Compensation amounts
What decides entitlement, what decides the amount, and why there is no flat rate.
Under some legal frameworks the amount is derived mainly from the flight distance. The figures below are commonly used reference ranges, not an automatic sum owed on every disrupted flight.
What makes up the amount
No single amount fits every flight. Distance gives you the order of magnitude, the circumstances decide whether you get near it, and the details of the flight itself settle the figure. What follows is for orientation only.
Flight distance
These orders of magnitude vary between routes. The exact figure follows from the flight itself.
Nature of the disruption
How long it lasted
How much time you actually lost, and at which point of the journey.
When you were told
For a cancellation, how far in advance you were notified.
The alternative offered
Whether another flight was offered, and on what terms.
The cause
Whether it was within the airline's control or outside it.
Route and operator
Where you left from, where you were going, and who operated the flight.
Any one of these can mean no entitlement arises at all, even on a long flight.
Distance sets the order of magnitude. The circumstances decide whether it is reached.
What determines the amount
Flight distance
The distance between the departure airport and the final destination is a central factor in setting the order of magnitude.
Type of disruption
Cancellation, delay and denied boarding are looked at under different rules, even where the effect on the passenger looks similar.
How long it lasted
The size of the disruption affects the amount. Different routes weigh it differently: sometimes the arrival time, sometimes the wait before departure as well.
Applicable law
Scope follows from the departure airport, the destination and the characteristics of the airline, among other things.
Circumstances of the event
The real reason for the disruption, once established, can change the picture entirely.
Connecting flights
On connecting itineraries, how a delay is judged depends on how the trip was booked and which rules apply. A short delay on the first leg can still cost you hours by the time you arrive, and that is usually the part that counts.
Several passengers
Where several passengers travelled together on one booking, each is treated separately. They can be handled within the same claim, provided there is an identity document for each of them.
If the airline rejects the claim
A rejection is a routine part of the process and not necessarily the end of it. We examine the reasoning given and, where there is a basis to continue, act accordingly and keep you informed.
The information on this page is a general explanation only. It is not legal advice and does not guarantee entitlement or any amount. Every case turns on its own facts and under the law that applies to it.