In one sentence
From three hours' arrival delay at your destination airport, EU air passenger rights (Regulation 261/2004) entitle you to €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance — and you can claim this compensation yourself, without an expensive portal.
The tiers: €250, €400 or €600
A flight delay is annoying — but often worth real money. EU air passenger rights regulation 261/2004 ties the amount of compensation solely to the flight distance, not to the ticket price:
- €250 for flights up to 1,500 km
- €400 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km
- €600 for flights over 3,500 km
The claim arises when you arrive at your destination at least three hours late — and equally if your flight is cancelled. So the question "three hours' delay, compensation, how much?" is answered by the distance. Separately, the airline already owes you care and assistance while you wait: meals, drinks and, if necessary, a hotel overnight stay.
When you get nothing: extraordinary circumstances
There's no money if the airline can prove "extraordinary circumstances" beyond its control. These typically include severe weather, third-party strikes or acute security risks. Important for you: a technical fault on the aircraft regularly does not count as an extraordinary circumstance under case law — courts have repeatedly ruled that routine maintenance is part of the airline's operating risk. So don't let a blanket "technical reason" fob you off. These statements are general guidance, not advice for your individual case.
Portal or claim it yourself?
Flight compensation portals take the hassle off your hands — but usually keep a substantial commission from your compensation in return. For a clear-cut case, that's often unnecessary: a factual letter of claim sent directly to the airline is enough in many cases to secure the compensation for the flight yourself.
This is exactly where SmartLegalPro's Schreiben-Assistent helps. You upload your boarding pass and booking confirmation, and the tool drafts a letter of claim with the relevant references to Regulation 261/2004. You get an initial 60-second assessment without an account; after registering, 10 free credits are ready for you. SmartLegalPro is no substitute for a lawyer — it simply lowers the hurdle to asserting your rights yourself.
Deadlines and escalation
You have time: depending on the country, the limitation period for a flight claim runs for several years. If the airline refuses or simply doesn't respond, you can turn to the competent national conciliation body for air passenger rights — an out-of-court route with no litigation cost risk.
If the matter stays in dispute or involves several flights, the Prozessbegleiter guides you step by step. If the case becomes complex, you hand it over to a pre-qualified law firm via 1-click lawyer handover — your evidence goes with it in structured form. When this step is worthwhile is shown in our decision tree: lawyer or AI.
Checklist: secure your evidence at the airport straight away
- Keep your boarding pass and booking confirmation
- Photograph the departure board showing the delay or cancellation, including the time
- Note the actual arrival time
- Ask the airline to give the reason for the delay in writing if possible
- Collect receipts for food, drinks, hotel and replacement transport
Whether the effort is worth it for your flight depends on the individual case — you'll find an initial orientation in our use cases.
