Compensation for Delayed Flights: A Complete Guide for 2026

More than a quarter of flights in Europe landed late in 2024, and according to the organization Eurocontrol The average delay was 17.5 minutes per flight. Most passengers are unaware that they are entitled to compensation for long delays. Compensation for delayed flights has been enshrined in European Union law for more than twenty years and can range from 250 to 600 euros per person. This is not a matter of the airline’s goodwill, but your legal right. The problem is that airlines are reluctant to pay it on their own and count on you not to claim it. When exactly does the entitlement arise, how much money can you claim, and how can you claim compensation step by step directly from Slovakia?

When Is a Claim for Compensation Established?

The basic rule is simple. You are entitled to financial compensation if your flight to your final destination is delayed 3 hours or more. The arrival time is what matters, not the departure time. Therefore, if the flight took off late but the pilot made up for the delay during the flight and you landed within three hours of the scheduled time, you are not entitled to compensation.

In addition to long delays, compensation also applies to the following situations:

• flight cancellation, about which the carrier notified you less than 14 days before departure,
• refusal to board the plane due to overbooking, unless you voluntarily signed up for the seat,
• missed connecting flight, if, as a result, you arrive at your final destination more than 3 hours late.

It is important to know which flights are covered by European rules. They apply to all flights departing from an EU airport, regardless of whether the airline is based in the EU or outside the EU. For flights from a third country to the EU, you are only entitled to compensation if the flight is operated by a carrier based in the EU. „European“ airports also include those in Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. You can find a detailed overview of the conditions on the official website Your Europe.

How much money can you get?

The amount of compensation does not depend on how much you paid for the ticket, but solely on the so-called great circle distance—that is, the shortest distance as the crow flies between the departure airport and the final destination. The amounts are fixed in Regulation No. 261/2004 and the airline cannot reduce them.

In practice, this means that shorter European routes, such as those to Rome or London, fall into the first bracket, with compensation of €250. Longer flights within the EU or trips to Cyprus or Egypt fall into the €400 bracket. For intercontinental flights over 3,500 km—such as to the U.S., Asia, or the Persian Gulf—you can claim €600.

Compensation is the same for a business-class passenger as it is for the holder of the cheapest ticket on the same flight. It is the distance that matters, not the price you paid.

There is, however, one exception worth mentioning. If the carrier offers to reroute you to an alternative flight and you arrive at your destination with only a slight delay, the compensation may be reduced by 50 %. Specifically, this applies when the alternative flight arrives within two hours (flights up to 1,500 km), three hours (1,500 to 3,500 km), or four hours (over 3,500 km) after the originally scheduled arrival time.

Extraordinary Circumstances: When an Airline Is Not Required to Pay

This is the most common reason why airlines refuse to provide compensation. You are not entitled to compensation if the delay or cancellation of the flight was caused by so-called extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. It must be an event beyond the carrier’s control that it could not have foreseen.

Extraordinary circumstances generally include:

• extreme weather conditions that make safe flight impossible (storms, dense fog, icing, volcanic ash),
• air traffic control decisions and airspace restrictions,
• political instability and security risks,
• strikes outside the airline, such as a strike by airport staff or air traffic controllers,
• a collision with a bird (a so-called "bird strike").

On the contrary—and this is crucial for passengers—most technical and operational problems are considered extraordinary circumstances does not consider. The Court of Justice of the European Union has repeatedly ruled that a routine technical malfunction discovered during maintenance is part of the inherent risk of air travel (Wallentin-Hermann case). Similarly, even a „wildcat“ strike by the airline’s own employees is not automatically grounds for refusing compensation (Krüsemann v. TUIfly case). The burden of proof lies with the carrier, which must demonstrate the existence of extraordinary circumstances, for example, through extracts from flight logs or incident reports.

Other rights: care, refund, and rerouting

Compensation isn't the only thing you're entitled to. While you're waiting at the airport, you're also entitled to what's known as "care," regardless of whether the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances.

In the event of a longer delay, passengers are entitled to refreshments (food and drink, usually in the form of a voucher), two free phone calls, emails, or faxes, and, in the case of an overnight delay, hotel accommodations with transportation between the airport and the hotel. This entitlement kicks in after two hours of waiting for shorter flights, after three hours for medium-length flights, and after four hours for the longest routes.

If the carrier failed to provide you with assistance and you had to pay for food, lodging, or transportation yourself, keep all receipts and invoices. You can then claim these expenses from the airline. It’s also helpful to request a confirmation at the airport stating that assistance was not provided.

