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Cancelled flight compensation calculator

Whether a cancellation earns compensation depends on when you were told and how close the replacement flight was to your original times. The calculator works through the rules for your route; the tables below explain them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 5 min How we write our guides

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Calculate your cancellation compensation

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What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

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How much notice you had

You were toldCompensation is due unless the replacement flight…
14 days or more before departureNo compensation (refund or re-routing only).
7 to 13 days before…left no more than 2 hours before the original departure and arrived less than 4 hours after the original arrival.
Less than 7 days before…left no more than 1 hour before the original departure and arrived less than 2 hours after the original arrival.

Even with short notice, the airline does not pay if it proves the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided with all reasonable measures.

Amounts

Flight distanceEU261UK261
Up to 1,500 km€250£220
Within the EU, over 1,500 km€400–
1,500–3,500 km€400£350
Over 3,500 km€600£520

The 50% reduction

If the airline re-routes you and you arrive no more than 2 hours late (flights up to 1,500 km), 3 hours late (1,500–3,500 km and intra-EU flights over 1,500 km) or 4 hours late (longer flights), it may halve the compensation (Article 7(2)). So €600 can become €300, and £520 can become £260.

Refund or re-routing

Whatever the reason and however much notice you had, you choose between a full refund within 7 days (including unused connecting flights on the same booking) or re-routing at the earliest opportunity, or later at your convenience. If you wait at the airport, the airline must also provide meals and, if needed, a hotel. See refund rights.

Worked examples

  • Barcelona → Rome cancelled the day before, replacement arrives 4 hours late: under 7 days’ notice, 848 km, so €250 per passenger.
  • Madrid → Warsaw cancelled 5 days ahead, new flight arrives 6 hours later: 2,270 km within the EU, so €400.
  • Edinburgh → Amsterdam cancelled the evening before, replacement arrives 5 hours later: under 7 days’ notice and more than 2 hours late, about 860 km, so £220 per passenger.
  • Bristol → Faro cancelled 10 days ahead, new flight 1 hour earlier arriving 1 hour earlier: 7–13 days’ notice, within the windows, so no compensation.
  • Madrid → Bogotá cancelled at the gate, re-routed arriving 3½ hours late: over 3,500 km, within 4 hours, so €600 reduced to €300.

Frequently asked questions

Who has to prove when I was told about the cancellation?

The airline (Article 5(4)). If you booked through a travel agent or online agency and the airline told the agent but the agent did not tell you in time, the airline still owes compensation (CJEU C-302/16 Krijgsman) – it can recover the cost from the agent.

I took the refund. Can I still claim compensation?

Yes. Refund and compensation are separate rights. Taking your money back does not waive compensation if the cancellation was at short notice and not caused by extraordinary circumstances.

My flight was brought forward by several hours. Is that a cancellation?

A flight brought forward by more than an hour can be treated like a cancellation (CJEU C-395/20 Corendon and C-146/20 and others), so compensation may be due unless you were told 14 days or more in advance.

The airline cancelled because of a strike. Do I get compensation?

It depends whose staff were striking. A strike by the airline’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (CJEU C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS); an air traffic controllers’ strike usually is. See strikes.

The calculator gives an estimate under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and its UK version. Information only, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Articles 5, 7 and 8 – EUR-Lex
  2. Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law, Article 5 – legislation.gov.uk
  3. C-302/16 Krijgsman v SLM (notice given to the agent) – Court of Justice of the EU
  4. C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS (airline staff strike) – Court of Justice of the EU
  5. Cancellations – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.