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Guide · as of 26 Oct 2026Flight cancelled: your rights and up to €600 compensation
If your flight is cancelled, EU Regulation (EC) 261/2004 gives you the choice between a refund and re-routing, the right to care and – if the airline told you too late – €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. Below are the rules as set out by the EU Commission and Austria’s apf, checked 26 October 2026.
What counts as a cancellation?
- Your scheduled flight is abandoned and you are moved to another scheduled flight.
- Departure is brought forward by more than 1 hour.
- The aircraft took off but had to return to the departure airport, and you were moved to another flight.
- You arrive at an airport that is not your final destination – unless you accepted re-routing or the airport serves the same town, city or region (then it counts as a delay).
Source: Your Europe (EU Commission). Cancelling your own booking is not a cancellation, according to the apf.
Your choice: refund or re-routing
- A refund of the ticket price (and, where the trip no longer makes sense, a return flight to your first point of departure at the earliest opportunity).
- Re-routing to your final destination under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity.
- Or re-routing at a later date of your choice, subject to seat availability.
While you wait for re-routing, the airline must offer snacks and refreshments and a free way to get in touch; a hotel and transfer depending on the wait. The apf advises contacting the airline before booking anything yourself, and keeping every receipt.
Compensation: €250, €400 or €600
| Distance (great circle, first departure to final destination) | Compensation per passenger |
|---|---|
| up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| within the EU, over 1,500 km | €400 |
| other flights, 1,500–3,500 km | €400 |
| other flights, over 3,500 km | €600 |
No compensation is due if you were demonstrably
- informed at least 14 days before departure,
- informed 7–14 days before and the replacement departs no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives no more than 4 hours later,
- informed less than 7 days before and the replacement departs no more than 1 hour earlier and arrives no more than 2 hours later.
If the replacement flight arrives no more than 2 hours (up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (EU flights over 1,500 km, other flights of 1,500–3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km) after the scheduled arrival, the airline may cut the payment by 50%. If it proves extraordinary circumstances – such as severe weather, political instability, strikes by airport or security staff, or air traffic management decisions – none is due; but you always keep the refund or re-routing and the right to care.
How to claim – for free or with a claims service
- Keep evidence: booking confirmation, boarding pass, the airline’s message (with its date), receipts for meals, hotel and transfers.
- Claim from the airline that was supposed to operate the flight. The Austrian apf provides template letters (in German).
- No reply or rejected? File a free conciliation request with the apf, Austria’s agency for passenger rights.
- Or hire a claims service such as AirHelp or Compensair. It handles the correspondence but keeps part of the compensation if it succeeds. Read the fee before you sign.
Let a claims service check your flight
Claims service: checks your flight and pursues the EU261 claim for you. It keeps a fee from the payout – read the fee before you sign. Claiming directly with the airline is free.
Claims service for delayed, cancelled and overbooked flights. It keeps a fee from the payout – read the fee before you sign. Claiming directly with the airline is free.
Some links may be affiliate links. Commissions do not change calculator results. See the affiliate disclosure. Affiliate disclosure.
Disclosure: TripUtils earns a commission via the Travelpayouts partner network if you hire AirHelp or Compensair through these links. We have not checked their fees or success rates; the free route via the airline and the apf is always open to you. Affiliate disclosure
Flight delay compensation and calculatorOverbooking: your rightsCarry-on checker
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-26. The legal basis is Regulation (EC) 261/2004; this is not legal advice.
- Your Europe (EU Commission): air passenger rights (2026-10-26)
- apf (Austria): flight cancellation (German) (2026-10-26)
- apf: template letters to the airline (German) (2026-10-26)
- apf: conciliation request for flights (German) (2026-10-26)
Common questions
How much compensation do I get for a cancelled flight?
€250 up to 1,500 km, €400 over 1,500 km within the EU and for other flights of 1,500–3,500 km, €600 over 3,500 km. If a replacement flight arrives only slightly late, the amount can be cut by 50%.
When is no compensation due?
If you were told at least 14 days before departure, if a suitable replacement was offered (7–14 days before: departing at most 2 hours earlier and arriving at most 4 hours later; under 7 days: at most 1 hour earlier and 2 hours later), or if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.
Is my own cancellation a cancellation under EU261?
No. According to the apf, a passenger cancelling their own booking is not a cancellation under the regulation.
Who has to prove when I was informed?
The airline. According to the EU Commission, it has to prove if and when you were personally informed of the cancellation.