Look, this is one of those things that takes years off your life. You arrive at the airport pumped up, sunglasses already on your head, you look at the departures board and see that cursed word flashing in red: DELAYED (or worse, CANCELLED).
Your heart sinks, your partner huffs, the kids start crying and all you can think about is heading to the bar for an €8 beer.
But hold on! Don't let the airline get away with it. Did you know you might be entitled to a hefty compensation that pays for your next holiday? Martin will explain everything.
1. The Golden Rule: Regulation (EC) 261/2004 🇪🇺
Memorise this number like it's your bank PIN. If your flight departs from a European Union airport (or arrives in the EU on a European airline), the law is on your side.
If the flight is delayed by more than 3 hours at arrival to the destination, you're entitled to compensation. Full stop.
2. How Much Can You Get? (The Maths of Pain) 💰
The compensation does not depend on the ticket price (you could have paid €20 on Ryanair and get €400!). It depends only on the flight distance:
- Up to 1,500 km: €250 (e.g. Lisbon - Madrid)
- Between 1,500 km and 3,500 km: €400 (e.g. Lisbon - London)
- Over 3,500 km: €600 (e.g. Lisbon - New York)
Picture this: a couple and two children on a delayed flight to New York can get €2,400! Enough for another holiday!
3. What to Do at the Moment of the Delay? (Ninja Mode) 🥷
Don't go shouting at the lady at the desk, it's not her fault. Do this instead:
- Ask for a written statement from the airline confirming the reason for the delay.
- Keep all the receipts! If the delay is long, the airline has to give you food and drink. If they don't, keep the restaurant receipts, they have to reimburse you.
- If the flight is cancelled or postponed to the next day, they HAVE to pay for the hotel and the taxi to get there. Don't sleep on the airport floor!
4. How to Claim the Money? 📝
You can go to the airline's website and fill in the complaint form (they will try to complicate things and drag it out for months). If you have no patience for paperwork, use sites like AirHelp or FlightRight. They handle everything, take the airlines to court if necessary, and only charge a percentage (around 30%) if they win the case.
The Flight Was Delayed? At Least the Car is Safe!
Having a delayed flight on the way out is bad, but having a delayed flight on the way back is a nightmare. You arrive in Lisbon at 4 in the morning instead of 10 at night, completely wrecked, and the last thing you want is to be out in the rain looking for a taxi or paying through the nose on an Uber with night surge pricing.
If you'd used Multipark's Valet Parking service, your return would be an oasis of peace.
Your flight was delayed? No problem! Our team monitors flights in real time. If you land at 4 in the morning, our driver will be there waiting for you with your car warm and ready to take you home. No surprise fees because of the delay, no stress, no waiting.
Turn a bad day into a comfortable return. Book your Valet Parking on the Multipark site and travel with the certainty that your car is in good hands!
