Flight Delay Compensation & European Travel Tools: Your EU 261 Guide

After a busy summer of European travel, flight delays and cancellations left millions of passengers stuck in airports across the continent. Here's the part most people don't realise: under EU Regulation 261/2004, you may be owed up to €600 - and you can claim it up to three years after the disruption.

This guide covers two things that make European travel easier. One is how to claim flight delay compensation under EU 261. The other is how to set up offline maps and a currency converter so you can find your way around without data. Both are free to set up, and one of them can put real money back in your pocket.

Tool 01 - AirHelp: flight delay compensation under EU 261

The problem: delays and cancellations are normal now

Delays, cancellations, and overbookings are part of peak season in Europe. When it happens, most people shrug, rebook, and move on. But accepting a delay without claiming means leaving money you're legally owed with the airline.

What is EU 261 compensation?

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, airlines have to compensate passengers up to €600 for significant delays, cancellations, or denied boarding. It applies to every flight leaving an EU airport, and to flights arriving in the EU on an EU-registered carrier. You can usually claim for disruptions going back three years.

The amount depends on distance and delay. Flights under 1,500 km can qualify for €250. Flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km can qualify for €400. Flights over 3,500 km can qualify for €600 when the delay is over four hours.

It applies to both cancellations and long delays. If you land more than three hours late at your final destination, you may be owed the same as a cancellation. What matters is the arrival delay, not the departure delay.

Who qualifies?

You may qualify if your flight left an EU airport, or landed in the EU on an EU carrier, and it arrived more than three hours late, was cancelled less than 14 days before departure, or was overbooked and you were denied boarding.

The disruption has to be the airline's fault. Extraordinary circumstances - severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security risks - can let the airline off the hook. Technical faults, crew shortages, and operational problems generally don't count as extraordinary, so the airline is still liable.

How AirHelp handles the claim

AirHelp takes the whole EU 261 process off your hands. You enter your flight number and date, and they check whether the delay or cancellation qualifies. If it does, they deal with the airline, the paperwork, and the correspondence. No win, no fee.

The fee only applies if the claim succeeds, and it comes out of the payout. If the claim is rejected, you pay nothing.

Can you claim for past flights?

Yes. You can claim for disruptions going back three years. If you were delayed on a trip in 2023 or 2024 and never claimed, there's a good chance you're still eligible. Put the old flight details into the eligibility checker - it cross-references historical delay data, and plenty of people find they have more than one claim sitting there.

Check your flight for compensation →

Understanding EU 261: your air passenger rights

EU 261 is one of the strongest passenger rights regulations anywhere. It protects travellers flying within or out of the EU, and it puts clear obligations on airlines when things go wrong.

Which flights are covered?

Any flight departing an EU airport, whatever the airline. Plus flights arriving at an EU airport from outside the EU, as long as the carrier is EU-registered. So London to Rome is covered on any airline, and New York to Paris is covered on Air France - but New York to Toronto on a US carrier isn't.

How much can you claim?

The amounts are fixed and based on distance and delay at your final destination. Under 1,500 km (London to Paris, Rome to Milan): €250 for delays over two hours. Between 1,500 and 3,500 km (London to Athens, Paris to Marrakech): €400 for delays over three hours. Over 3,500 km (London to New York, Paris to Dubai): €600 for delays over four hours.

These are per passenger, not per booking. A family of four on a delayed long-haul flight could be owed up to €2,400 between them. That's separate from any refund or rebooking the airline also has to provide.

When doesn't it apply?

Airlines don't have to pay when the cause was genuinely outside their control: severe weather, natural disasters, security threats, political instability, air traffic control decisions. Aircraft technical problems, crew scheduling, and operational failures don't count, and the airline has to prove the circumstances were extraordinary.

Even then, they still owe you a duty of care - food, refreshments, accommodation if you're stuck overnight, and transport to your destination. That applies whatever the cause.

Tool 02 - Offline maps and a currency converter

The problem: no signal abroad

Historic European city centres weren't built for GPS. Narrow streets and thick stone walls block signal, and roaming charges make navigation expensive on top of that. Plenty of people land somewhere new and find they can't pull up a map without paying for it.

The fix

Download your destination map before you fly. Google Maps and Citymapper both let you save whole cities for offline use. Once it's saved, it works with no data at all - addresses, walking and driving directions, restaurants, pharmacies, landmarks.

Pair it with a currency converter set up in advance, with your home and destination currencies loaded. When an agent quotes a price in euros, you can convert it instantly instead of doing mental maths in front of them.

How to set up offline maps

Open Google Maps on wifi at home. Search your destination city, tap the name at the bottom, then choose Download Map. It saves the area to your phone and stays available with no signal, no wifi, no data. You can save several cities if your trip covers more than one.

Expect 200-500 MB per city. Do it the night before, not at the airport - a slow terminal connection tends to leave you with half a map.

Flight delay compensation FAQ

How long does the delay need to be?

You need to arrive at your final destination more than three hours late. On flights under 1,500 km, a two-hour delay can qualify for reduced compensation. It's measured on arrival, so a flight that leaves late and lands on time doesn't count.

How far back can I claim?

Up to three years. The exact limit varies by country because it follows national limitation periods, but three years is a fair guideline across most of the EU. If you were delayed in 2023 or 2024 and never claimed, you can still file now.

Does it apply to non-EU airlines?

It applies to every flight leaving an EU airport, whoever operates it. Paris to New York on a US carrier is covered because it departs the EU. New York to Paris on a US carrier isn't - but the same route on Air France is.

What if my flight was cancelled?

You're entitled to a full refund or rerouting. If you were told less than 14 days before departure, you may also be owed up to €600 depending on distance and notice. The airline still has to cover meals, refreshments, and accommodation if you need it.

Is there any risk in filing?

With a no-win, no-fee model, no. If the claim fails you pay nothing. If it succeeds, the fee comes out of the compensation. You're never out of pocket.

Before your next trip

Delays are part of European travel, especially in summer. But knowing your rights under EU 261, and having the right tools ready before you fly, turns a bad day into a manageable one.

Claim back what you're owed for past delays. Download your offline maps. Set up your currency converter. Then go and find the house.

In partnership with AirHelp. European Listings may earn a commission on claims made through the links above, at no extra cost to you. Compensation amounts and eligibility depend on your route, delay length, and the reason for the disruption.