EC261 Complete Guide — Your Master Resource for EU Flight Compensation

EC Regulation 261/2004 is the EU law that entitles air passengers to compensation of up to €600 when their flight is delayed, cancelled, or they're denied boarding. It applies to every EU airport and to EU-registered airlines worldwide.

This page is your starting point. Below you'll find everything FlightOwed has published about EC261 — organised by topic so you can find exactly what you need.

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What Is EC261 and Do You Qualify?

Before diving into specific guides, the essentials:

You qualify for EC261 compensation when:

• Your flight departed from any EU airport (any airline), OR
• Your flight arrived at an EU airport operated by an EU-registered airline
• The disruption was not caused by genuine extraordinary circumstances
• The delay at your final destination was 3+ hours (cancellation or denied boarding may have different thresholds)

Compensation amounts:

• €250 — Flights under 1,500 km
• €400 — Flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km
• €600 — Flights over 3,500 km

These amounts are per person and completely independent of ticket price.

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Core EC261 Guides

Start with these foundational articles to understand your rights fully:

The Regulation

• EC Regulation 261/2004 — The Complete Legal Guide for Passengers — Every article of the regulation explained, territorial scope, eligibility rules, real court precedents
• Know Your Rights: EC261 Quick Start Guide — The essential 5-minute overview
• How Much Compensation Are You Owed? — Compensation amounts, distance thresholds, and what reduces your entitlement

How to Claim

• How Long Does Flight Compensation Take? — What to expect from filing to payout
• Can You Claim for a Flight from 3 Years Ago? — Retroactive claims and time limits by country
• Flight Cancelled — What to Do Right Now — Step-by-step immediate action guide
• Denied Boarding Compensation Guide — Overbooking and involuntary denied boarding rights

EC261 in Practice

• EC261 Court Rulings — When Passengers Win — Landmark ECJ and national court rulings that shaped the law
• Airline Claim Rejection Rates Under EC261 — Which airlines reject most and least, and why
• EU Flight Compensation Statistics — The scale of unclaimed compensation across Europe
• Things Airlines Don't Want You to Know About EC261 — Tactics airlines use to avoid paying and how to counter them

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Extraordinary Circumstances

Airlines frequently cite "extraordinary circumstances" to avoid paying. Most of the time they're wrong.

• What Are Extraordinary Circumstances? (Complete Guide) — The definitive legal definition and test
• Extraordinary Circumstances: When Airlines Don't Have to Pay (And When They're Lying) — Real-world application with examples
• How to Gather Evidence Against Extraordinary Circumstances Claims — The documentation you need to win
• ECJ Ruling: Pilot Illness Is Not Always Extraordinary Circumstances — Landmark court analysis

→ Full hub: Extraordinary Circumstances Guide

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By Disruption Type

Flight Delays

• Know Your Rights: EC261 Quick Start Guide
• How Much Compensation Are You Owed?
• European Flight Delay Statistics 2025
• Most Delayed Flight Routes in Europe
• Summer 2026 Flight Delay Forecast

Cancellations

• Flight Cancelled — What to Do Right Now
• How Much Compensation Are You Owed?
• Package Holiday Flight Compensation

Denied Boarding

• Denied Boarding Compensation Guide
• How Much Compensation Are You Owed?

Connecting Flights

• Missed Connecting Flight Compensation
• Connecting Flight Missed Compensation

Vouchers vs. Cash

• Airline Offered You a Voucher? You're Owed Cash
• TAP Offered a Voucher — How to Get Cash Instead

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By Passenger Type

• Business Travel Compensation Guide — Claiming when someone else bought your ticket
• Family Travel Compensation Guide — Claiming for multiple passengers including children
• Package Holiday Flight Compensation — Tour operator vs. airline rights

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Country-Specific Guides

• Portugal Flight Compensation Time Limits — The 3-year rule explained
• Portugal: Worst Flight Disruption Rate in Europe — Why Portugal passengers particularly need to know their rights
• Unclaimed Flight Compensation by EU Country — The scale of unclaimed money country by country

→ Full hub: Country Guides

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Ready to Check Your Claim?

If you've read enough and want to know if you're owed money, start the free eligibility check now. It takes 30 seconds and there's no obligation.

Check My Flight →

No win, no fee. We handle everything — filing, correspondence, escalation, and legal action if needed. You keep 75% of whatever we recover.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is EC261 still valid after Brexit?

Yes, but with nuance. For flights departing from EU airports, EC261 applies regardless of passenger nationality. For flights departing the UK, the UK retained a domestic version of the regulation (UK261). UK passengers still have full rights on flights departing from EU airports.

Does EC261 apply to charter flights?

Yes — if the charter flight departed from an EU airport or was operated by an EU-registered carrier. Many package holiday operators use EU-registered charter airlines, making EC261 fully applicable.

Can I claim EC261 and travel insurance at the same time?

Generally yes — they cover different things. EC261 is a statutory cash compensation right. Travel insurance covers additional costs (hotels, meals, rebooking fees) that EC261 doesn't. They can be claimed simultaneously and aren't mutually exclusive.

Do I need a lawyer to claim EC261 compensation?

No — you can claim directly with the airline or use a no-win no-fee service like FlightOwed. Legal action is only necessary if the airline refuses to pay after exhausting other routes, and even then it's typically small claims court (low cost).

What if the airline has gone bankrupt?

If the airline is insolvent, EC261 claims must generally be filed as unsecured creditor claims in the insolvency proceedings — with lower chance of recovery. However, if a travel insurance policy or credit card purchase protection covers airline insolvency, you may be able to recover through those channels instead.

How do I calculate the flight distance for my compensation amount?

Great-circle distance (straight-line) between origin and final destination airports. For connections, it's the full journey distance, not each leg separately. FlightOwed calculates this automatically when you check your flight.

Can I claim EC261 for any disruption, or only specific types?

EC261 specifically covers: (1) delays of 3+ hours at final destination, (2) cancellations with less than 14 days' notice, and (3) involuntary denied boarding. Voluntary re-routing, delays under 3 hours, and disruptions during the outbound leg that don't meet the threshold do not qualify for the statutory cash compensation (though duty of care rights may still apply).