Your rights

EU Regulation 261/2004 explained

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 is the law behind almost every claim on this site. It has applied since 2005 and still governs how European flights are disrupted.

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Compensation: €250–€600
Threshold: Since 2005
Governed by: EU 261 / UK 261
Our fee: 20–30%

What it does

The regulation sets three minimum rights when a flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked: compensation (the fixed sums of €250, €400 or €600), assistance (meals, communication and accommodation), and a choice of refund or rerouting.

Which flights it covers

It applies to any flight departing from an airport in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, on any carrier. It also applies to flights arriving in that area if the operating carrier is licensed there. So a flight from New York to Paris on an EU airline is covered; the same route on a US airline is not.

Extraordinary circumstances

Article 5(3) is the watershed. Where disruption results from circumstances the airline could not have avoided even if it took all reasonable measures, fixed compensation falls away. The courts read this narrowly: technical faults, crew shortages and the airline’s own strikes do not qualify.

After Brexit

The United Kingdom retained the regime as UK 261, largely mirroring the EU regulation. Flights from UK airports, and flights into the UK on UK-licensed carriers, are covered just as EU flights are under the original.

How to enforce it

A passenger can claim directly, complain to the national enforcement body, or hand the claim to a service such as Flightright. Going to court is the final step — and the point at which fees typically rise.

In short

Compensation is €250–€600 per passenger, set by the regulation.
The trigger is since 2005.
Extraordinary circumstances remove the fixed sum, but never the right to care.
We work on a no-win, no-fee basis — nothing is owed on an unsuccessful claim.

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Common questions

EU Regulation 261 — asked and answered

Is the regulation still in force?

Yes. It has been amended and interpreted by the courts over two decades but remains the governing law in the EU, and its UK counterpart remains in force there.

Does it cover domestic flights?

Within the EU, yes. A domestic flight inside a single EU country departs from a covered airport, so the regulation applies.

How much does the fixed compensation come to?

Between €250 and €600 per passenger, depending on the distance of the flight — regardless of the ticket price.

Let us enforce your claim

Our legal experts take it from here — assessing, corresponding and, where needed, going to court. You pay only on success.

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