Guide
Flight delay compensation: what you're owed in the US vs the EU (2026)
Short answer: it depends where you fly. Under EU rules (EU261), if you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control, you're owed €250, €400 or €600 in cash, depending on the distance.
In the US there's no cash compensation for delays by law. You're owed a refund if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed and you choose not to fly. Most big US airlines also promise meals and hotels when the delay is their fault.
Same delay, very different outcomes. A crew problem that holds you up four hours out of Paris can be worth €600. The same crew problem on a flight from Chicago gets you a meal voucher, if that. Here's what each set of rules actually says, what changed in 2026, and how to claim.
US vs EU at a glance
| EU (EU261) | US (DOT rules) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash for a long delay | €250 to €600 from 3 hours late on arrival | None required by law |
| Refund if you don't fly | Yes, for a cancellation, or a delay of 5+ hours at departure | Yes, if cancelled, or delayed 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international) |
| Meals and hotel | Required once the delay reaches 2 to 4 hours, depending on distance | Airlines' own promises, only if the delay is their fault |
| Weather, air traffic control | No compensation (extraordinary circumstances) | No meal or hotel commitment |
EU261: how much you're owed
EU rules cover every flight departing from an EU country, whatever the airline, and flights arriving in the EU when an EU airline operates them. They also apply to flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
What counts is how late you reach your final destination, not how late you take off. The amount depends on distance:
| Flight distance | Delay on arrival | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 3 hours or more | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km (or any flight within the EU over 1,500 km) | 3 hours or more | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km, between the EU and another country | 3 to 4 hours | €300 |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours or more | €600 |
The same €250 to €600 applies to a cancellation, unless the airline gives you enough notice or a close enough alternative, and if you're denied boarding because of overbooking. If you miss a connection, you're covered when both flights were on the same booking and you arrive 3 hours or more late.
When the airline doesn't have to pay
No compensation is due for extraordinary circumstances that the airline couldn't have avoided even with all reasonable measures. The EU gives examples: air traffic management decisions, political instability, bad weather and security risks.
Most technical problems found during maintenance don't count, and neither do strikes by the airline's own staff. That's why "a technical issue" is often worth claiming for, and "weather" usually isn't.
What changed in 2026
In June 2026, EU lawmakers agreed the first overhaul of these rules in over two decades. The headline is what didn't change: compensation still starts at 3 hours and is still €250, €400 or €600. The main new duty is that airlines must tell you about your rights and how to claim within 96 hours of a disruption. Other changes include a fixed list of extraordinary circumstances and a ban on cancelling your return flight because you missed the outbound one. The new rules apply 12 months after they're published in the EU's Official Journal, so the current rules apply for now.
US rules: refunds, not compensation
US law doesn't require airlines to pay you for a delay. What it does require is a refund if your flight is cancelled for any reason, or significantly delayed or changed, and you choose not to travel or accept a voucher. A "significant" delay means arriving 3 hours or more late on a domestic itinerary, or 6 hours or more on an international one. Other changes count too, such as a different airport or extra connections.
If you take the rebooked flight or keep flying, you're no longer owed the refund.
What US airlines promise when it's their fault
The Department of Transportation tracks what the ten largest US airlines commit to when a delay is within their control, such as maintenance, crew, cleaning or fuelling:
| When the delay is the airline's fault | Which airlines commit |
|---|---|
| Meal or meal voucher for a wait of 3+ hours | All ten |
| Hotel and transport for an overnight delay | All except Frontier |
| Travel credit or voucher for a wait of 3+ hours | Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest |
| Frequent flyer miles for a wait of 3+ hours | Alaska, Hawaiian |
| Cash compensation | None |
A proposal to make US airlines pay $200 to $300 for long delays was withdrawn in 2025. And from 1 February 2027, a new DOT rule moves ten causes out of the "airline's fault" category, including unscheduled maintenance that can't be deferred, removing an unruly passenger, and cyberattacks. Delays from those causes will be less likely to come with meals or hotels.
A worked example
Say you fly Paris to New York on a US airline, about 5,800 km, and arrive 4 hours late because of a crew shortage:
- The flight departs the EU, so EU261 applies, even though the airline is American.
- It's over 3,500 km and 4+ hours late, and a crew shortage is within the airline's control, so you're owed €600.
Now fly home New York to Paris on the same airline, with the same 4-hour crew delay:
- It's arriving in the EU on a non-EU airline, so EU261 doesn't apply.
- Under US rules, you'd get a meal voucher under the airline's own commitments, and a refund only if you chose not to fly. No cash.
If your flight is delayed, do this
- Note the scheduled and actual arrival times at your final destination
- Ask the airline for the cause of the delay, in writing if you can
- Keep receipts for meals, hotels and transport while you wait
- Don't accept a voucher in place of a refund unless you want one
- Claim directly from the airline first, usually through its website. It's free
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Rules depend on your exact route, airline and booking, and claim deadlines vary by country. Check the official sources below, or with your airline, before you claim.
Questions people ask
Do I get compensation if my flight is delayed by weather?
Usually not. Under EU rules, bad weather counts as an extraordinary circumstance, so no compensation is due, although the airline still owes you care such as meals while you wait. US airlines' meal and hotel commitments only cover delays within their control, which normally excludes weather.
Is a 2-hour delay worth claiming?
Not for cash compensation. Under EU rules, the delay has to be 3 hours or more at your final destination. In the US there's no cash compensation by law at any length of delay.
Does EU261 cover my flight home to the US on an American airline?
No. EU rules cover every flight departing from the EU, but flights into the EU only when an EU airline operates them. A US airline flying from Paris to New York is covered; the same airline flying New York to Paris is not.
Should I use a claims company?
You don't have to. You can claim directly from the airline for free, usually through a form on its website. Claims companies keep a share of the payout in exchange for handling it, which can be worth it if the airline refuses a valid claim.
Sources
- Your Europe (European Union): Air passenger rights (read 2 November 2026)
- European Commission: Commission welcomes landmark agreement on revised air passenger rights (15 June 2026)
- US Department of Transportation: Refunds
- US Department of Transportation: Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard
- The Points Guy: Trump DOT pulls flight delay compensation proposal
- AirlineGeeks: DOT delays rule change governing airline responsibility for flight disruptions (22 October 2026)