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How much compensation for a delayed flight depends on one main factor: distance. Under EU 261, you get €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km, and €600 for flights over 3,500 km — provided you arrived three or more hours late for a reason within the airline’s control. The amount is paid per passenger.

That is the headline. But there are a few details that decide whether you get the full figure, a reduced one, or nothing at all. This guide breaks down the exact amounts, explains why distance matters more than the length of your delay, and shows how to claim what you are owed.

If you would rather skip straight to your number, Check How Much You’re Owed with a free, no-obligation check.

The Short Answer

If your flight arrived three or more hours late at your final destination, and the cause was something the airline could control, you are entitled to a fixed cash sum. There are three possible amounts:

• €250 for shorter flights (up to 1,500 km)
• €400 for medium flights (1,500–3,500 km)
• €600 for longer flights (over 3,500 km)

These are per-passenger figures, so everyone on the booking is owed the same amount individually. The three-hour threshold is measured at arrival — specifically when the aircraft door opens — not at departure.

That arrival-based rule matters more than people expect. A flight can push back from the gate two hours late but make up time in the air, landing only ninety minutes behind — in which case there is no claim. Equally, a flight can leave roughly on time, then sit on a taxiway or divert, and still arrive over three hours late. It is always the gap between your scheduled and actual arrival at your final destination that counts.

Compensation Amounts Table

Here are the full tiers under EU 261 alongside the UK’s post-Brexit equivalent, UK 261, which works the same way in pounds.

The UK rules apply to flights departing from or arriving in the UK, while EU 261 covers flights departing the EU/EEA on any airline and flights into the EU/EEA on an EU/EEA carrier. To check the exact delayed flight compensation amount for your route, you simply match your flight distance to the right tier.

Why Distance — Not Delay Length — Sets the Amount

This is the part that surprises most people. Once you cross the three-hour mark, being delayed by four hours pays exactly the same as being delayed by nine hours. The length of the delay decides whether you qualify; the distance decides how much you get.

Distance is measured as the great-circle distance — the straight-line distance between your departure airport and your final destination — rather than the actual flight path. So a passenger delayed three hours on a 4,000 km route is owed €600, while a passenger delayed seven hours on a 1,000 km route is owed €250. It can feel counter-intuitive, but it keeps the rules simple and predictable.

It is also why your final destination, not just your first stop, matters on connecting journeys. If you book a single ticket from a regional airport through a hub to a far-off city, the distance is measured across the whole journey to where you finally land. A missed connection that makes you arrive three or more hours late at that final airport can still trigger a claim, even if each individual leg was short.

Because the law fixes the compensation amount for delayed flight scenarios at these set tiers, you do not have to argue over the figure — only over whether the airline is liable.

The 50% Reduction Rule

There is one situation where your amount can be cut in half. It applies only to the top tier — flights over 3,500 km.

If the airline rerouted you to your destination and you arrived less than four hours later than originally scheduled, it can reduce the €600 payment by 50%, to €300. The idea is that a smaller delay on a long-haul flight causes less disruption, so the payout reflects that.

Crucially, this reduction does not touch the €250 and €400 tiers. On those shorter and medium flights, a qualifying delay always pays the full amount. And on long-haul flights, if you arrive four or more hours late, the full €600 stands.

In practice, this means the gap between a three-hour-fifty-minute arrival and a four-hour arrival on a long-haul flight can be worth €300. It is one of the few places in the regulation where a small difference in timing changes the money, so it is worth confirming exactly how late you landed when a long flight is involved.

When You Get Nothing

Not every delayed flight results in a payout. There are three main situations where no cash compensation is due.

Delays under three hours. If you arrive less than three hours late at your final destination, there is no compensation, regardless of how inconvenient the wait was.

Extraordinary circumstances. When the delay is caused by events outside the airline’s control — severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions, security risks, political instability or bird strikes — no cash is payable. However, routine technical faults, staff strikes and crew sickness do not count as extraordinary, so compensation is still due in those cases. The airline must prove the cause qualifies.

Cancellations with 14+ days’ notice. If your flight was cancelled and you were notified at least 14 days before departure, no compensation applies (though this concerns cancellations rather than delays).

Even when no cash is owed, your right to care — meals, drinks and overnight accommodation — and your right to a refund or rerouting generally remain in place.

Delay vs Cancellation vs Denied Boarding Amounts

The good news is that the amounts are consistent across the three main types of disruption — they all use the same €250 / €400 / €600 distance tiers.

For a cancellation with less than 14 days’ notice, you can claim flight cancelled compensation at those same rates, plus your choice of a full refund within seven days or an alternative flight.

For denied boarding — usually because a flight was overbooked — the same tiers apply, and there is an extra advantage for passengers: there is no extraordinary-circumstances defence, so if you were bumped involuntarily the airline owes you. UK passengers can read more about denied boarding compensation uk and how it is paid, often immediately at the airport.

So whichever way your journey was disrupted, the financial value of your claim is calculated the same way. The practical difference lies in the extra entitlements attached to each: a delay brings the right to care, a cancellation adds the refund-or-rerouting choice, and denied boarding is paid without the airline being able to plead extraordinary circumstances.

How to Claim — No Win, No Fee

You can approach the airline yourself, quoting EU 261 or UK 261 with your booking details. Many people do. The trouble starts when airlines stall, reject valid claims, or hide behind “extraordinary circumstances” that do not actually apply.

That is where help pays off. Choosing a specialist no win no fee delayed flight service means you only pay a success fee if your compensation is actually recovered — so there is no risk in checking.

FlyHelp, an experienced flight compensation company with more than five years behind it, handles the full process: the paperwork, the airline correspondence, and court representation if it comes to that.

Getting started takes minutes — you upload your ticket and passport and add an e-signature, and the team does the rest. Check How Much You’re Owed and find out where you stand today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much compensation do I get for a 3 hour flight delay?

A delay of exactly three hours or more at your final destination qualifies for the full amount based on distance: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km, and €600 for over 3,500 km, per passenger. A delay just under three hours, unfortunately, does not qualify for cash compensation.

Is flight delay compensation based on distance or delay time?

It is based on distance. Delay time only determines eligibility — you need a three-hour-plus arrival delay to qualify. Once you pass that threshold, the amount is fixed by flight distance, so a four-hour delay and a nine-hour delay on the same route pay exactly the same compensation.

Can I claim compensation for a delayed flight after 6 years?

It depends on where you claim. Time limits vary by country — commonly two to three years, but up to six years in England and Wales and five in Scotland. So a claim approaching or beyond six years may be too late in many jurisdictions. It is always best to check and claim as soon as you can.