If your flight was delayed, cancelled, or you were bumped due to overbooking, you may be entitled to compensation of up to \u20ac600 (roughly AUD $980) per passenger. This is separate from any refund or rebooking the airline already offered you. Most travellers never claim it, because they don’t know it exists or assume the process is too complicated. This guide explains who’s eligible, how much you could receive, and how claims services like AirHelp and AirAdvisor handle the process on your behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flight compensation is a fixed cash payment owed to passengers when an airline is responsible for a significant delay, cancellation, or denied boarding. It’s governed primarily by EU Regulation 261\/2004 (EU261)<\/a>, which applies to flights departing an EU airport on any airline, or flights arriving in the EU on an EU-based carrier. This includes long-haul routes many Australians fly, such as Perth to London via the Middle East or Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This compensation is separate from and paid in addition to any refund, meal voucher, or rebooking the airline provides. It exists specifically to penalise airlines for disruptions within their control, and it’s a legal entitlement, not a goodwill gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n