Your compensation depends on which regulation the disruption falls under. You use our compensation checker to see if your flight is eligible for compensation. But in general you can claim compensation if:

• Your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours at arrival.
• Your flight was cancelled within 14 days of departure without a suitable alternative flight.
• You were denied boarding without giving up your seat voluntarily (as in the case of overbooking).
• The airline was responsible for the disruption, e.g., airline strikes. 
• You have a confirmed flight booking.
• You submit your claim within the country’s time limit. 

SkyRefund can assist you for disruptions worldwide that fall under EU261 (the EU and countries part of the ECAA), Türkiye's SHY-Passenger, UK261 for the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s Passenger Rights Protection Regulations, Brazil’s ANAC 400, and Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

If you would like to know more about your rights as an air passenger, please visit the Your Rights section.

The amount of compensation depends on the type of disruption and the regulation that applies. In most cases, passengers can receive between €250 (£220) and €600 (£520). As a general rule, longer flights qualify for higher compensation.

You can use SkyRefund’s flight checker to see how much compensation you can claim for your disrupted flight.

Yes, under EU261, the airline can reduce your compensation by 50%. However, this only applies if your alternative flight arrives between 2 and 4 hours after the original scheduled arrival time.

To learn more about compensation reductions, see the Air Passenger Rights section.

No, every passenger has the right to submit a claim, uphold their passenger rights, and receive compensation from the airline.

Yes, every passenger on the affected flight will be entitled to compensation, unless they travelled free of charge or at a reduced fare that was not available to the general public.

If you flew with your friends or family and you booked your tickets together (i.e. travelled with the same booking reference), you can submit a claim for them alongside your own claim if you have their consent.

Yes, you can still receive compensation. Your right to assistance—such as meal vouchers, refreshments, or accommodation—is separate from your right to compensation.

Airlines must provide care even when a flight is disrupted due to reasons outside their control, i.e., extraordinary circumstances.

If the airline did not offer assistance at the time, you can claim these costs afterward by attaching the receipts for your expenses when submitting your compensation claim. Make sure to keep all receipts from the airport or hotel, as reimbursements cannot be claimed without them.

Under EU261, if your flight is eligible for compensation, you are entitled to it even if the airline offered a voucher instead of cash. In such cases, the airline must pay the difference between the voucher value and the compensation amount.

However, this is highly situational. In our experience, passengers often do not receive the difference or are forced into legal disputes with the airline.

For this reason, we generally advise passengers to refuse vouchers offered as disruption compensation, as the legally required compensation is often higher.

It’s also important to note that travel vouchers are different from assistance vouchers. Accepting vouchers for meals, drinks, or accommodation does not affect your right to flight compensation.

Under EU261, in the case of a missed connection, what matters is the time you arrive at your final destination. If you reach your final airport more than 3 hours late, you may be entitled to compensation.

This means that even if your first flight was delayed by less than 3 hours but caused you to miss a connecting flight, you can still claim compensation. However, if the airline provides an alternative flight that arrives less than 3 hours late at the final destination, compensation is not due.

All flights in your journey must also be part of the same booking. If you booked the flights separately, compensation for a missed connection is not available.

You can check your flights using SkyRefund’s compensation checker to see if you’re eligible for compensation.

You can determine whether your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours by comparing the scheduled arrival time with the actual arrival time. For example, if your flight was scheduled to land at 14:00 but arrived at 17:12, the delay exceeds 3 hours and you may be entitled to compensation.

Keep in mind that the arrival time is measured when the aircraft doors are opened, not when the plane touches down.

You might be entitled to compensation. But this depends on whether you accepted the alternative flight and when that flight arrived in comparison to the original arrival time. It’s always best to rely on tools like our flight checker which automatically tells you if you’re entitled to compensation based on your flight information.

Unfortunately, at this time we do not provide assistance with lost or delayed luggage.

Yes, you’re entitled to compensation even if you didn’t book your ticket through the airline. The carrier is the one performing the flight, not the company you booked your ticket through.

If you booked your ticket at a reduced fare that is not available to the general public, you might not be entitled to compensation.

If you are entitled to receive compensation and that compensation has not yet been paid, you have the right to claim it. So, if the airline offered travel vouchers but you refused them, you’re still entitled to financial compensation. 

There isn’t a set time limit worldwide. The time limit for submitting a claim starts from the date of the flight and varies from country to country.

