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EU261 explained: when an airline owes you up to €600 for a delayed flight

Photo: Scglossop1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By the Jumbo Flights editorial team · Published · Updated

Key takeaways

  • EU261 covers flights departing an EU airport on any airline, and flights into the EU on an EU airline. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland apply the same rules.
  • Compensation is €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance, when you reach your final destination 3 or more hours late.
  • Extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather or air traffic control restrictions can exempt the airline, but routine technical problems usually do not.
  • A reform agreed in 2026 keeps the 3-hour threshold and the amounts. It is expected to apply from the second half of 2027; until then the current rules apply.

If your flight is covered by the European Union's air passenger rights regulation, known as EU261, a long delay can be worth a fixed cash payment of up to €600 per passenger, on top of a refund or rerouting. It is one of the strongest passenger protections in the world, and it applies to many trips Americans take.

Which flights does EU261 cover?

EU261 applies to:

  • every flight departing from an airport in the EU, whatever the airline, including flights from Europe back to the United States;
  • flights arriving in the EU from outside it, but only when the airline is an EU carrier.

Iceland, Norway and Switzerland follow the same rules. So a flight from Paris to New York is covered on any airline, while a flight from New York to Paris is covered only on an EU airline such as Air France or Lufthansa.

The United Kingdom kept a near-identical law after Brexit, often called UK261. It covers flights departing the UK, and flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline, with amounts of £220, £350 and £520.

How much compensation can I get?

The amount depends on the distance of the journey, not the ticket price:

  • €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less;
  • €400 for flights within the EU over 1,500 km, and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km;
  • €600 for flights over 3,500 km between the EU and a non-EU airport, which includes most transatlantic flights.

On the longest flights, the airline may reduce the payment by half in some cases, for example when you arrive between 3 and 4 hours late. The same amounts apply when your flight is canceled less than 14 days before departure, or when you are denied boarding against your will because the flight was overbooked.

When does a delay count?

What matters is when you arrive at your final destination, measured when the aircraft doors open. A flight that leaves 4 hours late but makes up time and arrives 2 hours and 50 minutes late does not qualify. On a connecting itinerary booked as one ticket, the delay is measured at the end of the whole journey.

When can the airline refuse to pay?

Airlines do not have to pay compensation when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided, such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, security risks or political instability. Courts have generally held that routine technical problems with the aircraft are not extraordinary, so an airline citing a technical fault may still owe you.

Even when no compensation is due, the airline must still look after you during a long wait: meals and refreshments, a way to communicate, and a hotel and transport if you are stuck overnight.

How do I claim?

  1. Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation, and note the actual arrival time.
  2. Claim directly with the airline through its website or claim form. This costs nothing.
  3. If the airline refuses or does not answer, you can escalate to the national enforcement body in the country where the incident happened, or use a claims service, which usually takes a percentage of the payout.

Time limits for claims vary by country, so it is best to claim soon after the trip.

What is changing with the 2026 reform?

In June 2026 the European Parliament and the EU Council reached an agreement to update EU261 for the first time since 2004, and the Parliament approved it in July 2026. The reform keeps the 3-hour delay threshold and the €250, €400 and €600 amounts, and adds clearer claim procedures and a defined list of extraordinary circumstances. The new rules are expected to apply from the second half of 2027. Until then, the current regulation applies in full.

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Does EU261 apply to flights from the US to Europe?

Only when the airline is an EU carrier. Flights departing an EU airport, including back to the US, are covered on any airline.

How much is EU261 compensation for a transatlantic flight?

Usually €600 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, though the airline may halve it in some cases when the delay is between 3 and 4 hours.

Does a technical problem count as an extraordinary circumstance?

Generally no. Courts have held that routine technical problems are part of normal airline operations, so compensation is usually still owed.

Did the 2026 reform change the compensation amounts?

No. The agreed reform keeps the 3-hour threshold and the €250, €400 and €600 amounts. It is expected to apply from the second half of 2027.

General information, not legal advice. Found an error? Tell us and see our corrections policy.