FAQ

Top questions about flight compensation

What does PassengersRights.eu do?

Did you experience a long delay, a cancellation or were you denied boarding? We can quickly tell you if you are entitled to receive financial compensation of up to 600,00€ per person. Should you be entitled to financial compensation, we collect all relevant proof and information concerning the flight in question and take on correspondence with the respective airline on your behalf. In certain cases, we initiate legal steps such as: letters of default, debt collection letters and legal proceedings. This becomes necessary in the case that airlines deny you the compensation you’re entitled to. It isn’t always easy to get your money back, but we have the knowledge and expertise to bring your claim to a successful conclusion.

Why?

We have the data, technology and know-how to analyse each individual passenger case. With this knowledge we are able to enforce your right to financial compensation. Our customer service is fast, easy and transparent throughout. Our young and dynamic team of multilingual experts comes from different backgrounds; together we combine our knowledge to a rich source of expertise. What makes PassengersRights.eu different? Our commitment to transparency and superior customer service.

Yes; the airline is required to pay the compensation per person. This amount is irrespective of how much you paid for your ticket, because it’s meant to compensate you for the time you lost as a result of the delay, cancellation or denied boarding. So every passenger who travelled under a paid ticket should be entitled to receive this compensation.
This is often difficult to determine for passengers. The delay in arrival determines whether the flight falls under the compensation regulation: if this was 3 hours or more, passengers may be entitled to compensation. If you’re not sure your delay was 3 hours or more you can submit your claim with us anyway. We will then assess what the actual length of your delay was and whether you’re entitled to receive compensation.Why? We have the data, technology and know-how to analyse each individual passenger case. With this knowledge we are able to enforce your right to financial compensation. Our customer service is fast, easy and transparent throughout. Our young and dynamic team of multilingual experts comes from different backgrounds; together we combine our knowledge to a rich source of expertise. What makes PassengersRights.eu different? Our commitment to transparency and superior customer service.
If your flight wasn’t delayed in excess of 3 hours you aren’t entitled to compensation under the Regulation. However, you may still be entitled to receive meals or refreshments, communication facilities and possibly even hotel accommodation, depending on the length of your delay. This would need to exceed 2 hours. If you arrived 2 hours or more later than scheduled at your final destination as a result of a flight cancellation, you may very well be entitled to compensation as the rules for cancellations are different from those for delays.
You should be entitled to compensation if your total delay in arrival was 3 hours or more. However, you will need to have booked a connecting flight with sufficient time to transfer. Claiming compensation may also be difficult if your connecting flight was operated by a different airline or if your connecting flight took place outside the EU.
In the event of a cancellation, the airline is required to either offer you a new flight to your destination, or to refund you for your original ticket. In addition, you may be entitled to compensation, subject to the cause of the cancellation and whether this constitutes extraordinary circumstances. So just because the airline offers you a new flight (and/or care), this doesn’t mean you’re no longer entitled to receive financial compensation as well.
Yes; you would still be entitled to compensation in this case. The operating airline is always responsible for any delays, even when the flight tickets weren’t purchased directly with them.
In the event of a long delay, the airline is required to offer its passengers care, meaning food, drinks and/or refreshments, hotel accommodation (if applicable, including transfer to the accommodation) and communication facilities. This is irrespective of the entitlement to compensation, which is based on the time passengers lose when they are delayed. So if you received vouchers from the airline to buy refreshments or meals at the airport, this doesn’t mean you’re no longer entitled to receive financial compensation. However, if the airline offered you vouchers or a discount to be used on an entirely new trip at some point in the future, accepting this could mean you waive your rights to further compensation in some cases.
Airlines may refund you for the expenses you incurred as a direct result of your delay or cancellation, for instance food or drinks purchased at the airport or hotel accommodation in the case of a long layover. But please note you would generally need to have retained your receipts. If you incurred such costs, we can include a request for a refund in our correspondence with the airline. However, if you missed part of your holiday as a result of the delay, the airline will not be required to pay an additional compensation for this. You would therefore need to submit a request with your travel insurance for those losses.
Delayed or lost luggage isn’t included in the delay regulation. Therefore if you experienced this, please contact the airline or your travel insurance directly.
What is PassengersRights.eu and how can it help me?

PassengersRights.eu is a legal service that helps air passengers claim compensation for delayed, cancelled, or overbooked flights. We operate under Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 and manage the entire claim process on your behalf—from legal assessment to direct negotiation with the airline—on a “no win, no fee” basis.