If your flight is delayed by more than 5 hours or has been canceled, you have the right to choose whether to continue your journey on an alternative flight or request a refund of the ticket price. The carrier must refund the ticket price within 7 days. You are also entitled to separate compensation if you are rebooked into a lower class than the one you paid for. In that case, you are entitled to a refund of 30 % of the ticket price (flights up to 1,500 km), 50 % (within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights up to 3,500 km), or 75 % (over 3,500 km).

How to Claim Compensation, Step by Step

Now for the most important part: the procedure itself. In Slovakia, the authority responsible for ensuring compliance with Regulation 261/2004 is, Slovak Trade Inspection Authority (SOI). The entire process consists of several phases.

1. Document everything. Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation; take screenshots from a flight tracker showing the actual departure and arrival times; and write down what the staff told you about the cause of the delay. These documents form the basis of your entire claim.

2. Contact the airline first. Always submit your complaint directly to the carrier, either using the carrier’s own form or the official EU form, which you can fill out in Slovak. This also applies if you purchased your ticket through an intermediary such as eSky, Pelikan, or Kiwi. You should resolve the issue with the airline, not with the ticket seller.

3. If the carrier does not respond, file a complaint with the SOI. If the airline does not respond within 8 weeks or if you consider its response unsatisfactory, you can contact the SOI. This applies only if you departed from a Slovak airport or arrived in Slovakia from a third country. Send your complaint by email to [email protected] or by mail to the Central Inspectorate, Bajkalská 21/A, 827 99 Bratislava 27. Please attach your confirmed reservation, the complaint you sent to the airline and its response, the completed EU form, and a brief description of the case to your submission.

4. Use alternative dispute resolution or go to court. If the carrier is based in the EU, you can also resolve the dispute through an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) entity or, in the case of an online purchase, through an online dispute resolution platform. The final option is the European Small Claims Procedure or a traditional lawsuit in court.

You can file a claim yourself, free of charge. There are also specialized companies that will handle it for you, but they’ll take a commission for a successful recovery, typically around 20 to 35 %. The decision is up to you. In straightforward cases, a little patience and well-organized documentation are often all it takes.

Common Mistakes That Cost Travelers Money

Even a legitimate claim can easily be squandered. Be especially careful to avoid these mistakes:

• Accepting a gift certificate instead of cash. Airlines often offer a voucher or a „goodwill gesture.“ If accepting this would mean giving up your right to cash compensation, think carefully before doing so.
• Swapping departure and arrival times. What matters is the time you arrive at your destination, not how much later the plane took off.
• The assumption that a cheap ticket means lower compensation. The amount depends on the distance, not on the price of the ticket.
• Blind trust in the excuse of a technical malfunction. Most technical problems do not constitute extraordinary circumstances.
• Failure to meet the two-year deadline. The longer you wait, the harder it is to collect the claim.

Reform of Regulation 261/2004: What's Coming

The rules have been in effect since 2005, and there has been talk of changing them for many years. In June 2026, after roughly thirteen years of negotiations, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU agreed on a reform of the regulation. According to available information, the three-hour threshold for claiming compensation remains in place, and the compensation amounts of 250 to 600 euros will not change either. New features will include a second piece of carry-on luggage included in the base ticket price and a clearer obligation for airlines to inform passengers on how to file a claim.

Formal approval is expected by the end of 2026, and the agreement is likely to take effect in 2027 following a transition period. The bottom line is simple: until then, the current rules apply in full, exactly as described in this guide. Since this is a new agreement that is still being finalized, certain details may be subject to change.

When a flight is delayed, transportation to the airport must be available

A delayed flight isn't just about the paperwork involved in getting compensation. It can also throw a wrench in your trip to and from the airport. If you book a taxi in advance and land two hours late, with a standard service, the driver may not wait for you or may charge you for the wait. This is exactly when it pays to rely on a carrier that anticipates delays.

V GoTaxi24 We monitor your flight’s actual arrival time and automatically adjust the pickup time accordingly. Whether you’re returning via Bratislava, Vienna, or Budapest, your driver will be waiting for you when you actually land. Our Offer airport transfers It operates 24/7, and we'll agree on the price in advance, so there won't be any surprises when you leave the terminal.

We most often transport passengers to Bratislava Airport and to Vienna Schwechat airport, which is the main gateway to the world for Slovaks. The same principle applies to every route: a fixed price with no hidden fees, which you can check in advance on our price list.

Frequently Asked Questions