EC261 Compensation Amounts: How Much Can You Claim?

One of the features that makes EC261 so effective as passenger protection is the simplicity of its compensation structure. There is no need to calculate lost earnings, prove financial hardship, or negotiate with the airline over what your inconvenience was "worth." The amounts are fixed by law, the same for every passenger, and determined entirely by one factor: the distance of your flight.

The three compensation tiers

EC261 establishes three flat-rate compensation amounts based on the great-circle distance between your departure airport and your final destination. These amounts are per person, per flight, and apply regardless of the ticket price you paid.

These amounts are established directly in the regulation and are not subject to negotiation or airline discretion.

How distance is calculated

The distance is the "great-circle distance," the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, measured between the coordinates of your departure and final destination airports. It is not the actual flight path, which may be longer due to air traffic routing, weather avoidance, or the curvature of the route.

For connecting flights booked as a single itinerary, only the distance between your origin and final destination matters, not the total distance flown through connecting airports. A flight from Amsterdam to Sydney via Singapore is assessed on the Amsterdam-to-Sydney distance (approximately 16,600 km), which falls firmly in the €600 tier, regardless of the zigzag through Southeast Asia.

The 50% reduction rule

There is one scenario in which the standard amount can be halved. If your flight was cancelled and the airline offered you rebooking, and the alternative flight arrives within a certain window of your original schedule, the compensation may be reduced by 50%. This reduction applies only when:

The rebooking arrives less than 2 hours late for short-haul flights (up to 1,500 km). Less than 3 hours late for medium-haul flights (1,500–3,500 km). Less than 4 hours late for long-haul flights (over 3,500 km).

In practice, the 50% reduction is rare. It only applies to cancellations where rebooking was offered and accepted, and where the alternative flight arrived within the tight windows above. For standard delays, the rule does not apply. It is all or nothing at the 3-hour arrival threshold.

Per person, not per booking

Compensation is calculated per individual passenger. A family of four on a cancelled medium-haul flight is entitled to 4 × €400 = €1,600. A couple on a delayed long-haul flight receives 2 × €600 = €1,200. Each passenger has their own independent right to compensation.

Children with their own seat receive the full amount. There is no reduced rate for minors under EC261. The only exception is infants travelling on a parent's lap without their own seat. Since they did not occupy a seat and in many cases travelled free of charge, they generally do not have a separate claim.

Compensation is separate from refunds

A common source of confusion is the relationship between EC261 compensation and ticket refunds (see refund vs compensation for a full explanation). They are entirely separate entitlements. Compensation is a fixed payment for the inconvenience of the disruption. A refund is the return of money you paid for a service that was not delivered.

An airline that offers you a refund for your cancelled flight has not satisfied its compensation obligation. And an airline that pays €400 in compensation has not addressed its obligation to refund your ticket if you chose not to fly. You may be entitled to both, plus reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the disruption.