You may be eligible for compensation if your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours, cancelled without sufficient notice, or if you were denied boarding due to overbooking. Use our free flight check tool to instantly find out if you have a valid claim.

Keep your boarding pass and any travel documents, note the reason the airline gives you, and collect any written confirmation. Then, visit PassengersRights.eu to check your eligibility and begin your claim. We’ll take care of the rest.

The compensation ranges from €250 to €600 depending on the flight distance and delay duration. You may be entitled to:

  • €250 for flights up to 1,500 km

  • €400 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km

  • €600 for flights over 3,500 km

Yes. You can file a claim on behalf of a friend or family member if you have their consent and relevant travel documents. Each passenger affected is eligible for individual compensation.

Most cases are resolved within a few weeks, especially if the airline cooperates. However, if legal action is needed, it may take several months. PassengersRights.eu will always keep you informed and manage the entire process.

The most helpful documents include your boarding pass, booking confirmation, and proof of delay or cancellation. But don’t worry—if you’re missing any of these, we may still be able to proceed with your claim.

We can still try to retrieve your booking details using the airline’s systems or payment references. Contact us and we’ll guide you through the alternatives for supporting your claim.

Yes. Depending on the country where the airline is based, you generally have up to 3 years to claim compensation. We recommend acting as soon as possible to avoid missing any legal deadlines.

We work on a “no win, no fee” basis. This means you only pay if we successfully win your case. Our service fee is deducted directly from the compensation amount—we never ask for upfront payments.

How PassengersRights.eu works

How do I submit my claim with PassengersRights.eu Service?

You can submit your claim by entering your flight details on our homepage PassengersRights.eu Claim Service and clicking on ‘Check your flight’. Within seconds you will know whether your flight may entitle you to compensation. This check is commitment free; if you decide you want to continue, you can then set up an account and proceed to submit your claim. Should you decide to continue, you can enter your personal details and the information relating to the passenger list and your flight schedule. If necessary, you can easily amend these details later on. Once you click on ‘Submit this claim’ and accept the terms and conditions, your claim will be submitted and our team will start working on your dossier’s second legal assessment. You can decide to upload relevant documents right away or do so later on using your online dossier.

When submitting your claim, you can add several passengers to the passenger list. However, all passengers will need to have travelled under the same booking; if this wasn’t the case, separate claims will need to be submitted for each booking as the correspondence with the airline will also need to be done separately.

Infants under the age of 2 aren’t entitled to compensation, because they generally travel under a reduced rate or share a seat with their parents. If your children were under 2 at the time of your flight (the child had not yet turned 2 on the day of the flight), they should not be included on the passenger list in your account.
It’s best to retain all travel documents (such as tickets, booking confirmations, boarding passes and emails from the airline), because you may be asked to provide them at a later point. If these documents are no longer available, having proof of payment of your original ticket may still allow us to process your claim. However, travel agents or even the airline itself can often provide copies of documents if requested.
Yes this is possible. However, you will need to submit two separate claims. As the circumstances of these flights will never be exactly identical, they will also need to be assessed separately. Several flights may be included in the same claim only if they are directly connected (for instance: the delay of your first flight caused you to miss your connecting flight). Through your personal account you will be able to submit several claims on the same account. This will allow you easy access to your online dossiers and your timelines.
Under European legislation, claims can be submitted up to 2 years after the flight date. In certain countries such as Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the UK, this limitation period may be shorter or longer. In the UK, the statute of limitation is set at 6 years (5 years in Scotland). However, a claim’s limitation period is determined by a number of different factors including what the flight route was and where the airline is based. The flight calculator on our home page takes these different criteria into account.
The possible steps that can be taken when claiming compensation are sending several letters to the airline and starting a legal process. The course of the claim can be followed via the timeline with the file. Within the judicial process there is a notice of default, a debt collection procedure and a court case summons. If these legal steps are taken, no additional costs will be incurred. Certain steps may not be taken. If it turns out that a claim is not legally valid, a claim may be terminated prematurely. As many steps as possible will be taken care of by the Claim Service, but with certain steps the help of the customer is necessary.
We accept claims on the basis of ‘No win, no fee’. This means we won’t charge you unless we succeed at claiming compensation, even if this requires legal steps. If we’re successful, we will charge 25% (plus 7% of spanish taxes) of the total compensation.

If you have any questions, you can email us at info@passengersrights.eu or use the form in the “Contact” section.

