline a reasonable opportunity to act. If it fails to meet its obligation, keep its replies, evidence of comparable available flights and the replacement invoice.

Cancelled-flight compensation is delayed: what can I do next?

Follow up with the airline in writing, quoting the case reference, the date of your first claim and the documents already supplied. Ask for a reasoned response and keep a record of every exchange.

If there is no reply within two months, or the reply is unsatisfactory, you can complain to the relevant national authority where the incident occurred and then consider mediation or an appropriate court procedure. A delay does not require you to accept a voucher instead of money that is due unless you choose to do so.

How does Delayed’s no-win, no-fee service work for cancelled-flight claims?

With Delayed, you pay nothing upfront: a fee is deducted only if compensation is actually recovered. If the claim is unsuccessful, no handling commission is due.

The commission is 25% when the case succeeds without court action. If legal proceedings become necessary, an additional 15% applies only if the case succeeds. The amount and mandate are shown before signature; ticket refunds and reimbursed expenses remain separate from flat-rate compensation.