Flight delayed 3 hours or more? Here's exactly what you can claim

Picture Sofia at Lisbon airport. Her 2:30 pm flight to Berlin flips from "On time" to "Delayed," then to a new departure time that wipes out her evening plans. By the time the aircraft doors open in Berlin, she's 3 hours and 10 minutes late.

Here's the part most travelers miss: that delay could be worth up to €600 per passenger. Under EU rules, if your flight reaches its destination 3 hours or more late and the cause was within the airline's control, you're owed fixed cash compensation. That's on top of food, drinks, and a hotel if you need one. Below, we break down exactly what you can claim, what counts toward the 3 hours, and how to get paid.

These amounts are set by law, so the airline can't offer you less. One catch: on flights over 3,500 km, if you arrive between 3 and 4 hours late, the airline can cut the payment in half.

A 3-hour delay qualifies for compensation when three things are true. Your flight departed from an EU airport, or landed in the EU on an EU airline. You reached your final destination 3 hours or more behind schedule. And the delay was caused by something within the airline's control. If all three apply, the airline owes you up to €600, depending on distance. The same rules also cover Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

That last condition is where most claims get decided. Airlines don't have to pay when the cause was an "extraordinary circumstance." That's the legal term for events the airline couldn't reasonably control.

Good news if you've seen the headlines: the 3-hour rule survived. EU lawmakers agreed a reform of passenger rights in June 2026, and both the threshold and the amounts stayed the same. You can read the full story in what the EC 261 reform 2026 means for you.

Your delay is measured at arrival, not departure. The clock stops when the aircraft reaches the gate and at least 1 door opens so passengers can get off. Touching down on the runway doesn't count. On a connecting journey booked as a single ticket, what matters is how late you reach your final destination, not how late each flight was.

That has some surprising effects. A flight that leaves 3 and a half hours late but makes up time in the air, landing 2 hours 50 minutes late, doesn't qualify. A flight that leaves 2 hours 40 minutes late, then waits 25 minutes on the tarmac for a free gate, does.

And if you land at 2 hours 59 minutes? Sadly, no compensation. But you may still be owed care. Depending on the flight distance, the airline must offer meals and drinks once you've waited 2 to 4 hours at the airport.

Back to Sofia. Her flight was delayed because the airline couldn't find a full crew, which is firmly within its control. The plane touches down in Berlin 2 hours 50 minutes late. On the runway, that looks like a near miss.

But the aircraft then taxis and waits for a free gate. The doors finally open 3 hours and 10 minutes after her scheduled arrival. Because arrival is measured at the doors, Sofia's delay officially counts as 3 hours 10 minutes. Lisbon to Berlin is roughly 2,300 km, which puts her in the middle band of the table above.

Now take a long-haul flight from Madrid to New York, over 5,700 km. A technical fault means it arrives 3 hours 30 minutes late. Those passengers are owed compensation, but because the delay is under 4 hours on a flight over 3,500 km, the airline can halve it. Had they arrived 4 hours late or more, they'd be owed the full amount.

Connecting flights follow the same logic, as long as both legs are on one booking. If you booked them separately, the airlines don't have to connect you, and we explain where that leaves you in your rights for self-connecting flights.

1. Ask why. Ask airline staff what caused the delay, and get it in writing if you can. "Technical issue" and "weather" lead to very different outcomes.

2. Note when the doors open. This is your official arrival time. A quick screenshot of the time on your phone helps.

3. Keep your documents. Hold on to your boarding pass, booking reference, and any texts or emails about the delay.

4. Use your right to care. Ask for meal vouchers, and a hotel plus transport if you're stuck overnight. Keep receipts for anything you pay for yourself.

5. Don't sign away your rights. You never have to accept a voucher instead of cash compensation.

6. Let the app keep watch. If you added your flight to the free AirHelp app before you flew, it tracks the delay in real time and alerts you when you're likely owed compensation.

You have 2 options. You can claim directly with the airline, usually through a form on its website. Or you can let AirHelp handle the paperwork and any pushback for you. It's free to check, and there's nothing to pay unless we win. Our step-by-step guide shows how to use AirHelp to claim flight compensation.

Don't wait too long. Right now, how long you have to claim depends on the country your claim falls under, and in some countries it's as short as 1 year. Once the reformed EU rules apply, expected in 2027, there'll be a single 9-month window to file with the airline.

Want the legal detail, like how distance is calculated or when a cancellation counts? You'll find it all in our full guide to flight delay compensation.

How much compensation do you get for a 3-hour flight delay?

Up to €600 per passenger. The exact amount depends on your flight distance, from the short-haul band for flights up to 1,500 km to the top band for flights over 3,500 km. See the table at the top of this post.

Does a delay of exactly 3 hours qualify?

Yes. Compensation applies when you arrive 3 hours or more late, measured from the moment the aircraft doors open at the gate. A delay of 2 hours 59 minutes doesn't qualify.

Did the 2026 EU reform change the 3-hour rule?

No. The 3-hour threshold and the compensation amounts both stayed in place. The updated rules are expected to apply from 2027, and until then, the current rules apply in full.

Can I still claim if the airline gave me meal vouchers or a hotel?

Yes. Meals, drinks, and hotels are part of your right to care. They're separate from compensation, so accepting them doesn't cancel your claim.

Delayed over 3 hours? Check your claim in the AirHelp app

That long wait at the gate could be worth up to €600. Add your flight to the free AirHelp app to see if you're owed compensation, and claim in a few taps. No paperwork, and nothing to pay unless we win.