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EU261 & UK261 Compensation, Exact

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EC 261/2004 + UK261 retained lawFixed amounts by distance bandChecked August 2026

Your claim, line by line

The EU261 / UK261 compensation table (2026)

Fixed per-passenger amounts — owed regardless of ticket price, on top of refund or rerouting.

Flight distanceEU261 (€)UK261 (£)
Up to 1,500 km€250£220
1,500–3,500 km€400£350
Over 3,500 km€600£520
Over 3,500 km, arrival 3–4 h late€300 (halved)£260 (halved)
Cancellation, rerouted close to schedule50% of band50% of band

Claiming so it sticks

Common questions

How is flight compensation calculated under EU261?
By distance band, not by what you paid: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km, €600 beyond 3,500 km. UK261 mirrors this in pounds: £220/£350/£520. The airline can halve it for 3–4 hour delays on the longest band, or for cancellations where the reroute lands close to the original schedule.
What counts as extraordinary circumstances?
Events the airline couldn't avoid even with all reasonable measures: severe weather, air-traffic-control strikes, security risks, bird strikes, hidden manufacturing defects. Routine technical faults, crew shortages and 'operational reasons' are NOT extraordinary — courts have said so repeatedly, and airlines still try it on.
How long do I have to claim EU261 compensation?
It follows the limitation period of the country you claim in: 6 years in England and Wales, 5 in Scotland, 3 in Germany, 5 in France, 1 in some others. Old flights are still money — check trips from years back.
Do connecting flights count as one journey?
Yes, if booked on a single ticket: the distance band and the 3-hour test both apply to the final destination. A delayed first leg that makes you miss the connection is judged at arrival, wherever the delay physically happened.
Does the airline owe me food and a hotel on top of compensation?
Yes — the duty of care is separate from the fixed payment. From 2 hours (short flights) they owe meals and refreshments; overnight, a hotel plus transfers. Keep receipts: care costs are refundable even when the fixed compensation isn't triggered.

How we calculate

What is included

The fixed compensation bands of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and its UK-retained twin: coverage by route and carrier, the 3-hour arrival test, distance bands, the 50% reductions, denied boarding, and the separate duty of care. Amounts per passenger: €250/400/600 and £220/350/520.

Sources: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 · UK CAA on delays & cancellations.

What is estimated or left out

Extraordinary-circumstance disputes can't be adjudicated by a calculator — the page shows what the law owes if the defence fails. Reroute-reduction windows differ slightly by band; the page uses the common 50% rule and says so. Limitation periods vary by country; the UK figures are shown. Court rulings (e.g. on hidden defects) keep moving the lines — checked August 2026.

The formula, in plain words
covered → departing EU/UK (any airline) or arriving on EU/UK carrier band → ≤1,500 km: 250/220 · ≤3,500 km: 400/350 · >3,500 km: 600/520 delay test → 3+ hours late at final arrival (door open) halved → 3–4 h on 3,500 km+ · or cancellation with close reroute care → meals from 2 h · hotel + transfers if overnight — always owed claim → airline's own form · free · up to 6 years back in England

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