EU countries agree to maintain compensation paid to passengers for flight delays - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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EU countries agree to maintain compensation paid to passengers for flight delays

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on June 12, 2026

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· Last updated: June 12, 2026

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EU Agrees to Maintain €250 Compensation for Flight Delays and Key Passenger Rights

EU Decision on Passenger Compensation and Rights

Agreement on Flight Delay Compensation

BRUSSELS, June 12 (Reuters) - European Union countries agreed on Friday to maintain the current compensation paid to passengers for three-hour flight delays at €250 ($289.35), a senior EU diplomat told reporters.

Claim Process for Compensation

Airlines will have to send passengers documents allowing them to claim the compensation within 96 hours, he said.

Rules for Families Traveling with Children

Seating Arrangements for Children and Accompanying Adults

EU countries also agreed to keep unchanged rules allowing an accompanying adult to sit near to a child without paying a fee.

Currency Exchange Rate

($1 = 0.8640 euros)

(Reporting by Inti Landauro; editing by Foo Yun Chee)

Key Takeaways

  • Compensation for flights delayed by three hours remains at €250 (for short‑haul up to 1,500 km), with higher tiers unchanged under Regulation 261/2004 — supported by Court of Justice case law on the 3‑hour rule (eur-lex.europa.eu).
  • Airlines must provide passengers with documents enabling compensation claims within 96 hours of a delay — a procedural enhancement to aid enforcement (europarl.europa.eu).
  • Existing provisions guaranteeing that an adult accompanying a child must be seated nearby without extra charge will be retained, reinforcing protections for families and vulnerable travelers (transport.ec.europa.eu).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current EU compensation for flight delays?
Passengers are entitled to €250 compensation for flight delays of three hours or more.
Do airlines have to notify passengers about flight delay compensation?
Yes, airlines must send passengers documents to claim compensation within 96 hours.
Are there any changes to seating rules for families traveling in the EU?
No, rules allowing an accompanying adult to sit near a child without a fee remain unchanged.
Which currency is used for the compensation amount?
The compensation is set at €250, which is approximately $289.35.

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