EU law gives passengers robust protections when flights go wrong. Here’s everything you need to know about your rights under EC261 — explained clearly, without the legal jargon.
Whether you’re flying within the EU, departing from an EU airport, or arriving into the EU on an EU carrier, the law is on your side. Here’s what you may be entitled to when things go wrong.
Up to €600 per passenger for delays, cancellations, or denied boarding — depending on flight distance.
If your flight is cancelled or you’re denied boarding, you can choose between a full refund or an alternative flight to your destination.
Airlines must provide meals and drinks while you wait, if your disruption lasts two or more hours.
If you’re stuck overnight, your airline must arrange and pay for a hotel, plus transfers to and from the airport.
Lost, delayed, or damaged baggage may be covered under the Montreal Convention, regardless of airline or route.
You can often claim for past flights. The limit depends on the specific European country, generally ranging from 1 to 10 years.
Your rights depend on where your flight departs from and which airline operates it. For passengers flying to, from, or within Europe, these are the key pieces of legislation.
The original EU regulation remains strongly in force across all European Union member states. It is the primary law protecting EU passengers and applies to:
This regulation covers flight delays of 3+ hours, cancellations with less than 14 days’ notice, denied boarding, and missed connections caused by the airline. National Enforcement Bodies (NEBs) throughout Europe oversee its compliance. The full text is available at eur-lex.europa.eu.
The Montreal Convention is an international treaty that applies to almost all international flights. It primarily covers:
Are you flying to the UK? If you are flying into the UK on a UK-based airline, or departing the UK, you may also be protected under UK261 — which mirrors the EC261 rules perfectly but pays out in British Pounds. We’ll always consider which regulation gives you the stronger claim. If you’re unsure, get in touch.
EC 261 includes an important exception: airlines are not required to pay if a disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances — events genuinely outside the airline’s control.
Storms, fog, or ice conditions that make safe flight operations impossible and affect the airport or airspace.
Industrial action by air traffic control staff — but not strikes by the airline’s own employees.
Unexpected security threats or airport closures that are beyond the airline’s reasonable control.
Technical faults are usually not extraordinary circumstances. A hidden manufacturing defect that could not have been detected may qualify, but routine maintenance issues or known faults generally do not. The European Court of Justice has consistently ruled that airlines cannot use standard technical problems to avoid EC261 payouts.
We have tailored pages for the companies we deal with most below: