A full guide to EU and UK air passenger rights
🗽TRUSTED BY TRAVELERS ACROSS THE U.S.
EUROPEAN FLIGHT DELAYS MAY ENTITLE PASSENGERS TO
Up to $650 per passenger
Complimentary rebooking
Help with delays, cancelations, and overbooking
Air travel is often a frustrating experience, particularly during long delays. Thankfully, Americans traveling internationally to/from Europe, or flying within the EU, oftentimes travel on itineraries protected under EU Rule 261, granting special rights when flights are delayed 3+ hours, canceled, or overbooked.
MyAirAdvocate specializes in helping Americans earn compensation when their European travels go awry.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Travelers oftentimes hear about protections offered by EC 261 and EU 261. They are the same regulation, technically EC Regulation 261/2004.
UK is a separate, but similar regulation from the UK government, instituted as a way to protect passengers following the passage of Brexit.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
EC 261 air passenger rights
Passengers are entitled to compensation following flight cancelations, delays of 3+ hours, or denied boardings, assuming the airline is at fault. This means factors like weather delays are not compensable.
Compensation varies from $270 and $650 based on flight distance. These amounts are guaranteed under US and EU law.
EC 261 covers all flights within the European Union, as well as all flights departing from the EU and flights arriving into the EU on EU based airlines.
EC 261 also protects passengers' right to food and drink, as well as lodging and transportation when required by law.
Does EC 261 apply to American travelers?
EC 261 regulations apply to EU and non-EU citizens equally. The rules do not differentiate by a traveler's citizenship status, but by the flight itinerary that a traveler flew on. This makes certain flights originating in the United States eligible. Compensation is available to passengers under one of these 3 provisions:
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Flights originating and landing in the EU, regardless of airline
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Flights on an EU carrier landing in Europe, regardless of original departure country
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All flights departing from the EU zone
UK 261 mirrors the same eligibility guidelines, just for UK airports and airlines.
If you have any questions whether your flight qualifies, just use our flight compensation eligibility search.
File a claim with MyAirAdvocate
STEP 1
Submit your claim
Submit your claim with MyAirAdvocate in less than 2 minutes.
STEP 2
Sit back and relax
We'll do all the hard work and negotiate with your airline on your behalf.
STEP 3
Receive compensation
We'll send you your compensation right away. We don't win, you don't pay.
Not surprisingly, European airlines don't like EC and UK 261 very much. Legally, they need to provide passengers the means to file for compensation, but in our experience, you'll likely get the run-around, wasting valuable time and potentially money fighting to receive what is legally yours.
Enter MyAirAdvocate. Our team of dedicated flight experts specializes in helping Americans who've experienced subpar experiences in their European travels.
Start in less than 2 minutes with our claim eligibility checker.
We operate in a no win, no fee model, eliminating all risk to you. If we're unable to earn you compensation, you don't pay a dime. When we are successful, we'll take just 20% of the proceeds.
When are passengers eligible for EC 261 compensation?
Passengers become eligible for compensation under EC 261/UK 261 under these 3 circumstances:
1️⃣ Your flight is delayed by 3+ hours: If you arrive to your final destination three hours or more late, you'll be eligible to receive $270-$650, depending on the length of your flight (in miles, not time)
2️⃣Denied boardings: Known as "getting bumped," this happens when airlines overbook their flights and sell more seats than they have. Do not accept any flight credits from your airline, as it may void any EC 261 eligibility.
3️⃣Flight cancellations, so long as they happen less than 14 days before your flight's original departure date.
CHECK EC 261 COMPENSATION
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How much compensation am I entitled to?
EC and UK 261 regulations entitle passengers to one of three compensation amounts, based on the length of their delay and the distance of their flight. Currently:
Flights under 932 miles (1,500 km)
Flights between 932 and 2,175 (1,500-3,500 km)
Flights over 2,175 miles (3,500 km)
$270
$430
$650
What do I need to file an EC 261 claim?
Every airline has different requirements to claim compensation under EC 261. We make filing a claim as simple as we can and only ask for your confirmation number and your boarding pass.
Your confirmation number may be called different things depending on your airline. Lufthansa refers to it as a booking code, Air France calls its booking reference, and so on.
We have other ways to file your claim without this information as well, so don’t worry if you can find them.
If you’ve encountered other expenses because of an EC 261 qualifying delay, retain all receipts, as we can work on reimbursement in addition to your claim.
How long will my claim take?
Different airlines settle in different amounts of time, but generally, claims take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to settle. This can vary based on airline cooperation and whether we need to escalate your claim through the proper channels.
Your dedicated claim manager will make sure to check in at least once per week to keep you updated.
When you can't make an EC 261 claim
Unfortunately, not all flight delays are compensable under EC 261. Typically, these events are "extraordinary circumstances" events that occur due to no fault of your airline. Examples include:
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Poor weather, like a blizzard
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Natural disasters, like a wildfire or hurricane
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Air traffic control strikes
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Political instability, like wars or terrorism
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Other security risks
But just because your delay falls into this category doesn't mean that filing a claim isn't worth it. Sometimes, successful claims are made even in the event of bad weather, particularly if it can be demonstrated that other airlines made plans to avoid significant impacts. MyAirAdvocate keeps up to date with all European court challenges and enforcements of EC 261, and we'll have your back.
How to file your EC 261 claim
Airline claims
Each airline handles their claim process a little differently. Start by locating the procedure on your carrier’s site and check your eligibility manually.
Then, gather your applicable documentation, submit your claim, and follow-up periodically.
If your claim goes unresolved or unanswered, you may opt to escalate your case with the applicable aviation authority. If that is unsuccessful, you may hire an aviation attorney to resolve your case on your behalf.
MyAirAdvocate claims
We can handle all of this for you and get you your money sooner.
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Verify your itinerary’s eligibility before we start
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Submit your supporting documentation and communicate with your airline for you
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You relax and wait for your check to clear. We handle all the hard work for you.
How to file your EC 261 claim
In addition to monetary compensation, EC 261 provides airlines must also provide:
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Food and drink
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Lodging
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Transportation
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Communication (for passengers without their own means)
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Refunds
Refunds are available if passengers choose not to fly following a cancelation, or following a delay once it reaches 5 hours in length.
Does EU/UK 261 Cover My Flight? ✈️
Here's how we'll gauge your eligibility for compensation under EU 261.
✅ You're Covered If:
Three scenarios that entitle you to compensation under EU or UK 261.
Scenario 1: Flying TO Europe
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Departing from ANY US airport
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Landing in the EU or UK
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Flying on a European airline (British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, etc.)
📍 Example: Chicago → London on British Airways? You're covered.
📍 Example: New York → Paris on Air France? Covered.
📍 Counter-example: Boston → Dublin on Delta? Not covered (US airline).
Scenario 2: Flying FROM Europe to United States (or elsewhere)
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Departing from EU/UK airport
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On ANY airline (even American ones!)
📍 Example: Amsterdam → New York on Delta? You're covered!
📍 Example: Rome → Miami on American Airlines? Covered!
Scenario 3: Flying WITHIN Europe
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Both departure and arrival in EU/UK
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On any airline
📍 Example: Barcelona → Berlin on easyJet? Covered.
📍 Example: London → Dublin on Aer Lingus? Covered.
🚫 Not Covered:
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Domestic US flights (like LAX → JFK)
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US to Europe on US carriers (like United's Newark → Frankfurt flight)
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Flights departing from Europe on non-EU/UK airlines going outside the EU/UK