Flight delay compensation calculator (EU261)

If you reached your final destination 3 hours or more late, your flight was cancelled or you were denied boarding, you can claim EUR 250, 400 or 600 from the airline, depending on the distance. Answer a few questions to see the amount, the legal basis and the deadline for claiming it.

Legal basis: art. 5 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 · Updated 20 October 2026

Step 1

Which route did you fly?

If you had a connecting flight, choose the first departure airport and the final destination.

How much do you get for a delayed or cancelled flight?

The amount depends on the distance between the first departure airport and the final destination, measured by the great circle route (art. 7(4) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004). The ticket price does not matter.

Flight distance Compensation
up to 1,500 km EUR 250
over 1,500 km within the EU, or between 1,500 and 3,500 km EUR 400
over 3,500 km, outside the EU EUR 600

The Regulation applies to flights departing from an EU airport, with any airline, and to flights arriving in the EU from outside it if they are operated by an EU airline (art. 3(1)). For a delay, the right arises from 3 hours at the final destination. For a cancellation, what matters is how far in advance you were told and what re-routing you were offered. The airline can avoid paying if it proves extraordinary circumstances, but that does not release it from providing meals, hotel accommodation or reimbursement of the ticket.

How do you claim the money?

The first step is a written claim to the airline, with the booking number, the route, the date and the time you arrived. Keep the boarding pass and every message you received about the delay or cancellation. If the airline refuses to pay or relies on extraordinary circumstances without proving them, I can prepare the claim to the airline with you, as well as the complaint to ANPC (the National Authority for Consumer Protection) or, if needed, the court case. All the steps are also explained in the guide to delayed and cancelled flights (Romanian).

Frequently asked questions

How much do I get if my flight was delayed?
If you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late, the airline owes you EUR 250 for flights of up to 1,500 km, EUR 400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km and for other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and EUR 600 for all other flights (art. 7(1) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and the CJEU judgments in Sturgeon and Nelson). For flights in the third band, if the delay is between 3 and 4 hours, the amount can be reduced by half, to EUR 300 (Sturgeon, para. 63).
How is the delay measured if I had a connecting flight?
Only the time you reach your final destination counts, meaning the moment at least one of the aircraft doors is opened (CJEU, Germanwings, C-452/13). On connecting flights, the first flight does not need to have left late (CJEU, Folkerts, C-11/11), and the distance is measured by the great circle route from the first departure airport to the final destination (CJEU, Bossen, C-559/16).
Am I entitled to compensation if my flight was cancelled?
Yes, unless you were told at least 14 days in advance. Between 7 and 13 days, the airline avoids paying only if it offered you re-routing that departs no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives less than 4 hours later. Under 7 days, the limits are 1 hour and 2 hours (art. 5(1)(c) of the Regulation). The airline must prove when it told you (art. 5(4)).
What are extraordinary circumstances?
Events the airline could not have avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken, for example weather conditions incompatible with the flight or a bird strike (art. 5(3), recital 14; CJEU, Pešková, C-315/15). An ordinary technical problem does not count (CJEU, Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07), and neither does a strike by the airline's own staff (CJEU, Airhelp, C-28/20). The burden of proof is on the airline, not on you.
Do I have to accept a voucher instead of money?
No. Compensation is paid in money, by bank transfer or cheque. Vouchers or other services are allowed only with your signed agreement (art. 7(3) of the Regulation). If you are offered a voucher, you can refuse it and ask for the money.
How long do I have to claim compensation?
The Regulation sets no time limit, so the national law of each country applies (CJEU, Moré, C-139/11). In Romania, the general limitation period under Codul civil (the Civil Code) is 3 years (art. 2.517). The calculator counts the 3 years from the date of the flight, as an indicative reference. The sooner you send the claim, the easier it is to gather the evidence.
What changes from 2027?
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amends Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and applies from 23 October 2027. The 3-hour threshold and the amounts of EUR 250, 400 and 600 stay the same. What is new is the time limit: the claim to the airline must be sent within 9 months of the actual departure date. The text does not say explicitly whether the new rules apply by booking date or by flight date, so flights around that date are worth checking.
What can I do if the airline refuses to pay?
You can complain to ANPC, the national enforcement body for this Regulation in Romania, or you can go to court. For amounts up to 50,000 lei there is the simplified small claims procedure (cerere de valoare redusă) at the first-instance court (Judecătoria), under art. 1.026 Codul de procedură civilă (the Code of Civil Procedure). Before that, send the airline a written claim and keep the ticket, the boarding pass and every message you received.

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