Compensation for delayed flights

Flight delays are annoying – whether you’re on your way to vacation or back home, you want to arrive on time.

Luckily, you have some rights if your flight is delayed. Your rights are set out in an EU Regulation from 2004.

If you’re only traveling on one flight on your trip, it might be more obvious that you’re entitled to compensation if you’re (very) delayed.

However, you are actually also entitled to flight compensation if you have a stopover and the delay is only short, but means you miss your connecting flight. What matters is when you arrive at your final destination.

It is also irrelevant whether you have purchased a charter trip (package tour) or whether you have purchased your flight tickets directly from the airline (or via a ticket broker such as kiwi.com, flybillet.dk and the like). You have a claim for flight compensation regardless of where you bought your tickets. And remember: you should always contact the airline directly if you need to make a claim for flight compensation.

When can I get compensation for a delayed flight?

Your right to compensation starts when your flight is delayed for 3 hours or more. The decisive point in time is when the plane’s doors open.

You are also entitled to flight compensation if your trip is rescheduled and this causes you to be delayed for 3 hours or more.

However, if it is a short distance of 1,500 km or less, you are already entitled to flight compensation if the re-routing causes a delay of 2 hours or more than 2 hours.

How much can I get in flight compensation?

The deciding factor in how much flight compensation you are entitled to is the destination – the longer you have to travel, the higher the compensation. You are entitled to either DKK 1,865 (250 Euro), DKK 2,985 (400 Euro) or DKK 4,500 (600 Euro) in flight delay compensation.

If you are traveling from Denmark to e.g. Crete, Mallorca or Malaga (or the opposite direction), you are entitled to approximately DKK 2,985 (equivalent to 400 Euro).
If the trip is further afield – e.g. to Thailand, Dubai or the USA – you are entitled to approximately DKK 4,500 (equivalent to EUR 600).
For shorter journeys within the EU – e.g. to Nice or London – the compensation claim is approx. 1,865 kr. (equivalent to 250 Euro).

The amounts are per person, so if you are four people traveling to Mallorca together, for example, your combined claim is almost 12,000 kr.

A child is also entitled to compensation, even if the full price of the flight ticket has not been paid. An infant without a seat of their own is entitled to compensation if it is listed in a confirmed reservation (e.g. the parents’ flight ticket) and if they are not traveling for free.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

If you’ve been unlucky with a delayed flight, you are fortunately entitled to compensation. We have gathered a lot of practical advice for those who are currently sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight.

You can also benefit from following these simple tips:

Ask for an explanation of WHY your flight was canceled or delayed, in writing if possible. This will be valuable later when you need to apply for compensation or reimbursement;
Remember to make sure you have documentation of when the plane’s DOORS OPEN (for example, you can film it with your cell phone if you are sitting nearby). The decisive point in time when assessing the length of the delay is when the doors open (not when the plane lands, for example);
Remember to make sure you have DOCUMENTATION of what is happening! If the airline offers you a re-routing of your trip, ask for the offer in writing (even if you decline the offer). You are rarely obliged to wait for days to get to your destination.

Your rights in the event of a delayed flight

If your flight is delayed for an extended period of time, you are entitled to the following:

Reasonable PROVISIONING (drinks and – in case of long delays – 3 meal hours per day);
ACCOMMODATION if you have to wait overnight;
Two TELEPHONE CALLS.

If the airline does not fulfill its obligations, you can purchase food and beverages in reasonable quantities and subsequently claim a REFUND from the airline.
REMEMBER to keep all receipts for your expenses. And remember that the receipts must show what was purchased and when.

The airline is not obliged to cover beer, wine and spirits – not even in connection with meals.
If your flight is significantly delayed, the airline is obliged to offer you an ALTERNATIVE JOURNEY, possibly with another airline. Read more about this here.

Compensation for expenses in connection with cancellation

If the airline cancels your flight and you decline a re-routing, the airline must refund the full purchase price of the ticket. You must receive the money within a week.

If you buy new tickets yourself with another airline and the new tickets are more expensive than the original ones, you can claim the difference.
If the airline does not provide you with reasonable meals, you can buy food and drinks in reasonable quantities and subsequently claim a refund from the airline.
REMEMBER to keep all receipts for your expenses. And remember that the receipts must show what was purchased and when.
The airline is not obliged to cover beer, wine and spirits – not even in connection with meals.

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Compensation for delayed flights

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