What is the 261 compensation?

Passengers are only entitled to claim under the law if the delay or cancellation was within the airline's control. EU Reg 261 requires airlines to compensate passengers when flight delays or cancellations result in passengers reaching their final destination more than three hours later than originally scheduled.



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Under EU261 rules, you may be entitled to up to 600 euros (~$630) in compensation if you arrive at your destination four hours late (or more) when flying long-haul, with lower payouts on shorter flights within Europe.

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You'll need to file the claim with the operating airline responsible for the flight delay or cancelation. It can take some time to get a response from an airline, so give it a few weeks to a month or so before following up if you don't get a response.

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Under EU261 rules, you may be entitled to up to 600 euros (~$630) in compensation if you arrive at your destination four hours late (or more) when flying long-haul, with lower payouts on shorter flights within Europe.

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Flights under 1,500 km (932 miles): 250 euro (~$275) if you're delayed by at least two hours. Flights between 1,500 – 3,500 km (932 – 2,175 miles): 400 euro (~$440) if you're delayed by at least three hours. This also applies to any intra-EU flight over 1,500 km.

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You can make an EU261 claim in any of the 27 states of the European Union. Besides these, EC Regulation 261 2004 also covers Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and 9 special member state territories. These territories are also known as the outermost regions of the European Union.

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In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled. Compensation is required by U.S. law only when certain passengers are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold.

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If an airline is not honoring its refund policies or the airline's refund policies seem unfair or deceptive consider suing the airline in small claims court. In small claims court, the judge will be the ultimate decider of whether an airline's refund terms are fair or enforceable.

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Any flight departing from an EU airport is covered. That means if you're flying back home on American, Delta, or United, the EU261 compensation rules will apply just the same as they would if you were flying an EU-based airline like Iberia, Lufthansa, or Air France.

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Send a demand letter to the airline (also known as an airline complaint letter). File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). File a small claims lawsuit against the airline.

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For domestic flights in the U.S., airlines have to pay you 200% of the value of your one-way ticket up to $775 if you arrive at your destination one to two hours past your originally scheduled itinerary or 400% of the one-way ticket price, up to $1,550 if your arrival delay is longer than two hours.

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Significant change In most cases, the airline will offer you the choice between getting a reimbursement or a rerouting on a comparable flight. Note that if the airline offers you a rerouting as an alternative to the schedule change, you do NOT have to accept it if the flight is not to your convenience.

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Some airlines even offer bonuses or discounts if customers are willing to accept the option of rebooking for a later date instead of demanding a refund. And sometimes airlines work for their best interests and not yours. They know perfectly well in when a customer is due a refund but may make it difficult to get one.

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The process is quick and affordable. You may file a lawsuit against an airline in small claims court as long as the amount you intend to sue for is within the small claims court limit (on average $10,000 or less). Up next: Learn more on how to sue an airline in small claims court.

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