Act now: if your flight exceeded a three-hour delay or you missed a connection, your chances sind high to qualify for compensation under EU261. File your claim through the airline’s official portal and attach evidence.
Under EU261, compensation depends on distance and delay: up to 250 EUR for short-haul (up to 1,500 km), 400 EUR for medium-haul (1,500–3,500 km), and 600 EUR for long-haul (>3,500 km). This applies when the arrival delay is 3 hours or more and the cause lies with the airline, unless außergewöhnliche Umstände such as severe weather, ATC restrictions, or strikes are proven. The airline is also obliged to provide assistance: meals, hotel when overnight, and transport to and from accommodations if needed. Passagieren deserve clear information and timely support. passagieren may join the claim. Note: umständen may occur, but not every case qualifies.
To prüfen eligibility, collect documents (boarding pass, ticket, receipts for zusätzliche costs), then teilen copies of the paperwork with the carrier. Note the flight number, date, distance, and exact delay duration. If the claim is rejected, you can escalate to the national regulator or seek independent advice. Keep everything organized to avoid sorgen and to support your case.
When the missed flight results from a delay, you should request either a rebooking on the next available service (transfer) or a refund of the unused ticket. If you choose nicht travel, the airline should zurück the ticket price. Dieses guidance helps you recover quickly and minimize stress.
Beyond the EU framework, plan for alternatives. If you depend on a transfer with behnunternehmen and that leg is beeinträchtigt by the delay, document every affected segment and include it in your claim. teilen receipts, timetables, and a brief note on how this affects your arrival time to support your case and reduce your Sorgen.
Do You Qualify for Compensation Under EU261 After a Flight Delay or Missed Connection?
Yes – you qualify for EU261 compensation if your delay was at least 3 hours on arrival or you missed a connection caused by the airline’s delay, unless extraordinary circumstances apply. Compensation scales with distance (laut EU261): up to 1500 km = 250 EUR; 1500–3500 km = 400 EUR; over 3500 km = 600 EUR. If the delay beeinträchtigt your plans, fluggäste may still pursue a claim for the leg that was delayed, provided the cause lies with the carrier and not with circumstances beyond their control.
To qualify, the cause must be within the airline’s control and not be umständen beyond its reach. A missed connection occurs when you arrive at a transfer airport too late to catch the next flight on the same booking due to the initial delay. In a dorthin scenario, the airline must provide ersatz transport or rebooking and may cover meals, hotel, and other reasonable costs, depending on the circumstances and class of travel (einer economy, business, oder einer anderen klasse).
What should you do now? Gather alle relevant emails, boarding passes, and proof of the abfahrt times, original schedules, and actual arrival times. Document how the delay affected ihret ihr travel plans and the exact costs you incurred. If you held a fahrkarte for onward rail travel, keep it handy to show anderweitige costs, but note that the EU261 claim focuses on the flight segment. Do not verzichten on your recht; file a claim with the zuständig airline department or the national enforcement authority if the airline does not respond within a reasonable period.
When composing your claim, be precise about fristen and dates nach dem Vorfall. You can Forder (fordern) a clear explanation of the delay, the amount of ersatz offered, and a timeline for payment. If needed, consult self-help resources (selbsthilfe) from consumer groups or lawyers such as Menold to ensure your letter cites the correct rechtlich basis and uses the proper terminology.
Additionally, consider alternatives (alternativen) to cash payment, such as a direct flight reroute, hotel stay, meals, or a voucher only if you are comfortable with it and it meets your needs. If you travel in a higher class (Klasse) or have special circumstances, specify these in your claim; the amount and approach do not change, but your documentation should reflect the impact on Ihrer Reise.
Finally, if the airline disputes the claim or cites verlopen fristen (deadlines), contact zuständig authorities or a consumer-rights attorney. You can reference the regulations (recht, rechtlich) and request a formal acknowledgment of the delay and compensation due, supported by the documented evidence (emails, tickets, and receipts). If you need guidance on the process, there are practical templates in verschillende languages and resources to help fluggäste navigate the process without reliance on guesswork, ensuring your claim is solid and timely.
