How much flight compensation can you get? The calculation explained
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Flight compensation is a fixed amount per passenger set by distance: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km (and for any flight between two EU/EEA airports), €600 beyond — or £220, £350 and £520 under UK261. It does not depend on what you paid; a €19.99 ticket can earn €250. Distance is measured as a straight line between the first departure airport and the final destination.
¿Cuánta compensación por mi vuelo podría recibir?
250 €–600 € por pasajero, según la distancia del vuelo, por un retraso en la llegada de 3 horas o más, una cancelación anunciada con menos de 14 días o una denegación de embarque en un vuelo cubierto por el Reglamento 261.
¿Se aplica a su vuelo?
¿Se aplica a su vuelo?
Unas pocas preguntas breves; todavía no hace falta el número de vuelo. Obtiene un resultado preliminar sobre los hechos que indique; la comprobación completa lo confirma a partir del itinerario.
¿Qué pasó con su vuelo?
| Distancia | UE / CH (Regl. 261/2004) | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Hasta 1.500 km | 250 € | 220 GBP |
| 1.500 – 3.500 km | 400 € | 350 GBP |
| Más de 3.500 km, ambos aeropuertos en la UE/EEE | 400 € | — |
| Más de 3.500 km | 600 € | 520 GBP |
The formula
- Determine the regime from the departure airport (EU/EEA → EU261; UK → UK261; Switzerland → Swiss rules) or, for flights into Europe, from the operating airline’s licence.
- Measure the great-circle distance between the departure airport and the final destination of your booking — a straight line over the Earth’s surface, not the flown route and not the sum of connecting legs.
- Apply the band: ≤ 1,500 km, 1,500–3,500 km, > 3,500 km.
- Apply the intra-EU cap (EU261 and Swiss rules only): if both airports are in the EU/EEA/Switzerland the amount never exceeds €400.
- Apply any reduction: 50% for long-haul delays under 4 hours, or for re-routing that arrives within 2/3/4 hours of the original time.
- Multiply by passengers — infants without a paid seat excluded.
Worked examples
| Route | Distance | Regime | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris → Amsterdam | ≈ 400 km | EU261 | €250 |
| London → Málaga | ≈ 1,700 km | UK261 | £350 |
| Madrid → Helsinki | ≈ 2,950 km | EU261 | €400 |
| Paris → Réunion | ≈ 9,400 km, both EU | EU261 | €400 (cap) |
| Frankfurt → New York, 3 h 30 late | ≈ 6,200 km | EU261 | €300 (reduced) |
| Frankfurt → New York, 4 h+ late | ≈ 6,200 km | EU261 | €600 |
| London → Sydney | ≈ 17,000 km | UK261 | £520 (no cap) |
| Lisbon → Frankfurt → Tokyo (one ticket) | Lisbon–Tokyo ≈ 11,100 km | EU261 | €600 |
What does not change the amount
The fare paid, the class of travel, the length of the delay beyond the thresholds, or the number of legs. A first-class passenger and a basic-economy passenger on the same delayed flight receive the same fixed sum.
What you can add on top
Reasonable expenses the airline should have covered (meals, hotel, transport), and — under the Montreal Convention, separately — provable losses such as a missed cruise or hotel night, subject to limits and the airline’s defences.
Use the checker to compute the exact distance and amount for your flight from airport coordinates.
Preguntas frecuentes
How is the compensation amount calculated?
By the great-circle distance of the flight (or of the whole journey on one booking): €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km, €600 beyond — capped at €400 for flights between two EU airports. UK261 uses £220, £350 and £520.
Does the ticket price affect the amount?
No. A €29 ticket and a €900 ticket on the same route earn the same compensation, and each passenger on the booking — including children with a paid seat — receives the full amount.
When is the amount halved?
On flights over 3,500 km when the arrival delay is between 3 and 4 hours, or when the airline re-routed you and you arrived within the reduction windows (2, 3 or 4 hours late by distance band).
Can I check the amount for my flight?
Yes — the free checker computes the distance from the real airport coordinates, applies the rules in force on your flight date and shows the amount per passenger with the legal basis.
Fuentes
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-559/16 Bossen v Brussels Airlines — the distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure and the final destination
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukThe Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278)
Última revisión legal: 12 de septiembre de 2026 · Contenido actualizado: 12 de septiembre de 2026
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