Flight Compensation
and Your Rights under EC 261
Flight disruptions are unwanted, but common occurrences in air travel. As a passenger, you're in luck! You still have rights in case you experienced flight delay or cancellation, your flight was overbooked or you missed your connection due to a flight issue. In such cases, you might be eligible for compensation up to 600 € per person, on average up to 3 years back.
Your Rights Under EC 261
The EC 261 Regulation establishes the rights of passengers when faced with flight disruptions. If your flight issue falls under the regulation, you may be entitled to compensation of up to 600 €.
Eligibility for Compensation
Passengers might be entitled to compensation if their flight meets the following criteria:
Flight was delayed and the delay was longer than 3 hours compared to the original time of arrival.
Flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure and the airline did not offer you an alternative flight close to your original departure time.
You missed your connecting flight due to a flight delay, cancellation or overbooking and your flights were part of the same booking.
You were denied boarding due to overbooking and didn't give up your seat voluntarily.
Flight is departing from an EU airport or arriving at an EU airport on an EU-based airline.
Flight issue happened not more than 3 years ago (in some cases, the eligibility period may differ).
Issue is not caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, political instability, or security risks.
Distance matters
The amount of compensation for flight issues is determined by the distance of the flight:
Up to 1 500 km
250 € *
1 500 km - 3 500 km
400 € *
More than 3 500 km
600 € *
* The amount of compensation estimated to be paid by the airline as stated in EC 261, before deducting our Service Fee
While your ticket might have been cheap, the price does not affect the amount of compensation you might be entitled to. Even if your ticket cost only 20 €, you might still get up to 600 €, on average up to 3 years back.
Right to Care and Assistance
Regardless of the distance of the flight, passengers are entitled to:
Meals and refreshments
Food or drink (or a voucher) after 2 hours.
Accommodation
In case of an overnight stay, airline must provide a hotel.
Access to communication
Phone call or an email provided by the airline.
Transportation
Transport to and from the airport or hotel.
Even if the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances, you are still entitled to care and assistance as mentioned above or a refund of such expenses in case you had to pay for them yourself. Use Flywize online form to submit your Expenses Refund claim.
Flight Delay caused by Extraordinary Circumstances.
Am I still Eligible for Compensation?
Problemi di volo e le loro cause
I problemi di volo possono essere attribuiti a una varietà di fattori, alcuni dei quali sono al di fuori del controllo delle compagnie aeree. Questi eventi imprevisti sono definiti "circostanze straordinarie" ai sensi del regolamento EC 261.
I tuoi diritti
Le compagnie aeree non sono obbligate a risarcire i passeggeri se il problema del volo è causato da circostanze straordinarie al di fuori del loro controllo. Tuttavia, i passeggeri godono comunque di determinati diritti.
Cosa sono le circostanze straordinarie
Eventi meteorologici imprevedibili e gravi, come uragani o nubi di cenere vulcanica, possono compromettere i viaggi aerei. Le compagnie aeree non sono ritenute responsabili per eventuali problemi causati da queste condizioni meteorologiche incontrollabili.
Claim up to 600 € for your flight issue.
How to Claim Compensation Under EC 261
If you've experienced a flight delay, cancellation, overbooking or missed connection that falls within the criteria outlined by EC 261, you can claim compensation by following these steps:
Raccogliere informazioni sul volo
Raccogli i dettagli sul tuo volo, tra cui il numero del volo, la data e il numero di prenotazione.
Conserva tutta la tua documentazione
Tieni a portata di mano le carte d'imbarco, le ricevute delle spese e tutte le comunicazioni con la compagnia aerea.
Invia un reclamo a Flywize
Utilizza il nostro modulo online semplice e veloce per verificare gratuitamente la tua idoneità e inviare la tua richiesta di risarcimento.
Lascia che ce ne occupiamo noi
Il nostro team di esperti si occuperà della comunicazione con la compagnia aerea e gestirà l'intero processo.
Ci vogliono meno di 5 minuti
I was Offered a Travel Voucher for a Flight Issue.
