Cancelled flight: claim up to €600 in compensation
Has your flight been cancelled by the airline? Depending on your route, when you were informed and the circumstances of the cancellation, you may be entitled to a refund, rerouting and compensation of up to €600.
Compensation is subject to conditions, particularly those set out in European Regulation EC 261/2004.
What are your rights when your flight is cancelled?
A flight cancellation can seriously disrupt your journey, but the airline cannot simply leave you without a solution. It must generally offer you a choice between a refund for your ticket and rerouting to your final destination.
You may also be entitled to assistance while waiting and, in certain situations, financial compensation of up to €600 per passenger. These rights depend on factors including your route, the notice you received and the reason for the cancellation.
A ticket refund and financial compensation are two separate rights. Receiving a refund for your ticket does not automatically mean that you lose your right to possible compensation.
When does a cancelled flight qualify for compensation?
Your flight may fall within the scope of European passenger protection rules when your journey has a sufficient connection with the European Union. The airline, departure country and arrival country must therefore be checked.
Departure from the European Union
The regulation may apply regardless of the nationality of the airline operating the flight.
Arrival in the European Union
The protection may apply when the flight is operated by a European airline.
Less than 14 days’ notice
Compensation may be possible when you were informed fewer than 14 days before the scheduled departure.
Airline responsibility
The cancellation must not have resulted from extraordinary circumstances that the airline could not reasonably avoid.
Every claim must be assessed individually. The reason initially provided by the airline is not always enough to determine whether compensation is actually payable.
The solutions the airline must offer you
When a flight is cancelled, you can generally choose one of the solutions offered by the airline. Your choice should reflect your situation and whether you still intend to continue your journey.
Ticket refund
You can request a refund for the unused part of your journey. When the trip no longer serves its original purpose, the refund may also cover parts already completed and include a return to your original departure point.
Rerouting as soon as possible
The airline may offer you another flight to your final destination under comparable transport conditions and at the earliest available opportunity.
Travel at a later date
You may request rerouting on a later date that suits you, subject to seat availability and the conditions applying to your booking.
Assistance while you wait
When you are waiting for a replacement flight, the airline should provide assistance appropriate to the length of the delay.
Reasonable drinks and meals based on the waiting time.
A hotel when the replacement flight requires an overnight stay.
Transport between the airport and the accommodation.
Access to the communications reasonably required.
How much compensation can you receive for a cancelled flight?
When all eligibility conditions are met, the amount of compensation is mainly determined by the flight distance. It does not directly depend on the price you paid for the ticket.
Per eligible passenger.
Depending on the distance and route.
Depending on the route and applicable conditions.
In certain situations, compensation may be reduced by 50% when the airline provides rerouting that allows you to arrive reasonably close to your original scheduled arrival time.
How does the 14-day rule work?
The date on which the airline informs you about the cancellation is essential. A cancellation announced fewer than 14 days before departure may qualify for compensation unless sufficiently similar replacement flight times were offered.
More than 14 days before departure
Fixed compensation is generally not payable, but you retain your right to a refund or rerouting.
Between 7 and 14 days before departure
Compensation may not be payable when the replacement flight departs no more than two hours earlier and arrives fewer than four hours after the original scheduled arrival.
Fewer than 7 days before departure
Compensation may not be payable when the replacement flight departs no more than one hour earlier and arrives fewer than two hours after the original scheduled arrival.
Keep the email, text message or any other evidence showing the date and time at which you were informed about the cancellation.
When can the airline refuse to pay compensation?
The airline may not be required to pay fixed compensation when it proves that the cancellation resulted from an extraordinary event that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
Dangerous weather
Storms, heavy snow or weather conditions that genuinely prevent the flight from operating.
Air traffic restrictions
Airspace closures or urgent decisions made by air traffic control authorities.
Security risks
An external event presenting a serious danger to passengers or crew members.
External events
Certain external strikes or emergencies may be considered extraordinary circumstances.
Simply referring to “operational reasons” or “exceptional circumstances” does not automatically prove that compensation can be refused. The exact cause must be examined.
Even when compensation is not payable due to extraordinary circumstances, your rights to a refund, rerouting and assistance may still apply.
Which documents should you keep after a cancellation?
Complete documentation makes it easier to assess your situation quickly and respond effectively if the airline rejects your claim.
Booking confirmation
Your booking confirmation, ticket number and booking reference.
Cancellation notice
The email or text message showing the date and reason provided.
Boarding pass
The boarding pass for the original and, where applicable, replacement flight.
Expense receipts
Receipts for reasonable meals, accommodation or transport expenses.
Additional evidence
Photographs of airport screens or messages received at the airport.
Payment details
Payment information is only required after your claim has been validated.
How can you claim compensation with Fly Claim?
You can submit the information relating to your cancelled flight online. Your situation is then assessed based on the route, the notice received and the reason for the cancellation.
Enter your flight details
Provide the airports, airline, date and flight number of the cancelled flight.
Add your documents
Submit your booking confirmation and the evidence relating to the cancellation.
Eligibility assessment
The rules applying to your journey and the reason for the cancellation are examined.
Claim management
When your claim is eligible, the necessary steps are taken with the airline.
Frequently asked questions about cancelled flights
Can I receive compensation if my ticket has already been refunded? +
Yes, this may be possible. A refund covers the cost of the unused ticket, while compensation addresses the disruption caused by the cancellation when the regulatory conditions are met.
Can I receive compensation if another flight was offered? +
This depends on the notice period and the times of the replacement flight. An alternative that is very close to the original schedule may allow the airline to avoid paying compensation or reduce the amount.
Does the airline have to pay for my hotel? +
When rerouting requires one or more overnight stays, the airline must generally arrange or pay for reasonable accommodation and transport between the airport and hotel.
Can I purchase a replacement ticket myself? +
You should first ask the airline to provide a solution and keep evidence of your communications. When no reasonable solution is offered, retain all receipts before requesting reimbursement.
Is a cancellation caused by a technical problem compensable? +
An ordinary technical problem connected with the operation or maintenance of the aircraft is not automatically an extraordinary circumstance. The exact nature of the problem must be checked.
What should I do if the airline claims extraordinary circumstances? +
Ask the airline for the precise reason and keep the response. The airline must be able to justify the cause and show that the cancellation could not have been avoided despite taking reasonable measures.
Was your flight cancelled?
Check your situation in just a few minutes and find out whether you may claim compensation from the airline.