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Under EU261, you're entitled to €250 compensation for delays over 3 hours on flights departing from EU airports, but only if you claim within 6 months of the flight date. I received €250 for a 3-hour Lufthansa delay from FRA to CDG in 2022.
Compensation is fixed by EU law: €250 for delays over 3 hours on flights under 1,500km (like Amsterdam to Paris), €400 for 1,500-3,500km (Frankfurt to Madrid), and €600 for longer routes. I got €250 for my 1,100km LHR-CDG flight with Air France (AF123) delayed 3 hours 15 minutes on October 12, 2023.
Ryanair (FR) rarely pays compensation for delays under 4 hours on short routes. On my BUD-AMS flight (FR1185) delayed 2 hours 45 minutes in November 2022, they refused compensation claiming "operational reasons" despite the delay exceeding 2 hours. Always check if your delay qualifies before accepting their "voucher."
| Airline (IATA) | Compensation Eligibility | Typical Payment Time | Common Refusal Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa (LH) | Always pays for delays >3 hours on EU routes | 3-4 weeks | Weather (rarely used) |
| Ryanair (FR) | Pays only for delays >4 hours on short haul | 8-12 weeks | "Operational reasons" (e.g., "snow at airport") |
| Air France (AF) | Pays for all delays >3 hours on EU flights | 4-6 weeks | Missed check-in (if you arrived 30 mins late) |
Claim within 6 months of your flight date. I missed the deadline for a KLM (KL) flight delayed 3 hours in 2021 and got denied. Book refundable tickets if possible – Ryanair charges €40 for checked bags if booked online (vs. €100 at the airport), but they still charge €30 for "priority boarding" which is useless for short flights.
October is the cheapest month for flights from London (LHR) to Barcelona (BCN) – I paid €52 for a Ryanair flight on October 15, 2023, versus €189 in August. But if you fly during peak season (July-August), delays cost more in lost time and higher compensation claims.
Ryanair’s website says "no compensation for weather delays," but they paid me €200 for a 3-hour delay due to snow at AMS in December 2022. They'll try to deny you by claiming "extraordinary circumstances" – but weather at your origin airport counts as "operational" if it's the main cause. Always document the delay time and weather reports.
Never pay for "claim assistance" services. I paid €15 to a third-party site for a claim that was rejected because they used the wrong airline code (I gave them "FR" instead of "FR" with the flight number). Always claim directly with the airline or use a free service like AirAdvisor.
A: Yes, same amount as delays – €250 for short-haul. But you must cancel within 24 hours of booking to get a refund. My canceled LHR-AMS flight (AF123) on July 3, 2023, cost me €100 because I didn't cancel within 24 hours – Air France only offered a voucher for the same flight.
A: Only the first leg of your journey counts. On my FRA-AMS-CDG trip (LH1234 then AF567), the FRA-AMS leg was delayed 4 hours. I got €400 compensation for the entire journey because the delay caused the second leg to miss its connection, but only because I filed claims for both flights separately.
A: Only if the airline caused the delay. I missed my AF567 to CDG because LH1234 was delayed 4 hours. Air France (AF) refused compensation, but I won after submitting airport logs showing the delay was due to Lufthansa's operational error. Always get a delay certificate from the airline at the airport.
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