How to Claim EU261 Flight Delay Compensation

Step 1. Check if you're eligible

EU Regulation 261/2004 applies if all of the following are true:

• ✅ Your flight departed from an EU/EEA airport, or it arrived at an EU/EEA airport and was operated by an EU carrier
• ✅ Your flight arrived at its final destination 3 or more hours late
• ✅ The delay was caused by something within the airline's control (not severe weather or ATC strike)
• ✅ You have a confirmed booking and checked in on time

Not sure? Use Clairo's free check — it takes 60 seconds.

Step 2. Know how much you can claim

The compensation amount is fixed by law and based on flight distance:

• 🛫 Under 1,500 km — €250 per passenger
• 🛫 1,500–3,500 km — €400 per passenger
• 🛫 Over 3,500 km — €600 per passenger

Clairo caps its estimate at €400 when both ends of the route are EU/EEA/UK airports, mirroring the intra-Community cap in Article 7(1)(b); it only estimates €600 where one end lies outside that area. Long UK–EU routes sit at the edge of that cap, so treat the figure as an estimate and check the position for your route.

The amount is per person, so a family of four claiming in the €600 band could be owed €2,400 between them.

Note: if the airline offered a rerouting that reduced your delay, compensation may be reduced by 50%.

Step 3. Gather your documents

You'll need:

• 📄 Booking confirmation (PNR/booking reference)
• 📄 Boarding pass (physical or digital — shows actual departure)
• 📄 Proof of delay — screenshot of flight tracker, airline notification SMS/email, or gate screen photo
• 📄 Proof of final arrival time (if connecting flight — your arrival time at the final destination)

If you are missing something, ask the operating airline in writing for its record of the flight and the reason for the disruption.

Step 4. Submit your claim to the airline

Check the operating airline's official website for its compensation or complaint process. A submission may ask for:

• • Flight number and date
• • Departure and arrival airports
• • Actual arrival time (how late you were)
• • Number of passengers claiming
• • Your bank details for payment

Keep a record of your submission date and check the airline's published response process. Applicable complaint deadlines and next steps vary.

Step 5. What to do if the airline refuses

If an airline rejects a claim citing “extraordinary circumstances,” ask for the specific event and evidence. Statements that may require closer review include:

• • A technical fault described as extraordinary — EU case law treats faults inherent in normal aircraft operation as within the airline's control, unless the fault stems from an outside event such as a hidden manufacturing defect or sabotage
• • A crew shortage or duty-time breach described as extraordinary — rostering is generally treated as an operational matter for the airline, though the specific facts still decide the case
• • A refusal with no named event and no supporting evidence

If refused, escalate to your country's National Enforcement Body (NEB):

• 🇬🇧 UK — CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)
• 🇩🇪 Germany — Luftfahrt-Bundesamt
• 🇫🇷 France — DGAC
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands — ILT
• 🇪🇸 Spain — AESA
• 🇮🇱 Israel — CAAI

Clairo provides an initial eligibility check. You remain responsible for submitting and following up on a claim.

Time limits

EU261 does not set a single deadline. The limitation period comes from the national law that governs your claim, so it varies between countries and can also turn on the facts — when the period starts running, whether the airline has already rejected the claim, and which court or body you would use.

Because these periods change and are easy to get wrong, check the current figure for your departure country against official guidance — your National Enforcement Body from the list above is the place to start. Do not rely on a general figure quoted second-hand.

Claiming earlier is easier either way, because documentation is simpler to gather close to the flight date.