When an airline cancels your flight, EU law entitles you to both a full refund and financial compensation — unless they gave you at least 14 days' notice.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, a flight cancellation gives you two separate rights — both of which you can exercise simultaneously:
Right to a refund
Full refund of your ticket price within 7 days, including any parts of the journey you did not use.
Right to re-routing
Alternative transport to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, or at a later date of your choice.
Right to care
Meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation if overnight stay required, and transport between airport and hotel.
Right to compensation
€250–€600 cash compensation on top of the refund, depending on flight distance.
How much compensation for a cancelled flight?
Compensation amounts are fixed by regulation, based on flight distance:
Flight distance
Compensation
Up to 1,500 km
€250
1,500 – 3,500 km
€400
Over 3,500 km
€600
Refund vs. compensation: These are separate claims. You can request a full ticket refund and €250–€600 compensation at the same time. The airline cannot make you choose one or the other.
When does the airline NOT have to pay?
You are not entitled to compensation (but still entitled to a refund) in these cases:
14+ days notice: The airline informed you of the cancellation at least 14 days before departure
7–14 days notice with acceptable re-routing: You were offered a re-route departing no more than 2 hours early and arriving no more than 4 hours late
Extraordinary circumstances: Events genuinely beyond the airline's control (see below)
What counts as extraordinary circumstances?
Airlines frequently misuse this exception. Genuine extraordinary circumstances include severe weather, political instability, security threats, and air traffic control strikes. The following do not qualify:
Technical faults or mechanical failures
Crew scheduling problems or staff shortages
Commercial decisions (e.g. low load factor)
Airline insolvency issues
Note: If the airline claims extraordinary circumstances, they must prove it. Vague references to "operational reasons" or "technical issues" are not sufficient. Challenge the rejection with a formal follow-up letter.
Notice period and your rights
Notice given
Refund
Re-routing
Compensation
14+ days
✓
✓
✗
7–14 days (with acceptable re-route)
✓
✓
✗
7–14 days (no acceptable re-route)
✓
✓
✓
Less than 7 days
✓
✓
✓
At the airport (day of travel)
✓
✓
✓
How to claim — step by step
Check your eligibility with our free tool below
Create a case — enter your flight details and upload your booking confirmation
Our assistant generates a formal complaint letter citing the exact regulation and amount
Review the draft, download as PDF, and send to the airline's customer relations team
If no response in 14 days — send the follow-up letter
Still nothing? Escalate to the National Enforcement Body — it's free and effective
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Accepting a replacement flight does not waive your right to compensation under EU 261/2004. You are entitled to both the re-routing and the fixed compensation amount, unless the airline gave you 14+ days' notice or the replacement arrived within acceptable time limits.
It depends on whose strike it was. An airline staff strike (pilots, cabin crew, ground staff) is generally not considered an extraordinary circumstance, since it falls within the airline's sphere of control. An air traffic control strike or airport security strike is typically considered extraordinary. Courts in several EU countries have ruled on this — our complaint letter addresses the distinction directly.
If the outbound flight was cancelled and you chose not to travel at all, you are entitled to a full refund including any unused portions. However, if you chose to use the return leg, the refund applies only to the cancelled outbound portion.
Airlines are required to respond within 14 days of a formal complaint. In practice, straightforward cases are resolved in 4–8 weeks. If the airline disputes the claim or ignores it, escalation to the NEB typically adds 2–3 months but does not require a lawyer or court filing.
Check if your cancellation qualifies
Free eligibility check in 60 seconds. AI-prepared complaint letter — you send it yourself.