
We all know how frustrating flight disruptions can be. The good news is that you may be entitled to up to €600 (£520) in compensation if your SunExpress flight was cancelled or delayed. But how do you submit a claim, and what if SunExpress cites “extraordinary circumstances”? Here’s a quick guide to what you need to know.
Flight disruptions can be stressful, but if you were flying from an EU or UK airport, you may be entitled to compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004. SunExpress flights are covered by EU261 only when the journey departs from the EU/EEA or the UK.
But as a Turkish airline, all SunExpress flights also fall under regulation SHY-Yolcu, the Turkish equivalent of EU261.
You may be eligible for SunExpress compensation if your flight was:
Delayed by more than 3 hours upon arrival
Cancelled within 14 days before departure without offering a suitable alternative
Affected by issues within SunExpress’s control, such as technical faults or operational problems
However, if the delay or cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances—for example severe weather, political instability, security risks, or air traffic control restrictions—SunExpress is not required to pay compensation, as these events fall outside the airline’s control.
Under European Regulation 261/ 2004 and the UK regulation air travellers who have experienced a flight delay , cancellation or denied boarding in the last 3 years on a flight departing from an EU airport are eligible for compensation if the disruption was the airline’s fault.
Under EU 261 you may claim SunExpress flight delay compensation if:
Note that delay time is calculated at arrival. So even if your plane departed more than 3 hours later, if the pilot managed to compensate and arrived only 2 hours after originally scheduled, you cannot claim reimbursement. However, if your flight arrived at your final destination more than 3 hours behind schedule, you may claim compensation.
SkyRefund can make the claiming process smooth and easy. You can use our free compensation calculator to quickly check if you are eligible for reimbursement. All you have to do is enter your flight details in the form. Our experienced legal team will do the rest.
We will contact the airline and deal with the hassle. We will also do our best to enforce your rights and make sure you receive your rightful compensation.
What is more, we work under the ‘No win, no fee’ principle. We will not charge you anything unless we win the case on your behalf. If we succeed in enforcing your rights, our fee is 35% of the compensation amount you get.
Under EC261 flight delay and cancellation compensation amount depends on the flight distance and the length of the flight delay. Compensations are paid per person (i.e. for every passenger who has experienced the disruption) and vary between €250 and €600.
| € 250 | € 400 | € 600 |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1500 km | Between 1500 & 3500 km | More than 3500 km |
Note that according to the regulation flight compensation may be cut in half if the flight distance is over 3500 km and the delay is between 3 and 4 hours. This means that instead of €600, you may get €300 in compensation.
You may claim SunExpress flight cancellation compensation if:
In case of a cancelled flight, the airlines has to offer you either a full refund of the ticket price or a n alternative flight. In addition to the above, you may be entitled to compensation when:
| Notice Given | Arrival at Final Destination |
|---|---|
| 14 Days or More | No compensation |
| 7-13 Days | A delay of more than 4 hours |
| Less than 7 Days | A delay of more than 2 hours |
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for airlines to cancel flights on the day of the departure. Luckily, under EC261 you may be eligible for flight disruption compensation if your flight arrives at your final destination more than 2 hours behind the original schedule.
As SunExpress is not a European airline, you will not be eligible for compensation if your flight was outside of Europe or arrived in Europe but departed from an non-EU airport. However, for all flights departing from Europe , you may make your claim for flight disruption compensation.
To find out if you are eligible, you will also have to understand what the reason was for the flight disruption. Airlines cannot take measures to prevent delays and cancellations in case of bad weather, bird strikes or air traffic control restrictions. These are deemed extraordinary circumstances and as air carriers bear no responsibility in these cases, they refuse to pay compensation.
Typical examples of extraordinary circumstances include :
Sometimes it is difficult to know what the reason for the delay or cancellation is. You can use our free compensation calculator to check if you are eligible for reimbursement and what the maximum amount is.
Was your SunExpress flight overbooked? Under EU261 and UK261, if you were denied boarding, you can either:
You are eligible for compensation only if you were denied boarding against your will! Airlines typically look for volunteers willing to give up their seat and offer them various benefits. Consider their offer carefully as you may lose your compensation eligibility!
If you are entitled to reimbursement, the amount of your denied boarding compensation depends on the length of your journey.
SunExpress is a Turkish-German airline based in Antalya. The air carrier is a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa and was founded in October 1989. SunExpress operates both scheduled and chartered passenger flights. It has two hubs: at Antalya Airport and İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport. SunExpress travels to 90 destinations in 30 countries across Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa.
Sun Express is a Skytrax certified 3-Star leisure airline and was declared "Europe's Best Leisure Airline" in 2023 and 2024 by the Skytrax World Airline Awards.