Flight cancelled, delayed or baggage lost
A cancelled flight or an arrival more than 3 hours late can entitle you to €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, on top of a refund or another flight. Here is how to claim, for free.
Your rights if your flight is cancelled or delayed
These rules apply to flights departing from the European Union, and to flights into the EU operated by an EU airline.
- Compensation (late cancellation, arrival 3 hours or more late, denied boarding): €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km, €600 beyond. It may be halved if a replacement flight gets you there with little delay.
- Cancellation: you choose between a refund (within 7 days) or another flight. No compensation if you were told at least 14 days before.
- Care while waiting (meals, drinks, hotel if needed), even in extraordinary circumstances.
- No compensation in extraordinary circumstances (weather, security, air-traffic-control strikes…). A technical fault or a strike by the airline's own staff usually isn't one.
Claim from the airline first
Keep your boarding pass, booking and all expense receipts. Claim via the airline's form (or with the letter below). You can do it yourself, for free.
Deadline: in Belgium you have 2 years from the flight date to go to court (some airlines state 1 year in their terms: don't wait).
Brussels Airlines ↗Ryanair ↗TUI fly ↗Transavia ↗easyJet ↗Wizz Air ↗Vueling ↗KLM ↗Air France ↗Lufthansa ↗Eurostar ↗
Claim compensation from the airline
[First name Last name] [Address] [Postcode Town] Email: [email address] To: [Airline] customer service [Town], [Date] Subject: Compensation claim (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004) — flight [number] on [date], booking [code] Dear Sir or Madam, I was a passenger on flight [number] from [departure city] to [arrival city], scheduled on [date] at [time]. This flight was [cancelled / delayed: arrival at destination [X] hours late / I was denied boarding]. Under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, I ask you to pay compensation of €[250 / 400 / 600] per passenger, i.e. €[total] for [number] passenger(s), and to reimburse my [meals / hotel / transport] costs of €[amount] (receipts attached). Please make the payment to account [IBAN] within 30 days. Otherwise, I will contact the competent enforcement body (Belgian FPS Mobility) and, if necessary, the court. Yours faithfully, [First name Last name] Attachments: boarding pass, booking, receipts
No reply or refusal: free help Free
- FPS Mobility: online complaint for flights departing from Belgium. It enforces the rules but does not pay you itself; a complete file is needed and handling can take months.
- ECC Belgium (free): if the airline is based in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or the UK. Tel. 02 277 99 00 (working days 9:00-12:30).
- Finally: the court (justice of the peace up to €5,000) at the place of departure, arrival or the airline's seat.
Baggage lost, delayed or damaged
- Report it at the airport before leaving the baggage area (“PIR” report).
- Claim in writing from the airline: within 7 days for damage, within 21 days of receiving delayed baggage, as soon as possible for lost baggage.
- Keep receipts for essential purchases. The airline's liability is capped (about €1,888 per passenger).
Package holidays (flight + hotel) and travel agencies
- The organiser must be insured against bankruptcy: if it goes bust, you are refunded or brought home.
- The price may only rise for specific reasons and no later than 20 days before departure. Above 8%, you can cancel free of charge.
- Dispute with a Belgian agency or organiser: the Travel Disputes Committee (conciliation €75) if your contract includes its terms. Tel. 02 277 62 15 (FR/NL).
Rules in force on 08/10/2026 (EU Regulation 261/2004), checked on the websites of the Belgian FPS Mobility, the European Union and ECC Belgium. An EU revision was approved in 2026: current rules apply until it enters into force.