European flights 

• United Kingdom: 6 years (excl. Scotland, where it’s 5 years)
• France: 5 years
• Poland: 1 year
• Romania: 3 years
• Switzerland: 10 years

Each country determines its own time limits, with most countries in the EU having a limit of 3 years. 

International flights

• Turkey: 2 years
• Canada: 1 year
• Saudi Arabia: 60 days
• Brazil: 5 years
• United States: 6 years

If your country isn’t part of the list, you can check out our article on time limits for claiming flight compensation.

Your eligibility depends on which regulation applies and whether your flights were part of the same journey.

You can claim compensation only if all flights were included in the same booking. You can check this in your reservation—if you purchased all flights together, they are generally considered part of the same booking.

If you booked the flights separately, you cannot claim compensation for a missed connection.

Technically, you can claim compensation from an airline that doesn’t exist anymore. But you’re probably not likely to receive it. When an airline goes out of business, passenger claims are usually not a top priority.

But if the flight was codeshared, i.e., operated by a partner airline, you might be able to receive your compensation. In such complicated circumstances, it’s always best to rely on a flight compensation company like SkyRefund. We have an extensive network of lawyers with experience in cases like these. Use our flight checker to see if you can claim. 

Yes, you can claim compensation even if you flew with a low-cost airline. As long as your flight meets the eligibility criteria, you're entitled to compensation.

This also applies to any extras you added to your booking—like priority boarding, checked baggage, or seat selection. These add-ons don’t affect your right to compensation or the amount you can receive.

Airlines can change flight schedules when needed, and their Terms and Conditions usually explain what you're entitled to. In most cases, they’ll ask you to accept the change. If you don’t, they’ll typically offer a refund or rebooking.

However, if your flight was delayed for a long time or cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you may be entitled to compensation. The same applies if your flight was:

• Moved earlier by more than 1 hour within two weeks of departure
• Diverted to a different airport
• Forced to return to the original departure airport

You can use SkyRefund’s compensation checker to quickly find out if you're eligible for up to €600.

Yes, you can claim compensation even if you were flying for business. It doesn’t matter if your employer booked or paid for the ticket—compensation is always owed to the passenger who experienced the disruption.

If the airline says you're not entitled to compensation due to extraordinary circumstances—but you believe that's not true—we can help.

Simply enter your flight details into our flight checker. Our system will assess whether extraordinary circumstances apply. If not, our legal team will handle your claim from start to finish.

If you have evidence that other flights weren’t cancelled or were taking off as normal, you can include it when submitting your claim with us.

Yes, the airline must cover all extra expenses caused by the disruption—like meals, drinks, and accommodation—as long as they’re reasonable.

While the law doesn’t specifically mention refunding a new ticket, you can try to claim the cost if you had to buy one yourself.

You’ll need to show that the airline didn’t offer a suitable alternative flight, leaving you no choice but to book a new one.

Unfortunately, 2-hour flight delays aren’t eligible for financial compensation. Only delays over 3 hours at the time of arrival can claim compensation. But under some regulations, you’re eligible for care provided by the airline.

There are no set time limits for when you should receive compensation. It varies according to the complexity of the case.

To submit your claim, you’ll need to provide a few documents to support your claim:

• Valid ID/passport 
• Boarding pass or e-ticket confirmation
• Booking reference number
• Proof of delay (written confirmation from the airline, emails, airport screenshots, baggage tags)
• Receipts for additional expenses caused by the delay, if applicable
• Denied boarding form (if you were denied boarding) 

If your claim is for denied boarding, it is especially important to keep the denied boarding form provided by the airline. If you were not given such a form, a boarding pass marked as “standby” can also support your claim.

When claiming for more than one passenger, you need to provide their documents as well. You can easily add them to yours when submitting your claim for compensation with SkyRefund.

You can’t claim compensation for flights disrupted by extraordinary circumstances. This includes issues like bad weather, ATC strikes, security risks, security delays. 

Such issues aren’t preventable by the airline as they fall outside their control. 

But even in these cases you have the right to care in the form of meal and drink vouchers, and accommodation (plus transport to it) if necessary.

