EU261 compensation is the fixed cash payment (roughly EUR 250 to EUR 600 by distance) that EC Regulation 261/2004 requires a carrier to pay a passenger for cancellations, arrival delays of 3 hours or more, or denied boarding on covered flights.
EU261 covers any flight departing an EU airport, and any flight arriving in the EU on an EU-licensed carrier. Compensation applies unless the disruption stems from “extraordinary circumstances” (severe weather, ATC action, security, third-party strikes). The amount depends on the great-circle distance of the flight: EUR 250 up to 1,500 km, EUR 400 for intra-EU over 1,500 km or 1,500 to 3,500 km outside the EU, and EUR 600 for over 3,500 km outside the EU. Verify against primary source at build time.
Support desks under EU261 must handle both the compensation claim and the duty of care (meals, accommodation, communications), which applies even when compensation does not.
Common questions
Does EU261 apply to a US-based carrier?
Only for flights departing an EU airport. A US carrier flying from JFK to CDG is not covered by EU261; the same carrier’s CDG to JFK flight is.
What is the deadline to claim EU261 compensation?
The claim window is set by national law of the enforcement body (e.g. 6 years in the UK, up to 10 years in some EU states, 3 years in Germany). Verify against primary source at build time.
