A cancelled flight is stressful enough without the added confusion of what the airline owes you. In Europe, the answer is written down: EU Regulation 261/2004, known as EU261, gives passengers on EU flights clear rights to compensation, refunds, rerouting, and care. It applies to far more flights than most travelers realize, and claiming it does not require a lawyer or a fight.

EU261 covers any flight departing from an EU airport, regardless of the airline, and any flight arriving in the EU on an EU-based airline. It also covers flights within the EU, and the UK has kept an equivalent rule, UK261, after Brexit. The compensation amounts depend on distance: 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 kilometers, 400 euros for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers, and 600 euros for flights over 3,500 kilometers. If the airline offers rerouting and you arrive within two to four hours of the original time, depending on distance, the compensation can be reduced by half.

The key question is why the flight was cancelled. If the airline cancels for reasons within its control, such as a technical fault, crew shortage, or scheduling problem, compensation is owed. If the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, a security threat, or air traffic control restrictions, compensation is not owed, though the airline must still offer a refund or rerouting and provide care. Airlines sometimes claim extraordinary circumstances for ordinary operational problems, so ask for the specific reason in writing and keep the evidence.

Compensation is separate from the refund. If your flight is cancelled, you have the right to choose between a full refund of the ticket and rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity. The airline must also provide care while you wait: meals, refreshments, two phone calls or emails, and hotel accommodation if the delay runs overnight, including transport to and from the hotel. These rights apply regardless of the reason for the cancellation, including extraordinary circumstances.

Claiming is straightforward. First, keep everything: the booking confirmation, the boarding pass, the cancellation notice, and receipts for any expenses. Second, file the claim directly with the airline through its website, quoting EU261 and the flight details. Airlines must respond, and if they refuse or ignore the claim, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure. If that fails, claims companies will take the case for a percentage of the payout, usually 25 to 30 percent, but try the direct route first, because most valid claims are paid without one.

Two details catch travelers out. First, the time limit for claiming varies by country, from one year in some states to six years in others, so file promptly rather than testing the deadline. Second, compensation is per passenger, not per booking, so a family of four on a cancelled long-haul flight can be owed 2,400 euros. Know the rule before you need it, and a cancelled flight becomes an inconvenience with a cheque attached instead of a loss you absorb in silence.

Delays deserve the same attention as cancellations, because EU261 covers those too. A delay of three hours or more on arrival gives the same compensation as a cancellation, with the same distance bands and the same extraordinary-circumstances exception. The three hours are measured at arrival, when the aircraft doors open, not at departure. Keep the boarding pass and note the actual arrival time, because airlines measure delays in their favor when nobody is watching. A long delay is a cancelled flight that still flew, and the compensation is the same.