EU261 flight delay compensation calculator
This free calculator estimates how much compensation you may be owed under EU261 for a delayed or cancelled flight, based on the distance between your two airports and how late you arrived.
Pick your airports, enter the delay at your final destination and tick whether the airline is based in the EU. The result is an estimate, not a legal ruling.
How the amount is calculated
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 sets fixed amounts by distance. The distance is the great-circle distance between the departure and arrival airports, which this tool computes from airport coordinates with the haversine formula.
- 250 EUR for flights of 1,500 km or less.
- 400 EUR for flights within the EU of more than 1,500 km, and for all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km.
- 600 EUR for other flights of more than 3,500 km.
The amount is per passenger, not per booking.
Delays and cancellations
For a delay, what counts is when you reach your final destination. Under the rules as confirmed by the Court of Justice, a delay of 3 hours or more at arrival can give the same right to compensation as a cancellation. On non-EU flights over 3,500 km, a delay of 3 to 4 hours pays half (300 EUR); 4 hours or more pays the full 600 EUR.
For a cancellation, you get nothing if you were told 14 days or more ahead. If you were told 7 to 13 days ahead, you lose the right only if the airline offered a replacement that left no more than 2 hours early and arrived less than 4 hours late. If you were told less than 7 days ahead, the replacement must leave no more than 1 hour early and arrive less than 2 hours late. This calculator uses a simplified version of these tests and treats the 1 hour departure part as met.
If the airline offered an alternative flight and you arrived later than planned, the airline may cut the compensation by 50% when your delay stays within 2 hours (up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500 to 3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km).
Which flights are covered
The Regulation covers flights departing from an airport in the EU (any airline), flights arriving in the EU from outside on an airline based in the EU, and the same for Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. A flight from New York to Vienna on a US airline is not covered; the same flight on an EU airline is. Flights departing the UK fall under the separate UK rules, which are similar but paid in pounds. You also cannot claim twice if you already received compensation under another country's law for the same problem.
When the airline can refuse
No compensation is due if the airline proves the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that it could not have avoided even with all reasonable measures. Examples are air traffic management decisions, political instability, severe weather and security risks. Most technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff are not treated as extraordinary. Strikes by outside staff, such as air traffic controllers, can be.
You may still be entitled to care during the wait (meals, hotel, transport) and to a refund or rerouting, even when no cash compensation is due.
Limits of this tool
The result is an estimate. It ignores denied boarding, flights with several legs on one booking, the exact departure times in the cancellation tests, and the airline's reason for the delay. Distances are straight-line, which is what the Regulation uses in practice, but airlines and courts may measure slightly differently near a band edge. For the official rules, read the passenger rights pages of Your Europe (europa.eu).
Questions
How is the distance measured?
As the great-circle (straight line over the earth) distance between the departure and final arrival airports, not the route the plane actually flew.
Is the delay measured at departure or arrival?
At arrival at your final destination, meaning when the aircraft door opens. A late departure that is made up in the air may not count.
Can I claim for a connecting flight?
If it was one booking and you reached your final destination 3 hours or more late, the distance is usually measured from your first departure to your final destination. This tool handles one leg at a time, so enter the first and last airport.
How long do I have to claim?
Time limits depend on national law and range from about two to six years. Do not wait if you can avoid it.
Does the airline have to pay if bad weather caused the delay?
Not if the weather was severe enough to count as an extraordinary circumstance and it caused your delay. The airline has to show that.
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