Flight delay? Treat yourself, thanks to compensation!

In the event of delays, canceled flights or if a connecting flight is missed, travelers in the EU have extensive rights under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation 261/2004 and may be entitled to a refund or compensation for the ticket. This applies to airlines based in the EU and to flights that take off or land in the EU (if the airline is based in the EU).

If your flight is canceled, you can claim compensation from your airline under EU passenger law.

However, this does not apply if the airline has informed you of the cancellation more than 14 days before the scheduled departure time.

If the flight is canceled through no fault of the airline, you have the right to rebook the flight.

Alternatively, you can apply for a refund of your ticket costs, including seat reservations and additional baggage costs.

Airlines often offer passengers vouchers as compensation. You do not have to accept this.

Your flight arrives at your destination more than three hours late and the airline is responsible? Then you are entitled to compensation under EU law.

If you have long waiting times at the airport, your airline must provide you with free drinks and meals. The entitlement to these services is also governed by EU regulations.

Important: To be able to claim compensation for flight delays, it is the arrival time and not the departure time that counts. 

You can't fly because the airline has overbooked your flight?

Then you can apply for an exchange, compensation or a refund of your ticket price.

If you have to wait longer than planned at the airport due to overbooking, you are also entitled to care services such as drinks and meals, cab rides to the hotel if necessary, overnight accommodation, etc.

When air traffic controllers, airport staff or airline employees go on strike, there are regular delays and cancellations in the flight schedule. The compensation you are entitled to depends on who exactly is on strike and causing your delay.

If the airline staff are on strike, you are entitled to compensation if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed.

As a passenger, you have extensive rights in the event of a strike. For example, you have the right to get a replacement flight as quickly as possible.

If you have to wait a long time at the airport, you are entitled to light meals and snacks from the airline and possibly free hotel accommodation.

You have the right to cancel your flight if your departure is delayed by more than 5 hours. The airline must then refund you the ticket price.

Your right to compensation under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation also applies to package tours.

If your flight is canceled or delayed, as a holidaymaker you are therefore entitled to compensation or a refund of your ticket for the package tour.

If the trip did not take place and was completely canceled by the organizer - for example due to Corona - you are entitled to reimbursement of your travel costs.

Luggage has not arrived? Whether missing, delayed or damaged: your rights are regulated in the Montreal Convention of 1999. 

It is important that you report your case to the airline as soon as possible. The best way to do this is via a “Lost and Found” desk directly at the airport. These are usually located directly in the hall where the baggage reclaim belts are located.

If you are traveling on a package tour, you should also report the problem to the tour operator.

A transaction number will be issued during processing at the airport. Keep this safe until you have received your baggage back. Always check again that your name and address are spelled correctly here.

You are entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more.

The amount of your compensation depends on the distance between start and finish. The ticket price does not play a role in calculating your compensation.

For short-haul flights (less than 1,500 kilometers), you are entitled to compensation of €250 per passenger under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. This could be a flight from Munich to Paris, for example.

For medium-haul flights (up to 3,500 kilometers), such as from Berlin to Mallorca, you are entitled to €400.

For long-haul flights (more than 3,500 kilometers), the possible compensation is €600. This applies to all intercontinental flights that take off or land in the EU, including flights to the USA.

There are two ways in which you can get your money back: Compensation or a refund of your ticket price.

If the airline itself caused the problem, you as a passenger are entitled to compensation. Prerequisite: The flight in question falls under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. Compensation under EU law is, so to speak, compensation for travelers for lost time and the associated inconvenience. How much compensation you are entitled to depends on how far the flight was and how much your flight was delayed.

A ticket refund means repayment of the ticket price. If the flight is canceled without being honored by the airline or if the flight time changes significantly, the airline must make a refund. This is because you are not obliged to accept a flight offer where the departure time has changed significantly.

If you decide against the airline's offer, you are entitled to a full refund of the flight price.

In the event of exceptional circumstances such as strikes, storms or bird strikes, the airline is not liable.

In principle, airlines do not have to pay compensation if the cause of the flight problem is beyond their control.

This applies if cancellations or delays were caused by “extraordinary circumstances”. These include, for example, strikes by air traffic control or airport staff, bad weather, airport and airspace closures, border closures or natural disasters.

If, for example, your flight is delayed due to bad weather or is canceled because security staff have gone on strike, you as a passenger are not entitled to compensation.

The airline must nevertheless fulfill certain obligations under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation and possibly pay for any necessary hotel accommodation, as well as meals and drinks for the waiting time.

In Germany, you can assert claims against an airline under EU passenger law within three years of the planned flight. The deadline is calculated at the end of the year.

If your flight is affected by a problem, you should definitely check whether you are entitled to compensation or can request a refund for your ticket.

If your flight problem occurs at very short notice and you are already at the airport, for example, you should definitely claim compensation from the airline. Also keep all receipts for expenses incurred during your waiting time.

If possible, ask your airline to confirm the reason for the problem in writing. This will help you to assert your claims.

It is advisable to seek professional support if you want to assert your claims. This is because passengers who contact airlines themselves and claim compensation are often ignored or stalled by the airlines.

We can help you to successfully assert your rights. You don't have to do much: simply enter your flight details online with us. You can then instruct us to claim compensation for the damage you have suffered. We will take over the case for you and ensure that the airline compensates you as quickly as possible.

You can use our online form to submit your flight details and upload documents simply and easily.

We handle your data with care. It is stored securely and in compliance with data protection regulations and will not be passed on to third parties without your consent.

Our service is free of charge until the compensation is paid out. As soon as we are successful and the airline pays out the compensation, we receive a commission of 30 % (incl. VAT) of the compensation amount.

No. Our success fee does not increase if we have to go to court.