 If you have been affected by delay, cancellation, or have been denied boarding, you can check if you are entitled to compensation by filing your flight details here. SkyRefund will determine whether you are entitled to compensation and calculate the amount you should be able to receive under the applicable legislation. If you are entitled to compensation, you will be invited to create a SkyRefund account. We will ask you a few more questions so that we would be able to claim from the airline the full amount of money owed to you. All that’s left is to allow us to represent you by signing a power of attorney in favour of SkyRefund’s legal experts.

Submitting a claim is quick and easy. The online claim form guides you through a few simple steps, including providing details about your flight, the disruption, and basic supporting documents, along with your personal information. The entire process usually takes just a few minutes.

SkyRefund assists passengers with flight delays, cancellations, and denied boarding. If your situation is different or not clearly listed, you can still submit a claim, providing more details about your specific case in the “Additional information” section when submitting your claim, and our team will review it. For example, if you were downgraded on an alternative flight, please mention this there.

Yes. If you travelled with your children, please include them as additional passengers when submitting your claim.

If the only passenger is a child under 18, the claim must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian. The adult should be listed as the main passenger, sign the authorization, and add the child as an additional passenger. If the child was travelling without another adult passenger, please mention this in the “Additional information” section.

For legal reasons, claims involving minors must be submitted and signed by a parent or legal guardian. Please do not enter an incorrect date of birth to submit a claim. The parent or guardian may be asked to upload their passport or ID, as airlines may require this to verify signatures.

The compensation process usually takes from a few weeks to several months. The exact timeframe depends on factors such as the airline’s response time and the complexity of the case. Please be assured that we are working to get you your compensation, and we kindly ask for your patience.

Yes. SkyRefund may take legal action if it becomes necessary. In most cases, the claim is resolved at an early stage through communication with the airline, supported by clear evidence and case-specific documentation.

However, if a fair resolution cannot be reached, legal proceedings may be initiated to pursue the compensation the passenger is entitled to.

Once we receive the compensation from the airline, we will notify you and ask you to provide your bank account details. We will then transfer your agreed share of the compensation to the bank account you provide.

If the airline contacts you after you have submitted a claim with SkyRefund, please notify us immediately. You should also forward any correspondence with the airline, whether past or ongoing. We will review the information and make every effort to protect your best interests.

To submit a claim, you may be asked to provide some of the following documents:

• Booking confirmation or e-ticket
  
  
• Boarding pass (if available)
  
  
• A document confirming your identity
  
  
• Proof of delay, cancellation, or disruption
  
  
• Receipts for any additional expenses

If your claim is for denied boarding, it is especially important to keep the denied boarding form provided by the airline If you were not given such a form, a boarding pass marked as “standby” can also support your claim.

To receive your compensation as quickly as possible, we recommend uploading your documents directly in your SkyRefund dashboard. This is the easiest and fastest way for us to review your case and avoid delays. You will also receive emails from us during the process. When we ask you to complete your claim, the email will include a button that takes you straight to your dashboard.

Yes, SkyRefund offers multilingual customer support to ensure clear communication throughout the compensation process.

A Power of Attorney allows SkyRefund and its legal partners to represent you during the compensation claim process. It gives permission to communicate with the airline and, if needed, take legal steps on your behalf.

This document is necessary because airlines and courts usually require formal authorization before discussing a case or paying compensation to a third party. The Power of Attorney is used only for handling your claim and does not give any broader rights.

If the passenger is under 18, the Power of Attorney must be signed by their legal guardian. Please also mention this in the Additional information section when submitting the claim.

A booking reference number is a short combination of letters and/or numbers used to identify your flight booking.

You can usually find it:

• In the confirmation email sent by the airline or travel agency
• On your e-ticket or booking confirmation document
• In the airline’s mobile app or online account
• On the airline’s website under “Manage booking” or “My trips”

This reference is needed to identify your flight details when submitting a compensation claim for a disrupted flight.

An e-ticket is an electronic ticket that confirms your flight booking. It can usually be found in your confirmation email, on the airline’s website or mobile app, or in your online booking account.

SkyRefund is very strict when it comes to protecting personal data. Secure systems are used to process information, and personal data is handled only in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Information is not shared with third parties except when necessary to process the compensation claim (for example, with legal partners), and only for that specific purpose.

Identification documents are required to verify your identity and confirm that the compensation claim is submitted by the correct passenger. Airlines and legal authorities often require this verification before processing or paying compensation.

Your identity is kept safe in compliance with data protection regulations and is only utilized to process your claim.

