Day 2: Flight delayed – what you’re entitled to during the autumn holidays

Vanessa is a fictional character created by Reiseblase. Her stories are made up – we check facts, rules and advice against official sources.

Hello, it’s Vanessa again. The autumn school holidays are in full swing in Germany, and my desk at the travel agency feels a bit like a departure gate at the moment: some people come back rested and tanned, others with a story about hours spent on the airport floor.

Yesterday Jana was sitting at my desk – mid-thirties, two children, a stack of papers in her hand. Her return flight from southern Spain landed almost five hours late. “I bought bread rolls and water at the gate and threw the receipt away,” she told me. “Now I don’t even know whether I’m entitled to anything at all.”

These are exactly the questions I keep hearing these weeks. So today I’m telling you what my clients have experienced – and what you can actually claim under EU law if your flight is delayed or cancelled altogether.

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Things aren’t looking bad for Jana at all. For compensation, what counts is when you arrive at your destination – and according to the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), a flight only counts as arrived once the aircraft door is open and you can get off (2). The discarded receipt still annoys her, though: if you buy your own food and drink while waiting, keep the receipts, because those expenses should then be reimbursed (1).

Things went quite differently for Mehmet and Sophie. Their flight to Lisbon was cancelled three days before departure, and they thought: bad luck. Yet if you are told about a cancellation less than 14 days in advance, you are generally entitled to compensation – unless the airline offers you an alternative connection within certain time windows or can prove extraordinary circumstances (1).

And then there was Paul, who enthusiastically told me that air passenger rights were “all new now anyway”. That’s partly true: the Council of the EU gave final approval to a reform in July 2026. However, the new rules only enter into force 12 months and 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU (3). So the existing rules still apply to your flights during these autumn holidays.

Checklist: flight delayed or cancelled – what you’re entitled to

  • Compensation for an arrival delay of at least 3 hours: 250 euros for flights up to 1,500 km, 400 euros for 1,500 to 3,500 km and 600 euros for more than 3,500 km; on long-haul routes, lower amounts may apply for delays of 3 to 4 hours (1).
  • The rules apply to flights departing from an EU airport and to flights into the EU operated by a European airline (2).
  • Care while you wait: food and drink, two phone calls or emails and – if your journey only continues the next day – a hotel including transfers. Depending on the flight distance, this applies from a delay of 2, 3 or 4 hours (1).
  • If departure is delayed by more than five hours, you can decide whether to still take the flight or have the ticket price refunded (2).
  • If your flight is cancelled, you choose between a refund, re-routing at the earliest opportunity or a later date that suits you (1).
  • No compensation is due in extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken – the airline has to prove this (1). The consumer advice centre gives natural disasters or bird strikes as examples (2).
  • Luggage lost or damaged? Report it in writing within 7 days; for delayed luggage, within 21 days of receiving it (1).
  • Make your claim directly with the airline first and ask for written confirmation of the delay. According to the consumer advice centre, claims become time-barred after three years – but it’s still best to act promptly (2).
  • No satisfactory answer? The Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr (a German consumer arbitration body for travel and transport, formerly söp) also handles flight complaints and is free of charge for consumers – provided the airline takes part (4).

My takeaway from this week: if you’re stuck at the airport, collect rather than throw away – boarding pass, booking confirmation, receipts and the airline’s information about the delay. Jana has since sent off her claim, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for her.

You can read how to claim step by step in our guide to flight delays (advertisement). And if you booked a package holiday: according to the consumer advice centre, a reduction in the price of your trip may also be possible under certain circumstances (2) – more on that in our package holiday guide (advertisement).

See you tomorrow,
Vanessa

Please note: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Rules can change – please check the latest official information before you travel.

Sources

  1. European Union – Your Europe: Fluggastrechte (accessed on 12 October 2026)
  2. Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg: Flug verspätet – das sind Ihre Rechte (as at 12 November 2024; accessed on 12 October 2026)
  3. Council of the European Union: Council gives final clearance for stronger air passenger rights (press release of 13 July 2026; accessed on 12 October 2026)
  4. Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr e.V.: Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr: Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle (accessed on 12 October 2026)

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