Independent passenger-rights guidance

Flight delayed or cancelled?
Understand your rights and eligibility.

SkyDelay is an informational website for travellers dealing with delays, cancellations, and missed connections. We explain the core rules in plain English so you can assess your situation before deciding what to do next.

SkyDelay does not handle claims or provide legal advice. The site is designed to help you understand common passenger-rights scenarios and prepare your next step.

How compensation generally works

EU Regulation 261/2004 sets fixed compensation bands for certain disruption cases, but entitlement is never automatic. Route, distance, arrival delay, notice period, and the reason for the disruption all matter.

€250
Short-haul (up to 1,500 km)
e.g. London → Paris
€400
Medium-haul (1,500–3,500 km)
e.g. London → Athens
€600
Long-haul (over 3,500 km)
e.g. London → New York

Amounts can be reduced in some circumstances, and compensation is not usually owed when extraordinary circumstances made the disruption unavoidable.

A simple way to approach a disrupted trip

Most passengers do not need a complicated legal analysis right away. In practice, the first job is to understand the type of disruption, preserve the useful evidence, and work out whether a direct claim to the airline makes sense.

If the case later becomes disputed, delayed, or confusing, you can then decide whether you want to keep pursuing it yourself or use a specialist service.

1
Check the disruption type
Delay, cancellation, and missed connection cases follow different rules. Start by identifying which one best matches your journey.
2
Save the practical evidence
Keep booking details, timings, airline messages, boarding passes, and receipts while the disruption is still fresh.
3
Decide how to pursue it
Many passengers start with the airline directly. Others later use a specialist service if the case becomes disputed or time-consuming.

Frequently asked questions

Start with the disruption that matches your journey

Each guide focuses on the key eligibility questions, the documents worth saving, and the practical choices passengers usually face first.