EU261: the €250–€600 rule, explained straight.

If your flight departed the EU — or arrived there on an EU airline — and you reached your destination 3+ hours late for reasons within the airline's control, EU law owes you fixed cash compensation. No percentage taken by anyone, if you file yourself.

The amounts

Cash compensation starts at a 3-hour arrival delay. On flights over 3,500 km, a 3–4 hour delay pays half (€300). Cancellation and denied boarding use the same bands.

Who EU261 covers

Any flight departing the EU/EEA or Switzerland, on any airline — and any flight arriving in the EU on an EU airline. Distance is measured on the full journey, including connections booked on one ticket, and the delay that counts is your arrival at the final destination.

The escape hatch: "extraordinary circumstances"

Airlines don't pay when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances — severe weather, air-traffic control restrictions, security events — that reasonable measures couldn't have avoided. Crew shortages, most technical faults and late inbound aircraft from the airline's own network are not extraordinary; courts have said so for years. If the airline invokes it, they carry the burden of proof.

How to claim

1. Claim with the airline first, in writing: flight, date, arrival delay, and the € amount for your distance band.
2. Keep your boarding pass and the delay/cancellation notice — they are your evidence.
3. No payment or a brush-off? Escalate to the National Enforcement Body — of the departure country for EU departures, or the arrival country when you flew into the EU from outside it.
4. Deadlines vary by country (often 2–6 years) — file promptly rather than testing the limit.

Separate from compensation, a cancellation always gives you the choice of a refund or rebooking, and long waits trigger a right to meals, communication and a hotel — whatever the cause.

Information only, not legal advice. Amounts are the statutory figures; the disruption's cause decides real cases. Delay Wages is not affiliated with any airline or regulator.