Your air passenger rights for delays, cancellations or overbooking, clearly explained

We help you quickly find out what you are entitled to if your flight is delayed, cancelled or if you experience problems at the gate. We provide clear information and practical tools to help you enforce your rights.

The regulation applies:

• If you are departing from an EU airport

• If you are landing in the EU and the airline is based in the EU

It also applies to flights to or from Iceland or Norway (EEA).

Brief overview:

• In the event of a flight delay, your entitlement to compensation is always based on the arrival time at the destination airport

• The delay must be at least three hours

• Compensation is based on the flight distance and can be between €250 and €600

• You are also entitled to assistance, including meals, hotel accommodation and communication facilities

• Exception: No financial compensation is payable in the event of 'extraordinary circumstances' (e.g. extreme weather conditions)

Depending on the waiting time and flight distance, you are entitled to free care services if your flight is delayed. These include:

• Drinks and meals in reasonable proportion to the waiting time

• two free phone calls, faxes or emails

This entitlement applies to:

• at least 2 hours' waiting time, and a flight distance of up to and including 1,500 km

• at least three hours' waiting time and a flight distance of over 1,500 km within the EEA

• at least three hours' waiting time and a flight distance between 1,500 and 3,500 km (outside the EEA)

• at least four hours' waiting time for all other flights over 3,500 km

If your flight is not until the next day, you are also entitled to:

• free hotel accommodation

• Transfer between the airport and hotel (return trip)

The airline must arrange this; if they do not, you can arrange it yourself and claim the costs back from the airline later.

Important: keep all receipts in a safe place!

Special case:
If there is a delay of at least five hours, you can demand a full refund of the ticket price.

If your flight is cancelled, depending on when you were informed and how the replacement flight is organised, you have various rights.

If your flight is cancelled at short notice, you are entitled to:

• Full reimbursement of the ticket price within seven days

• Replacement transport to your destination under comparable travel conditions as soon as possible or at a later date (if seats are available)

• Compensation (see the next section), unless there are extraordinary circumstances

• Assistance: drinks and meals, hotel accommodation and transfers if necessary, and two free phone calls, faxes or emails

Whether or not you are entitled to compensation depends on when you were informed of the cancellation and the departure and arrival times of the replacement flight offered.

Informed more than 14 days in advance? ➝ No entitlement to compensation

Informed 7 to 13 days in advance? ➝ No entitlement, if the replacement flight...

• ...departs no more than 2 hours earlier and

• ...arrives no more than 4 hours later
   

Informed less than 7 days in advance? ➝ No entitlement, if the replacement flight...

• ...departs no more than 1 hour earlier and

• ...arrives no more than 2 hours later
   

In all other cases: ➝ Entitlement to compensation

_{* The EEA (European Economic Area) comprises the EU, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.}

According to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation, there is no entitlement to compensation if a flight is delayed or cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances.

Typical examples include: extreme weather, storms, bird strikes, natural disasters, airspace closures, a defective de-icing system, and emergency landings. In such cases, the airline is not obliged to pay compensation.

However, they must endeavour to offer alternative transport, either by rebooking you onto another flight or by providing replacement transport by train or bus. Departing from a neighbouring airport may also be a solution.

Important: rebooking should always be done in consultation with the airline. Anyone who books or cancels without consulting the airline runs the risk of having to bear the costs themselves.

If you decide not to travel, you have the right to return your ticket. The airline must refund the full flight price within seven days.

If a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed due to a strike, you generally have the same rights as for other flight disruptions. You can either claim a refund for the ticket price or request alternative transport, such as another flight or a train or bus connection at the earliest possible time and under comparable travel conditions. The airline must also cover the costs here.

If you decide not to take the flight, the refund must be made within seven days. Contact the airline directly.

If you are stranded at the airport due to the strike, you are entitled to care services (see above) as well as hotel accommodation and transport if you cannot continue your journey until the next day. Your point of contact is the airline.

Package travellers may also be able to claim a travel deficiency, which would result in a reduction in the travel price, in the event of a significant delay.

Whether or not a strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance depends on who is striking and whether or not the airline could have prevented or influenced the strike.

Example: If the pilots or flight attendants of your airline are on strike, this is within the company's sphere of influence. In this case, you are entitled to compensation in addition to the rights mentioned above.

The situation is different if airport staff, air traffic controllers, or external service providers go on strike. The strike may then be considered an extraordinary circumstance, especially if the airline can prove that it has taken all reasonable measures to avoid impacting passengers.

Therefore, whether you are entitled to compensation must always be assessed on acase-by-case basis.

If a flight is overbooked, some passengers may be denied boarding. EU air passenger rights distinguish between voluntary and involuntary denied boarding. In both cases, you have rights, especially if you are unable to fly through no fault of your own.

Airlines will often first ask for volunteers to give up their seats. Those who agree usually receive something in return, such as a voucher or bonus miles. Even if you voluntarily give up your seat, you can still decide how you would like to proceed:

• You can be transported to your destination at a later date under comparable travel conditions.

• You can choose the fastest possible alternative transport to your destination.

• Or you can cancel your flight altogether and receive a refund for the ticket price.

The decision is yours, not the airline's.

If no passengers volunteer to give up their seat, the airline may refuse to allow individuals to board against their will. This is referred to as 'involuntary denied boarding'.

In this case, you are automatically entitled to several services.

• Compensation in accordance with EU regulations, up to €600 depending on the flight distance (see also the section 'Flight cancelled – your rights').

• Care services during the waiting period, such as meals, drinks and communication facilities.

• The option of a replacement flight or reimbursement of the full ticket price.

If your flight was delayed or cancelled, or if you were denied boarding, you can claim compensation or reimbursement of costs from the airline.

You can do this by using the online contact form, for example. Note that it does not matter who you purchased the ticket from, but rather who operated the flight – the so-called operating carrier. You will usually find this information on your ticket.

This can be confusing, especially for connecting flights with multiple airlines. If you are unsure, we will be happy to help.

People with disabilities or reduced mobility have the right to travel without hindrance, and assistance is available if needed. EU regulations ensure that appropriate assistance is provided free of charge at EU airports and on EU flights, provided the flight starts or ends in the EU.

Airlines, tour operators and travel agents may not refuse a booking simply because a passenger requires assistance. However, if refusal is necessary for safety reasons (e.g. certain medical devices or wheelchairs), those affected have two options:

• full reimbursement of the ticket price, or

• Replacement transport to the destination under comparable conditions

Assistance usually begins as soon as you arrive at the airport and is provided free of charge. To help ensure everything runs smoothly, you should notify the airline, tour operator or airport directly at least 48 hours before departure.

Typical free assistance services at EU airports include:

• Pick-up at the information desk and assistance with check-in, security and passport control

• Assistance with boarding and disembarking the aircraft

• Assistance with transfers for connecting flights

• Transport of mobility aids (e.g. wheelchairs) or certified guide dogs.

Important: If you are travelling with an electric wheelchair, check with the airline in advance to see if you can take it with you, as the type of battery is important.