EU Deal Extends Wait for Flight Delay Compensation: New Rules Explained

European Union countries have recently decided to extend the minimum delay time required for air passengers to claim compensation.

Under the new guidelines, compensation claims for passengers on short-haul flights will only be considered if the delay exceeds four hours. For long-haul flights, the required delay for compensation eligibility has been increased to six hours or more. This is a significant change from the current EU regulations, which allow passengers to seek compensation for flight delays exceeding three hours.

Additionally, the EU countries have consented to raise the compensation amount for delayed passengers on short-haul flights from €250 to €300. Conversely, the compensation for long-haul flight delays will decrease from €600 to €500.

This revision to the EU’s air passenger rights framework was originally proposed by the European Commission in 2013. After 12 years of negotiations, member states have agreed on these changes, although they still need to be discussed with the European Parliament before they can be enacted into law.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has criticized the plan, arguing that it will strip most passengers of their compensation rights since the majority of flight delays fall within the two to four-hour range.

The trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E), which includes members such as Ryanair, easyJet, and Lufthansa, has also expressed disappointment with the plan. They had advocated for even longer delay thresholds before compensations become applicable.

Ourania Georgoutsakou, A4E’s managing director, commented on the decision, stating, “Europe has been in need of clear and feasible passenger rights for 12 years, and member states have missed the opportunity to deliver at this crucial moment. Instead of setting delay thresholds at five and nine hours, which would save up to 70% of potentially salvageable canceled flights, member states have watered down the European Commission’s original proposal and added further complexity.”

The European Commission had initially suggested extending the delay time to five hours for short-haul flights and nine hours for long-haul flights.

The agreement also introduces a “right to be rerouted” in cases of significant delays, the automation of compensation forms, and enhanced rights for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Philippe Tabarot, the French Transport Minister, expressed his contentment with the agreement on social media platform X, stating, “The agreement could have been more ambitious, but it represents an important step towards enhancing the service quality for air travelers.”

In the UK, air passenger rights are governed by EU-based regulations. According to these rules, airlines are required to compensate passengers if their flight arrives over three hours late, provided that extraordinary circumstances did not cause the delay.

Compensation amounts in the UK range from up to £220 for short-haul flights under 1,500km, £350 for medium-haul flights between 1,500km and 3,500km, and up to £520 for long-haul flights over 3,500km. However, if a passenger arrives with a delay of less than four hours on a long-haul flight, the compensation can be reduced to £260.

An EU official mentioned that these changes might also impact British travelers, as they apply to passengers flying with EU airlines, affecting those traveling to and from EU countries on such carriers.