Flight delayed 3 hours or more: when are you owed compensation?

You are owed fixed compensation if you reach your final destination three hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, unless the airline proves that extraordinary circumstances caused the delay. What counts is the delay at arrival, not at departure, and the clock stops when the first aircraft door opens. This guide explains how the delay is measured and how much you get.

Last updated: 5 October 2026.

Where the three-hour rule comes from

The text of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 only mentions compensation for denied boarding and cancellations. The right to compensation for long delays comes from the EU Court of Justice. In the Sturgeon judgment (joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07, 2009), the Court ruled that passengers whose flights are delayed suffer a loss of time similar to passengers whose flights are cancelled, and so should be treated the same way. The Court deduced that the right to compensation under Article 7 aims to repair a loss of time of at least three hours. It confirmed this in later cases (Nelson, C-581/10 and C-629/10; Germanwings, C-413/11).

In short: if you reach your final destination with a delay of three hours or more, you are entitled to the same compensation as for a cancellation, unless the airline can prove the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures.

How the delay is measured

• Arrival, not departure. The relevant delay is the delay on arrival at your final destination. A flight that leaves three hours late but makes up time and arrives two and a half hours late does not qualify.
• Time of arrival = first door opens. The Court has held that "time of arrival" means the moment at least one of the aircraft's doors is opened, on the assumption that passengers are then allowed to leave the aircraft (Case C-452/13, Germanwings). It is not the moment of landing or of reaching the gate.
• Scheduled arrival time. This is the time fixed in the flight schedule and shown on your booking (Case C-654/19, FP Passenger Service).
• Proof of the arrival time. The Commission considers that airlines should record the arrival time, for example through a signed declaration by the crew or the handling agent, and provide it free of charge to passengers and national enforcement bodies on request.
• Connecting flights. For a journey booked as one unit, the delay is measured at your final destination, which is the destination of the last flight (Case C-11/11, Folkerts). See our guide on missed connections.

How much compensation, and the 50% reduction

The amount depends on the distance of the journey, measured by the great-circle route (Article 7 of the Regulation):

Article 7(2) lets the airline reduce compensation by 50% if you were rerouted and arrived within 2, 3 or 4 hours of the original time, depending on the distance. Although Article 7(2) refers only to rerouting, the Court found that the reduction applies in the same way to long delays at arrival. The Commission's guidelines give the practical result: if the delay at arrival is at least 3 hours but less than 4 hours on a journey of more than 3500 km, the compensation may be reduced by 50%, which means 300 euros.

Delay at departure versus delay at arrival

A delay at departure does not give you a right to compensation by itself. It does give you a right to care (meals, hotel if needed) once it passes 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on distance, and, from five hours, a right to a refund. See meals, hotel and expenses. Compensation depends on the arrival delay.

When the airline does not have to pay

• Extraordinary circumstances. If the airline proves that an extraordinary event caused the delay and that it took every reasonable measure, no compensation is due. If the delay was partly caused by such an event and partly by something else, the part due to the extraordinary event is deducted. You are compensated only if the remaining delay is still three hours or more (Case C-315/15, Pešková). See what the EU Court has decided.
• You were not at check-in. You must have a confirmed reservation and present yourself for check-in in time. If you were told in advance that the flight would be late and decided not to show up, you cannot claim compensation for the delay (Case C-474/22, Laudamotion).
• You rerouted yourself. If you made your own arrangements because you knew the flight would arrive very late, and you then reached your destination less than three hours after the original scheduled arrival time, you are not eligible (Case C-54/23, Laudamotion and Ryanair).

What if my flight was "delayed" but really cancelled?

Airlines sometimes call a flight "delayed" when it is in fact cancelled, and the rules are different. See our guide on schedule changes and cancellations.

Frequently asked

My flight landed 3 hours late, but it took 20 minutes to open the door. Which counts?

The time the first door opened. If that moment is at least three hours after the scheduled arrival time, you meet the threshold. Ask the airline for the recorded arrival time.

Is 2 hours 50 minutes enough?

No. The Court's threshold is three hours or more at arrival.

Do I need my boarding pass to claim?

If you held a confirmed reservation and took the flight, the Court held that you do not have to produce your boarding card or another document proving that you checked in. It is for the airline to prove that you were not on the flight (Case C-756/18, easyJet). Keep your booking confirmation anyway.

Do I get less if my flight was shorter than 1500 km?

You get 250 euros instead of 400 or 600. The 50% reduction for a 3 to 4 hour delay applies only to journeys of more than 3500 km.

Sources

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Articles 5, 6, 7 and 9.
• European Commission, Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (OJ C/2024/5687), sections 3.3, 4.4.7 to 4.4.11, which cite each of the cases above.

This guide is general information based on the sources above, not legal advice.

Related guides

• Meals, hotel and expenses during a delay
• Missed connecting flight compensation
• The complete EU261 guide

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