What are my rights if my flight is delayed?

As an air passenger flying from the EU, into the EU with an EU airline, or within the EU, your rights are protected by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. If your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked, and no extraordinary circumstances apply, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 per passenger.

The compensation amount depends on the flight distance and ranges between €250 and €600. Specifically, you can receive €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for flights over 3,500 km.

You are eligible if you arrive at your final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours, or if your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure and no alternative flight was offered under suitable conditions.

Yes. If your journey includes connecting flights booked under the same reservation and a delay or cancellation causes you to miss a connection and arrive more than 3 hours late, you may be entitled to compensation.

Extraordinary circumstances include severe weather conditions, air traffic control restrictions, political instability, security risks, or strikes not related to the airline. These situations exempt airlines from paying compensation.

 

You will need your booking confirmation, boarding pass or e-ticket, and any correspondence with the airline. Having your flight number and date is essential to begin the claim process.

The time limit depends on the country where the airline is based. In most cases, you can claim compensation for flights up to 3 years ago, but some countries allow claims up to 5 or even 6 years.

If your claim is denied and we believe it’s valid, PassengersRights.eu will escalate the case and, if needed, take legal action on your behalf. We handle everything with no upfront costs — our service is based on a “no win, no fee” policy.

No. As long as the flight was operated by an airline based in the EU or departed from an EU airport, you are protected under EU Regulation 261/2004 regardless of where or how you booked.

The compensation is a fixed amount depending on the flight distance. It is not a refund of your ticket price but compensation for the inconvenience caused by the disruption. Additional costs like meals, transport or accommodation may be reimbursed separately by the airline.

Passenger rights under Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004

What is Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 and how does it protect air passengers?

Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 is a European Union law that protects air passengers from flight disruptions such as delays, cancellations and denied boarding. It establishes standardized rules for compensation and assistance from airlines when passengers are affected. This regulation ensures that if your flight is disrupted due to the airline’s responsibility, you may be entitled to up to €600 in compensation. PassengersRights.eu helps you enforce these rights quickly and without hassle.

This regulation applies to flights that:

  • Depart from any EU airport, regardless of the airline.

  • Arrive in the EU and are operated by an EU-based airline.
    So, for example, a flight from Madrid to New York with any airline is covered. A flight from New York to Paris is covered only if operated by an EU carrier.

You’re protected if your flight departs from an EU airport, regardless of the airline’s nationality. However, if your flight departs from outside the EU and is operated by a non-EU airline, the regulation does not apply. Always check your route and carrier to confirm eligibility. PassengersRights.eu can help you evaluate your case instantly.

Yes, if your connecting flights are part of a single booking and either depart from the EU or are operated by an EU airline arriving in the EU. If one leg of the journey is delayed or cancelled and you miss your connection, you may be entitled to compensation depending on your final arrival time.

If your flight arrives at its final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours (or is cancelled without sufficient notice), and the disruption wasn’t caused by extraordinary circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation. Additionally, airlines must offer care (meals, refreshments, accommodation) during long delays. If the flight is cancelled, you have the right to reimbursement or rerouting, plus compensation in most cases.

A refund refers to the reimbursement of your unused ticket cost if your flight is cancelled or you choose not to travel due to significant delays. Compensation, on the other hand, is an additional amount (up to €600) granted for the inconvenience caused by delays, cancellations, or denied boarding, regardless of whether you received a refund. With PassengersRights.eu, you can check eligibility for both.

Yes. If your flight is delayed for more than 2 hours (depending on the flight distance), the airline must provide meals, refreshments, and access to communication. If the delay extends overnight, they must offer accommodation and transportation between the airport and hotel. These obligations apply regardless of whether you’re ultimately entitled to compensation.

Yes. Airlines often offer vouchers to settle quickly, but this does not remove your right to proper financial compensation under EU law. If you accepted a voucher, especially without knowing your rights, you may still be able to claim the remaining balance. PassengersRights.eu can assess whether your acceptance of a voucher affects your eligibility.

Yes. Children and infants with a paid ticket are entitled to the same compensation as adults, even if they didn’t occupy their own seat. The law makes no distinction based on age, so every paying passenger can be included in a joint claim for a disrupted flight.

The time limit varies by country, typically between 1 and 6 years depending on the applicable national law of the country where the airline is based or where the flight occurred. To avoid missing your window, it’s best to check your flight now using our free checker at PassengersRights.eu — we’ll confirm your eligibility and help you start the claim immediately.

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