Member-only story
If you suffer a flight delay of a certain length within the European Union, you are legally entitled to monetary compensation. But you may find that actually CLAIMING this compensation is a bit difficult.
I was delayed by seven hours on a Norwegian flight from London Gatwick to New York JFK in September 2018. Here is how I successfully claimed my compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004, how long it took, and how I claimed compensation for my airline delay, for free.
What is EU Regulation 261/2004?
I’ll try and be clear and brief. EU Regulation 261/2004 is a European Court of Justice ruling which requires airlines to pay passengers for their inconvenience if flights are delayed by a significant amount of time.
Which delays qualify for payment?
The length of acceptable delays and the amount of compensation owed depends on how FAR your flight is going.
- For a flight of less than 1,500 km: a delay over 2 hours
- For a flight between 1,500 and 3,500 km: a delay over three hours
- For a flight longer than 3,500 km: any delay longer than four hours qualifies for compensation