This is the country where you actually live and spend most of your time — the place where your home and main center of life are located. According to EU regulations, it is the country where you have established your primary place of living, regardless of whether you are registered there or hold its citizenship.

We continue to follow up with the airline and do not abandon the case. If the airline remains unresponsive, the process may take longer, but we will escalate the claim when necessary and continue working to secure your compensation.

Every inquiry is handled as quickly as possible. However, due to a high number of requests, response times may sometimes be longer than usual. Your patience is appreciated.

Extra expenses are reasonable costs you had to cover because of a flight disruption. These usually include essential items such as food, drinks, accommodation, and transportation while waiting for your flight or an alternative one.

It’s important to keep all receipts or invoices for these expenses. Bank statements alone are usually not sufficient—you’ll need itemized receipts showing what was purchased. Expenses must be reasonable, meaning they should cover basic needs only. Alcohol, luxury items, or duty-free purchases are not considered reasonable expenses and are not refundable.

Extra expenses also do not cover lost or damaged personal items.

No. If your case goes to court, SkyRefund handles the entire legal process on your behalf. Your physical presence is not required, and it will not affect your legal status in any way. Nothing additional is usually needed from you. If any extra information or documents are required, we will contact you directly.
If the airline contacts you during this stage, please make sure to forward all communication to us so we can handle it properly.

These details are needed so the airline can process the case—to verify the passenger’s identity and confirm that a flight ticket was purchased. We only request information that is strictly necessary.

We also ask for your flight details so we can check the case in our system, understand what happened, and confirm whether you are eligible for compensation.

We need your signature so we can represent you and assert your rights with the airline. It authorizes us to communicate with the airline on your behalf, submit the claim, and take the necessary steps to pursue compensation for your disrupted flight.

You will see a box asking you to sign when submitting your claim. There is no need to print the document and sign it by hand. However, your signature should be as close as possible to the one on your passport or ID, as the airline may refuse to process your claim if the signatures do not match.

No, unfortunately you can only add passengers when submitting the claim. If someone was not included, you will need to submit a new claim for them.

No, there is no time limit for uploading your documents. However, the sooner you upload them, the faster we can proceed with your claim and help you receive your compensation.

No, you don’t need to file a claim twice. You can submit the entire journey—from the initial departure airport to the final destination—and then select which flight in the itinerary was disrupted.

If you experienced a disruption on an alternative flight in addition to the original one, you can submit a separate claim and include the reference number of your first claim in the “Additional information” box.

If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian can submit a claim on your behalf. They can file the claim under their name as the main passenger and add the person under 18 as an additional passenger.

Please include a note in the “Additional information” box explaining that the claim is being submitted on behalf of a minor.

Go to the “Log In” page and select “Forgot my password.” Enter your email and click on “Send Reset Link.” We will email you with a link where you can change your password.

You can change your personal information by logging into your account. Click on “My account” in the top right and select “My profile”. There you can update your personal details and click “Continue” to save the changes.

Yes. You can submit multiple claims on the same account.

We will routinely update you via email on the status of your claim. You can always reach out to us via our contact form if you have any questions or want to get an update on your claim. You can add the claim reference number ("claim ID") so our team can find your claim easier and send you a quicker reply. 

You can upload any additional documents related to your claim in the “Upload Documents” section of your account. You can also reach out to us via our contact form and let us know you have additional information. Make sure to quote your claim reference number as stated in your account in the correspondence.

Screenshot or photo of your boarding pass issued by the airline. You can usually find a copy in your email, in your profile on the airline’s website, or in your phone’s wallet. If you have a paper boarding pass, you can upload a photo of it.

Uploading your boarding pass when submitting a claim speeds up the process because the flight details are filled in automatically, so you don’t have to enter them manually.

Your account is automatically created when you submit a claim with us for the first time. It allows you to easily manage your claims and upload any required documents.

If you have trouble logging in, you can contact our team for assistance using the contact form.

You can use the link from the confirmation email to create your password. The link is valid for 45 minutes. If you experience any issues logging in, you can contact us through the contact form.

You can find your claim in your account under “My Claims” (in the menu on the left). You can also track all the claims you have submitted with SkyRefund there.

You can see the amount of your compensation in your profile under “My Claims.” The total amount shown reflects the compensation you may be eligible for, based on the number of passengers included in the claim.