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Delayed or cancelled flight: what compensation you can get and how to claim it

Checked in November 2026. For information only; this is not legal advice.

If you arrive at your final destination at least 3 hours late, or your flight is cancelled at short notice, you may be entitled to between 250 and 600 euros. It depends on the route, the airline operating the flight and the reason for the disruption.

How much you can receive

  • 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km.
  • 400 euros for flights within the EU over 1,500 km and other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km.
  • 600 euros for flights over 3,500 km.

The amount is per passenger and doesn’t depend on how much your ticket cost. If you’re offered another flight, it may be reduced by 50%.

When you’re entitled to compensation

  • Delay: you arrive at your final destination at least 3 hours late.
  • Cancellation: you were notified less than 14 days before departure.
  • No compensation is payable in extraordinary circumstances, such as bad weather, air traffic control decisions, political instability or security risks.

Most technical faults and strikes by an airline’s own staff are not extraordinary circumstances. The airline has to prove what happened.

Which routes are covered by EU rules

  • From the EU to any country: yes, with any airline.
  • From outside the EU to the EU, for example from Moldova: only if the flight is operated by an EU airline and you haven’t already received assistance or compensation there.
  • Between countries outside the EU: no.

It matters who operates the flight, not who sold the ticket.

If you’re flying from Moldova

Moldova has its own regulations, Government Decision 836/2012. The Civil Aviation Authority lists the same amounts: 250, 400 and 600 euros. A voucher can be issued only with your written consent. Contact the airline first. If you don’t receive a decision within 14 days, submit a complaint to the authority within 2 years of your flight.

A proposed amendment that would clearly set compensation for delays of 3 hours or more and ban imposed vouchers was still awaiting approval in October 2026.

What you’re entitled to at the airport

This is separate from compensation. The airline must provide meals and two phone calls or messages after 2 hours of waiting for short-haul flights, 3 hours for medium-haul flights and 4 hours for other flights. If you have to stay overnight, it must provide a hotel and transport. After 5 hours, you can give up your flight and get a refund.

How to claim compensation

  • Keep your ticket, boarding pass, receipts and messages from the airline.
  • Contact the airline through its claim form and request compensation in writing.
  • If it doesn’t respond within 2 months or you disagree with its decision, contact the national body in the country where the disruption happened. In Romania, this is ANPC.
  • Other options include alternative dispute resolution for EU residents and taking the matter to court.

What changes from 23 October 2027

The compensation amounts and 3-hour threshold remain the same. The airline will have to proactively tell you about your rights within 96 hours of your journey. You’ll have 9 months from your flight to make a claim, and the airline must respond within 30 days. For long-haul flights, the 600-euro amount may be reduced by half if the delay is no more than 4 hours.

Did you book your ticket through allvigo? Message us in the chat and we’ll let you know what information you need to make a claim.