Am I still Eligible for Compensation?
When facing a flight issue, airlines often offer cash or travel vouchers to affected passengers. While these offers may seem tempting, it's important to be aware that by accepting cash or a travel voucher you lose your right to compensation under the EC 261 regulation.
Meal voucher
Airline may give you a food or drink voucher during your issue. This voucher is usually between 4 € - 20 € per person. You may accept a food or drink voucher, as it does not affect your right for compensation.
Travel voucher
During a flight issue, airlines often offer cash or travel vouchers to affected passengers. Be aware of the value of the voucher or cash, as by accepting it you lose your right to request compensation.
40% of passengers who accept a travel voucher receive less than their entitled compensation amount.
Viaggi d'affari e compensi
Se hai viaggiato per un viaggio di lavoro pagato dal tuo datore di lavoro, hai comunque diritto a un risarcimento fino a 600 € in caso di ritardo del volo, cancellazione, perdita di coincidenza o overbooking.
Il tuo datore di lavoro ha acquistato il biglietto per il tuo viaggio di lavoro.
Il tuo volo è stato ritardato o cancellato.
In quanto passeggero hai diritto a un risarcimento.
Ai sensi dell EC261, è stabilito che è il passeggero ad avere diritto al risarcimento, non la persona o la compagnia che ha pagato il biglietto.
Questions about Compensation?
Check our our FAQs
EC 261 refers to European Union Regulation 261/2004, which establishes the rights of air passengers and outlines compensation eligibility in case of flight disruptions such as Flight Delay, Cancellation, Overbooking or Missed Connecting Flight.
Yes, if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours upon arrival, you may be eligible for compensation under EC 261 up to 600 € on flights up to 3 years back on average, unless the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control. Read more about what you are entitled to when experiencing a Flight Delay.
In case of flight cancellation, you may be entitled to compensation unless the airline provides alternative arrangements with a similar arrival time to your destination or arranges an alternative way of transportation to your destination, or if the cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances. You can read more about your rights and compensation eligibility when facing a Cancelled flight.
If you are denied boarding due to overbooking, you may be entitled to compensation under EC 261 up to 600 €, rebooking on the next available flight, and assistance with meals and accommodations if necessary. Find out more details about how to claim Overbooking.
Yes, if you miss a connecting flight due to a delay or other reasons within the airline's control, you may be eligible for compensation and assistance in accordance with EC 261 and an alternative flight to your final destination at the earliest possible date and time. Read more about Connecting Flights and your rights in case of a flight disruption.
Extraordinary circumstances are events beyond the airline's control, such as severe weather, political instability or security risks. Airlines are not obligated to pay compensation to passengers for delays or cancellations caused by Extraordinary Circumstances. However, passengers are entitled to care and assistance during such events.
To claim compensation for your flight issue, you will need to collect information about your flight such as the flight number, date and your reservation booking number. Have your boarding passes, receipts for expenses and any communication with the airline. Use our quick and easy online form to check your eligibility for free and submit your claim for compensation. Our team of experts will take care of the communication with the airline and handle the entire process for you.
The timeframe for submitting a compensation claim varies based on the country where the flight took place. Typically, passengers have a window of up to 3 years on average from the flight date to claim their compensation. In some certain exceptions, claiming compensation for flights that experienced delays or cancellations even several years ago might be possible.
The amount of compensation to which passengers are entitled depends on various factors, such as the distance of the flight and the length of the delay or the number of days before the scheduled departure. In the case of a cancelled flight, passengers are entitled to compensation if the flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure. The amount of compensation for a flight delayed by more than 3 hours and for a cancelled flight ranges from 250 € to 600 €, depending on the flight distance, not the price of the ticket.
While some passengers are able to successfully win their compensation from the airline, it is usually not the case. Passengers have the option to seek legal advice or use a specialized service to assist with their claim. Our team of experts will check your eligibility for compensation for free, help you understand your entitlements under EC 261 and make the entire claiming process easy and worry-free.