Reimbursement and Compensation Guide: Portugalia

Whenever a flight is delayed or canceled it can completely ruin your travel plans. Not only do you end up wasting long hours at the airport, but it can also come with unexpected expenses such as having to buy food and other essentials while you wait. Plus, you’re also likely to miss out on scheduled events or important meetings at your destination.

In Europe, EC 261 protects all passengers in the event of flight cancellations, especially last-minute flight cancellations.

Passengers due to depart from a European airport are always entitled to a full refund if their flight is canceled and Portugalia can't offer an acceptable replacement. Additionally, for any Portugalia flight cancellation less than 14 days before the flight, passengers may also be eligible for Portugalia flight cancellation compensation, up to £520 per person.

That's unless there were some kind of extraordinary circumstances which gave Portugalia no choice but to cancel the flight. The law accepts that airlines should only pay compensation when they are at fault — but they must still ensure passengers reach their final destination or get a full refund for the flight.

Airlines like Portugalia also don't need to pay compensation if they're able to offer an alternative flight that arrives at a very similar time to the original one. The specific time limits are included in our flight cancellation compensation guide.

Table shows values in € as specified in EC 261

As you might expect with any law, there are exceptions and special circumstances that can affect how much compensation is owed in every individual case. AirHelp makes it simple to check what you’re owed with our free compensation calculator.

Can I get a refund and compensation if my Portugalia flight was canceled due to coronavirus?