How Is a Delayed Flight Defined for Compensation Purposes?
Act quickly: if your arrival was delayed by mindestens three hours and the fluggesellschaft is responsible, you qualify for ausgleichszahlungen; file a claim so they erstatten the compensation.
The definition zugrunde the compensation framework rests on rechtlich terms set by Regulation 261/2004. A delay counts toward compensation when the arrival is delayed by mindestens three hours, measured from the scheduled to the actual arrival time. Extraordinary circumstances can reduce or bar liability, but if they do not apply, the fluggesellschaft must consider your claim.
Who bears liability? The ligt (liegt) with the carrier’s duties, not the passenger’s. If the flight was operated by a fluggesellschaft based in a Mitgliedstaats, and the delay meets the 3-hour threshold on arrival, you typically deserve ausgleichszahlungen. Keep the claim clear and concise, and ensure you are inform ions (informiert) about the process before you move forward.
Documentation helps your case: preserve all boarding passes, gate notices, and time stamps, and create a tidy packet to bewahren for selbsthilfe if the airline delays responding. If you believe the delay verpasst your rights, refer to rechtlich backed steps and bring the evidence to the airline, then to the national authority if needed. In parallel, you can seek guidance from consumer bodies to ihnen support and keep the conversation constructive.
| Distance band | Compensation (EUR) | Delay threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 250 | 3+ hours on arrival |
| 1,500–3,500 km | 400 | 3+ hours on arrival |
| Over 3,500 km | 600 | 3+ hours on arrival |
Note: ausgleichszahlungen apply only when the delay lies zugrunde the responsibility of the fluggesellschaft and does not result from außerordentliche Umstände. If the journey includes a Bahn- segment or rail connection, those rail- provisions are separate and may require a distinct claim process. In all cases, the passenger ihnen rights remain robust: stay informed (informiert), collect documentation (bewahren), and pursue selbsthilfe steps to obtain the due payment from the fluggesellschaft.
Betreuungsleistungen: What Meals, Lodging, and Similar Care Are Provided and When
If verspätung causes a missed connection, you can rely on Betreuungsleistungen to cover verpflegung, lodging, and related care while you await the next flight or rebooking. Ask desk staff what verpflegung is available and whether a hotel will be provided; the carrier usually bringt you to lodging and provides transport between the airport and accommodation. The exact coverage depends on voraussetzungen and the length of the delay (länge), as well as the carrier’s policy for your flügen itinerary.
What counts as care and how it is delivered
What counts as verpflegung varies, but carriers typically offer meals or meal vouchers, beverages, and snacks in relation to the waiting time and time of day. If the delay ankommt across a meal window, verpflegung should be provided. If an overnight stay is necessary, the airline should arrange lodging and, where needed, transport to the hotel; in complex itineraries that include bahn- segments, similar care can be available for the rail portion as well.
Gebühren for Betreuungsleistungen should not be charged to you; the carrier covers these costs when the conditions are met. The decision to provide notflugplans or alternative routing may influence what is offered, but the core care remains verpflegung, lodging, and necessary transport, with a reasonable standard tied to the length of the delay and the situation.
Be prepared to act if care is insufficient: note the times, ask for an Anzeige to document the issue, and consider schlichtung to resolve disputes. If the delay qualifies, ausgleichszahlung may apply in addition to Betreuungsleistungen, and you can hinnehmen or challenge the arrangement as the situation demands, depending on how the event is handled and what the carrier offers.
How to Claim Meals, Hotel, and Other Care During a Delay: A Practical Guide
Ask for meals and a hotel immediately after the delay is announced, and obtain schriftlich confirmation of what is provided. If the staff reagiert, erkläre the options and follow folgendes: meals during the wait, hotel accommodation for Länge, and transport between the airport and lodging if needed. For passagieren, request umbuchung to the next available flight, or an alternative arrangement that aligns with die Reisevertrags. If the delay affects your abflug- timing, document den Verlust and seek appropriate care. Ensure you erhalten clear information and keep schriftlich notes for your records, so you can challenge any widersprüchliche Informationen against the airline.
