Delayed Flights: Your Rights and Compensation
If your flight left late or you reached your destination hours behind schedule, this is not just a test of patience. Under defined conditions it is a legal event that entitles you to €250 to €600 in cash compensation, meals during the wait and, where necessary, a hotel. This page explains which delays qualify, how the amount is set, which airline excuses actually hold up, and how a claim proceeds step by step.
Which flights are covered?
- EC 261/2004 (European Union): every flight departing from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, whatever the airline, plus flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline. The UK applies the same amounts under UK 261.
- SHY-Passenger (Turkey): every flight departing from a Turkish airport, whatever the airline, plus flights arriving in Turkey on a Turkish airline.
Frankfurt–Istanbul on Lufthansa is covered by EC 261; Istanbul–Frankfurt on Turkish Airlines by SHY-Passenger; Frankfurt–Istanbul on Turkish Airlines by both. Check your own route in seconds with the compensation calculator.
How late does the flight have to be?
What counts is not the departure delay but the delay at your final destination, and the threshold is 3 hours. Since the Court of Justice's Sturgeon ruling, arriving 3 hours or more late gives the same compensation as a cancellation; Turkish courts and the Civil Aviation Authority follow the same line. The clock stops when the aircraft door opens: 2 h 55 min earns nothing, 3 h 05 min earns the full amount.
Compensation amounts
| Flight distance | Compensation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish domestic | €100 (paid in TRY) | Istanbul – Antalya |
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | Istanbul – Athens, Antalya – Larnaca |
| 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | Istanbul – Frankfurt, Izmir – London |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 (€400 within the EU) | Istanbul – New York |
Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports; the ticket price is irrelevant. Every passenger on the booking — infants and children included — receives the amount separately, so a family of four on a Frankfurt flight claims €1,600.
Your rights while you wait
Independently of compensation, the airline owes you care, and this applies even when the delay is not its fault:
- Meals and refreshments from 2 hours (up to 1,500 km), 3 hours (1,500–3,500 km) or 4 hours (over 3,500 km)
- Two phone calls or e-mails
- Hotel and transfers if the delay runs overnight
- After 5 hours: the right to abandon the trip and have the fare refunded within 7 days
If the airline did not provide these, reasonable meal, hotel and transport costs can be claimed on top with receipts.
When does the airline escape payment?
The only valid defence is extraordinary circumstances: events the airline could not have avoided even with all reasonable measures.
| Compensation is due | Counts as extraordinary |
|---|---|
| Technical fault, maintenance overrun | Bird strike, hidden manufacturing defect |
| Crew scheduling, missing crew | Air-traffic-control restrictions |
| Strike by the airline's own staff | Airport or ATC staff strike |
| Knock-on delay from an earlier rotation | Weather that makes the flight unsafe |
| Late aircraft preparation, fuelling problems | Security threat, political instability |
Airlines label most delays "operational" or "weather". The burden of proof is on them, and the flight data for other departures from the same airport that day usually tells the real story — that is exactly what we check.
How the claim works
- Keep your documents: booking reference, boarding pass, the delay notification, receipts for expenses.
- Fill in the claim form — two minutes, free of charge.
- Free assessment: we verify the actual departure and arrival times and the cause, and tell you within 48 hours whether you have a claim.
- Claim to the airline: we submit a legally reasoned demand. Most files settle at this stage within 4–10 weeks.
- Legal action if needed: regulator complaint, consumer arbitration or court — at no extra cost to you.
Our fee is a percentage of the compensation and is charged only when you are paid. If the claim fails, you pay nothing.
Frequently asked questions
My flight was delayed last year — can I still claim?
Yes. Turkey's general limitation period is 10 years; in the EU it varies by country (Germany 3 years, the UK 6, Italy 2). If you still have your booking details, past flights can be claimed.
The airline offered a voucher or miles.
Compensation must be paid in money; a voucher is only valid with your written consent and is usually worth less than cash.
I flew on a package holiday.
The debtor is the operating airline, not the tour operator; package passengers have the same rights.
The first leg was only slightly late but I missed my connection.
On a single booking the delay at the final destination counts. See missed connections.
Airline-specific pages: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, all airlines.
Delayed by 3 hours or more? Start your claim now — free assessment within 48 hours, no win no fee.
Informational only; based on EC 261/2004 and the Turkish SHY-Passenger Regulation as in force at publication. Not legal advice. Each case is assessed on its own facts.