# How do I get a flight refund under EU261?

aiflightrefunds.com · August 21, 2026

> If your flight was delayed more than three hours at arrival, cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or overbooked on a route covered by Regulation...

If your flight was delayed more than three hours at arrival, cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or overbooked on a route covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, you are entitled to a refund of your ticket or compensation of €250 to €600 per passenger — and in many cases both. This guide explains exactly how to get a flight refund under EU261 as it stands in August 2026, including the amounts you can claim, the steps to take, the deadlines that apply, and the mistakes that cause most claims to fail.

## What EU261 Actually Entitles You To

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Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 is the European Union's air passenger rights law. It applies to all flights departing from an airport in an EU member state, regardless of the airline's nationality, and to flights arriving in the EU when operated by an EU-registered carrier (including Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland). The UK retained a near-identical version after Brexit, called UK261, which covers flights departing from UK airports and arrivals into the UK on UK carriers.

The regulation provides two distinct remedies that passengers frequently confuse. First, there is the right to reimbursement: if your flight is cancelled and you choose not to travel, or if a delay exceeds five hours and you abandon the trip, the airline must refund your full ticket price within seven days. Second, there is fixed monetary compensation for the disruption itself: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for all other flights. Compensation is reduced by 50% if the airline re-routes you and your arrival delay stays within two hours (short flights), three hours (medium), or four hours (long).

A third layer of entitlements often goes unclaimed: the duty of care. During long delays the airline must provide meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation for overnight waits, ground transfers, and two free phone calls or emails — proportionate to the waiting time. If the airline fails to provide these, you can claim reasonable expenses back with receipts. Keep every receipt; airlines routinely reject undocumented expense claims.

## How Much You Can Claim: The Compensation Table

The amount depends on flight distance and how late you arrived at your final destination. Arrival delay is measured against the originally scheduled arrival time, not the departure delay, which matters when an airline re-routes you onto a faster connection.

| Flight distance | Compensation | Refund eligibility | Reduced rate condition |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | Delay >3h or cancellation 3h or cancellation

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