Practical steps to claim meals, hotel, and care
Do the following: tell the agent, due to the delay, that you muss receive meals, hotel, and essential care, and ask for folgende Unterstützung. If offered, accept a reasonable alternative and an efficient umbuchung to the next available flight, or an stabile alternative arrangement that respects the Reisevertrags. Gather the information you need, including the Länge of the disruption and the impact on your plans, so you can respond quickly and protect against potential Verlust. Request that the airline provide das following in schriftlich form and keep all involved Informationen for später reference; bring everything together to support your claim, including receipts and contact details for weiter steps.
Documentation and filing your claim
Collect receipts for meals, hotel, and ground transport, and keep notes on times and conversations. Submit innerhalb 14 Tagen, preferably schriftlich, to the airline’s customer service or travel insurer. Include the following Informationen: flight number (abflug- time), new schedule, delay Länge, Passagiernamen (passagieren), and Reisevertrags reference. Attach boarding passes and hotel receipts, and note what you erhalten and what was refused (gegen). If anything is unclear due to eudes in policy text, request clarification in writing. If the carrier offers nichts, you can pursue Gegen channels to enforce your entschädigung rights and protect against unten stehende Ärger. Bring copies of all documents and keep originals safe in case you need to respond innerhalb der nächsten Schritte.
Compensation Amounts: Distance-Based Rates and Delay Thresholds
Check the distance bands and the 3-hour threshold to estimate ausgleichszahlung for passagiere. Distances determine fixed sums: up to 1,500 km = €250; 1,500–3,500 km = €400; over 3,500 km = €600. The delay must reach 3 hours at the zeitpunkt of landing; delays shorter than this yield keine ausgleichszahlung.
Der fall depends on the cause of the delay. If der grund der Verspätung außerhalb des Einflussbereichs des Flugunternehmens liegt (for example, Wetter, ATC, Sicherheitsgründe), die ausgleichszahlung fällt aus. Therefore, prüfen Sie, ob der fall tatsächlich durch das Unternehmen verursacht wurde; falls nicht, kosten tragen die Behörden nicht diesen kosten. Für bord- und passagiere-bezogene Details gilt: der passagiere hat eine gültige fahrkarte und eine bestätigung der Buchung, dorthin der zeitpunkt des verspäteten aankoms zählt, und es gibt keine versteckten Gebühren, die diese Ansprüche beeinflussen.
Um Ihre rechte beim flug anzuerkennen, sammeln Sie alle Unterlagen: fahrkarte, boarding pass, bestätigte zeitpunkte der Ab- und Ankunft, sowie eventuelle kostenbelege. Berufen Sie Ihre Rechte beim betroffenen airline-unternehmen und fordern Sie eine schriftliche bestätigung (bestätigung) des Anspruchs. Wenn das airline keine zufriedenstellende Antwort gibt, wenden Sie sich an das zuständige mitgliedstaats-büro und verweisen Sie auf dieses übereinkommen. Bei Fragen (fragen) helfen Ihnen diese Schritte weiter, und Sie können den Anspruch zielgerichtet geltend machen, ohne Verzögerungen beim nächsten Schritt.
Documentation and Evidence: What to Keep When Filing a Claim
Open a single folder for all items related to the delay and keep it updated. Moderne tools help you scan, date-stamp, and tag receipts, e-mails, and notices; the erhält evidence strengthens your file.
