Rights in the event of a delayed flight

If your flight departure is delayed by a minimum of two to four hours, the air carrier must offer you reasonable care (meals and refreshments – non-alcoholic) while you wait.

Delayed departure

If an overnight stay proves necessary as a result of the delay, the air carrier must also offer you hotel accommodation as well as transport between hotel and airport.

The right to care (meals and refreshments) comes into effect when there is a:

  • 2 hour departure delay on flights under 1500 km
  • 3 hour departure delay on flights over 1500 km within the EU and on flights between 1500 and 3500 km outside of the EU
  • 4 hour departure delay on flights that are longer than 3500 km and outside of the EU

In the event of a departure delay of a minimum five hours, you can choose to cancel your trip and have the ticket price refunded. 

If the air carrier fails to offer you reasonable care while waiting for your delayed flight, you may purchase meals and refreshments (non-alcoholic) yourself and subsequently claim a refund for your purchases from the air carrier. Remember to keep the receipts for your purchases so you can document your expenses to the air carrier.

Delayed arrival

You may be entitled to compensation if your arrival at your final destination is delayed by a minimum of three hours.

You may be entitled to compensation if your arrival at your final destination is delayed by a minimum of three hours.

You are not, however, entitled to compensation if the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather, some forms of industrial action, manufacturing faults on the aircraft or air traffic controller restrictions.
 

About compensation

As a passenger, you may be entitled to the following compensation amounts:

Within the EU:

  • 250 euro for flights under 1500 km
  • 400 euro for flights over 1500 km

Outside the EU:

  • 250 euro for flights under 1500 km
  • 400 euro for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
  • 600 euro for flights over 3500 km

In certain instances, the air carrier may reduce your compensation by 50 % if you are rebooked on another flight. This depends on how far you are travelling and how quickly you arrive there.

Do you want to file a complaint regarding your flight?

You must first contact the air carrier. If you have not heard from the air carrier within six weeks or if you are dissatisfied with the air carrier's decision, you may have your complaint processed by the authority in the EU country where the incident occurred.
 
Read more

FAQs on flight delays

Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about flight delays.

You may be entitled to compensation if your flight’s arrival at your final destination is delayed by three hours or more. 

You are not, however, entitled to compensation of the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather, some forms of industrial action, manufacturing defects on the aircraft or air traffic controller restrictions. 

If the air carrier failed to offer you reasonable care (meals and refreshments – non-alcoholic) while you waited for your delayed flight, you are entitled to a refund for your care expenses.  

You may also get a refund for reasonable expenses for hotel accommodation and transport to/from the hotel if a hotel stay was necessitated by the delay.     

In order to have expenses refunded you must be able to present documentation of your purchases. 

An air carrier is not normally obliged to refund consequential damages such as lost hotel bookings at your destination, unused rental vehicles, holiday residence expenses as well as other tourist services and consequential losses. 

Package travels are regulated by the Danish Package Travel Act and not by the EU Regulation. The Authority therefore recommends you to contact your travel agency regarding your rights in connection with a flight delay. 

Read more on your claiming rights for package travels on the website of the Travel Industry Complaints Board.
 
Go to the webpage of the Travel Industry Complaints Board (new window)

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to flights from Greenland and the Faroe Islands if the flight is arranged by an EU-registered air carrier.

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 does not apply to flights from Greenland and the Faroe Islands if the flight is arranged by an air carrier that is not domiciled in the EU, for example Air Greenland and Atlantic Airways.

Regulation (EC) 261/2004 applies to flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands, irrespective whether the flight is arranged by an air carrier domiciled in the EU or not. 

You may be entitled to compensation if it the flights in question are booked as a single reservation. That is, if you travel using the same booking number for the whole trip. 

If this is not the case, the air carrier's liability is limited to the delayed departure. 

You should file a complaint in the EU country where the delay occurred. 

If the delay occurred in a non-EU country while you were travelling to an EU country with an EU-registered air carrier/a community carrier, you should file a complaint with the competent authority in the EU country in which you arrived.

See contact information for the competent European authorities (new window)

The final destination is the airport where your journey ended according to your ticket. 

Yes, the air carrier is entitled to deduct any day/night refunds you may have received from your travel agency for lost bookings at your destination due to the delayed departure. 

Yes, children under two years have an equal right to compensation as other passengers, irrespective of the ticket price paid for the child. The deciding factor is that a price has been paid for the ticket and therefore the ticket was not free.

Last updated 16-02-2022