Delayed or cancelled flight: what the law owes you
Europe's air passenger rights regulation is among the most protective anywhere, and July 2026 brought its biggest overhaul in twenty years. It is worth knowing what you are owed today, and what is about to change.
What you can claim right now
If you reach your destination three or more hours late, or your flight is cancelled without adequate notice, compensation depends on distance:
- 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 kilometres.
- 400 euros for intra-EU flights over 1,500 kilometres and all other journeys between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres.
- 600 euros for anything beyond 3,500 kilometres.
The airline is off the hook if it can show extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather or airspace closures. A routine technical fault does not qualify.
The right to care is separate
Even where no compensation is due, once a wait becomes long the airline must provide food and drink, a means of communication and, if your flight rolls over to the next day, accommodation and transport. This right does not depend on the cause of the delay.
What the reform changes
The European Parliament approved the reform on 7 July 2026 and the Council signed it off on 13 July. The three-hour thresholds and the amounts stay as they are. What is new:
- A personal item and a small cabin bag become free of charge.
- Charging a parent or guardian to sit beside the child in their care is banned.
- Airlines will not be able to cancel your return leg or add a fee simply because you skipped the outbound.
- If you are not rerouted within three hours, you can arrange it yourself and claim back up to 400% of the ticket price.
- Stronger protection for passengers with reduced mobility, including extra compensation when the airport fails to provide assistance.
When it takes effect
Not yet. The text enters into force twenty days after publication in the Official Journal and applies twelve months after that, so the current rules will keep running until the second half of 2027 at the earliest.
Claiming without the hassle
Keep your boarding pass and every receipt. Ask at the desk for the reason for the delay in writing. Claim from the airline first and, if nothing comes back within a reasonable time, escalate to the national enforcement body. You do not need a middleman to file a claim.
Informational summary verified in August 2026. It is not legal advice and does not replace the official text of the regulation.