What to collect

- フライト詳細:予約参照番号、航空会社、フライト番号、ルート(目的地)、予定時刻と実際の時刻。利用可能な場合は、遅延時間(言語、分)を含めてください。緊急時計画が使用された場合は、緊急飛行計画に関するメモを記載してください。
- 遅延の証拠:搭乗券、ゲートの変更、公式通知、および遅延に関するあらゆる書類。lang、minutenを記録する。誰が遅延をdurchgeführtしたか、およびその原因が航空会社によってerklärtされたかどうかを示す。
- 費用と払い戻し(mehrkosten):食事、宿泊、交通費、その他の費用に関する領収書を保管してください。請求書にhöheを記録してください。払い戻しまたは承認を確認するメールを保存してください。pauschalreisenの場合は、異なる補償が含まれる場合があります。
- 対応:航空会社または運営会社からのすべてのEメールとメッセージを保存する。自分自身にコピーを送信し、各アイテムに日付を記入して、明確なタイムラインを作成する。何を要求したかと、いつ要求したかを記録する。
- 契約条件と旅行の種類:パウシャルライゼン(包括旅行)の場合、パッケージの条件と、シュタート(国)またはツアーオペレーターが契約に基づいて提供するものを保持します。補償または支援に適用されるunter条件(制限条件)にも注意してください。
- 欠陥と手荷物:欠陥のある物品または破損した手荷物を写真で記録してください。関連する報告書または警察のメモがある場合は保管してください。
- 組織とバックアップ:すべてのデジタルコピーを収集し、日付でラベルを付け、保護されたフォルダに保存し、安全のために自分のメールまたはクラウドアカウントにコピーを送信するようにしてください。
整理と提出
- 混乱の状況と求める補償について、簡潔かつ事実に即した概要を作成し、整理された書類を論理的な順序で添付してください。
- 航空会社のポータルまたは電子メールで提出します。電子メールなどの証拠を含め、追跡のために提出日を記載した確認書を自分宛てに送信してください。
- クレームを監視し、標準的な期間内に回答がない場合は、フォローアップのリマインダーを設定し、新しい電子メールや通知があればファイルを更新してください。
- 結果と提示された金額を記録し、mehrkostenの払い戻しと、該当する場合は結果として生じたhöheを注記し、すべてのコミュニケーションのコピーを保管してください。
請求が拒否された場合の対処法:エスカレーション、ADR、および規制オプション
具体的な行動から始めましょう。まず、拒否通知書をすぐに確認し、正確な理由を特定し、裏付けとなる情報を集めます。搭乗券、ホテルの宿泊領収書、その他の追加費用を収集し、航空会社側の理由と遅延の詳細に対応する簡潔なポイントごとの反論を作成します。航空会社に提示するために必要な情報であり、今後のステップのために記録を保管しておきます。
航空会社とのエスカレーション
- 上司によるレビューと、却下理由の書面による正当化を要求します。明確な情報源と、この決定に対する逐一反論を添付してください。
- 正式なルートを通じて完全なパッケージを提出し、遅延を避けるために迅速な対応と締め切りを明記するよう依頼してください。
- gebührenまたはprocessing feesが請求されたかどうか、および、請求が復活した場合にübernehmen hotelunterkunftまたはその他の費用が可能かどうかを尋ねてください。
- 航空会社が依然として役に立たない場合は、航空会社の顧客関係チームまたは国の規制当局に正式な苦情を申し立て、verspätung(遅延)と観察されたGegenüberの取り扱いを引用してください。
ADRおよび規制の選択肢
- ADR: 裁判所を通さずに迅速に紛争を解決するために、第三者(たとえば、ADR機関または消費者調停サービス)との調停または仲裁を追求する。
- 規制ルート:国の航空当局または消費者保護機関に連絡してください。拒否の手紙、thisdemの証拠、および請求の簡潔な要約を提出してください。多くの場合、規制当局は、事実が請求を裏付けている場合、航空会社に支払いをübernehmenするか、mehrkostenを払い戻すように命じることができます。
- ドキュメントとタイムライン:コミュニケーションの完全な記録を保持し、締め切りを書き留めてください。このアプローチは、特に重複する輸送の課題に直面しているbahnkundenにとって、渡航者の権利を支援します。
- 実用的な注意:この手続きはしばしば、裁判所よりも迅速であり、コストを削減することが非常に簡単であるため、いずれにしても明確な解決策を得ることができます。
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