EU261 Compensation Table: How Much Are You Owed?

Under EU Regulation EC 261/2004 (EU261), airlines must pay fixed compensation when your flight is delayed by 3+ hours, cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you're involuntarily denied boarding. The amount depends on flight distance — not ticket price, airline, or class.

Here is the complete EU261 compensation table.

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The EU261 Compensation Table

Flight Distance	Compensation Per Person
All flights up to 1,500 km	€250
Intra-EU flights over 1,500 km	€400
All other flights 1,500 – 3,500 km	€400
All other flights over 3,500 km	€600

Key rules:

• Amount is per individual passenger (not per booking)
• Independent of ticket price — a €39 seat earns the same as a €500 seat
• Applies regardless of travel class
• For connecting flights, total journey distance is used, not the leg that was disrupted

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EU261 Compensation by Route Type

Short-Haul: €250

Flights under 1,500 km within or departing the EU:

Route	Distance	Compensation
London → Paris	340 km	€250
Amsterdam → Berlin	577 km	€250
Lisbon → Madrid	502 km	€250
Dublin → London	449 km	€250
Barcelona → Rome	857 km	€250
Brussels → Milan	943 km	€250
Frankfurt → Warsaw	1,231 km	€250

Medium-Haul: €400

Flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km, plus intra-EU routes over 1,500 km:

Route	Distance	Compensation
London → Athens	2,399 km	€400
Amsterdam → Tenerife	2,897 km	€400
Paris → Marrakech	2,110 km	€400
Lisbon → London	1,563 km	€400
Frankfurt → Cairo	2,929 km	€400
Amsterdam → Reykjavik	1,879 km	€400
Madrid → Dubai	5,842 km → covers 1,500–3,500 portion	€400

Note: Intra-EU flights over 1,500 km — such as Lisbon to Helsinki (2,837 km) — qualify for €400, not €600, because they remain within the EU.

Long-Haul: €600

Flights over 3,500 km departing or arriving outside the EU (when operated by an EU carrier or departing from an EU airport):

Route	Distance	Compensation
London → New York	5,539 km	€600
Paris → Bangkok	9,380 km	€600
Frankfurt → Toronto	6,265 km	€600
Amsterdam → Cape Town	9,648 km	€600
Lisbon → São Paulo	7,564 km	€600
Madrid → Tokyo	10,789 km	€600

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50% Reduction: When Airlines Can Cut Compensation

Airlines can pay half the standard amount if they arrange re-routing and you arrive within a certain window of your original arrival time:

Flight Distance	Max Delay for 50% Reduction
≤1,500 km	Within 2 hours of scheduled arrival
1,500–3,500 km	Within 3 hours of scheduled arrival
>3,500 km	Within 4 hours of scheduled arrival

If you're re-routed but still arrive more than these thresholds late, you're entitled to the full amount.

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What Triggers EU261 Compensation?

The compensation table applies to these scenarios:

Situation	Compensation?
Flight delayed 3+ hours at destination	✅ Full table amount
Flight cancelled <14 days before departure	✅ Full table amount
Denied boarding (overbooking)	✅ Full table amount
Flight delayed 2.5 hours	❌ No cash (but care rights apply)
Flight cancelled >14 days before departure	❌ No compensation (but refund applies)
Extraordinary circumstances (genuine)	❌ No cash (but care/refund still apply)

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EU261 Compensation vs. Ticket Price

This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of EU261:

The compensation is completely independent of what you paid.

• A passenger on a €29 Ryanair flight from London to Madrid who is delayed 3+ hours is owed €250
• A passenger on a €600 business class ticket on the same route is also owed €250
• Two passengers on the same disrupted flight are each owed €250 individually — so €500 total for the pair

The law sets fixed amounts precisely to avoid airlines offering lower compensation to budget travellers.

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EU261 Compensation: How Long Do You Have to Claim?

Limitation periods vary by country — file as soon as possible:

Country	Time Limit
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	6 years
🇩🇪 Germany	3 years
🇵🇹 Portugal	3 years
🇫🇷 France	5 years
🇳🇱 Netherlands	2 years
🇪🇸 Spain	5 years
🇧🇪 Belgium	1 year

Most EU261 claims can be filed online directly with the airline. Airlines have 4–8 weeks to respond. If they reject or ignore your claim, escalate to your national enforcement body or take the matter to court.

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How to Calculate Your EU261 Compensation

1. Find the departure airport — is it in the EU? If yes, EC261 applies regardless of airline.
2. Check if the airline is EU-based — if the flight arrived in the EU, only EU airlines are covered.
3. Measure the flight distance — use great-circle distance (as the crow flies) from departure to final destination.
4. Apply the table — match your distance to the three tiers above.
5. Check for reduction — were you re-routed and arrived within the threshold windows? If yes, half the amount applies.

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Ready to Claim?

Check your flight on FlightOwed — enter your flight number and departure date to find out exactly how much you're owed under EU261. Free eligibility check, no commitment required.