€400 per passenger — when does this tier apply?
The €400 tier (Art. 7(1)(b)) is statistically the most common EU 261 payout: all intra-EU flights above 1500 km, and all 1500-3500 km flights regardless of destination.
The €400 tier from Art. 7(1)(b) EU 261/2004 is the most common payout in practice. Two categories fall under it: (a) all intra-EU flights above 1500 km, and (b) all other flights between 1500 and 3500 km.
Intra-EU examples (category a): Amsterdam → Madrid (~1,480 km, just below a; threshold is >1500 km), Amsterdam → Rome (~1,300 km — falls under €250 sub a), Amsterdam → Athens (~2,150 km — €400), Amsterdam → Lisbon (~1,860 km — €400), Amsterdam → Helsinki (~1,560 km — €400).
1500-3500 km outside EU examples (category b): Amsterdam → Istanbul (~2,200 km), Amsterdam → Marrakech (~2,350 km), Amsterdam → Tel Aviv (~3,450 km), Amsterdam → Cairo (~3,300 km).
What is NOT €400: flights up to 1500 km are €250 (London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin). Flights over 3500 km outside EU are €600 (New York, Dubai, Bangkok). A flight to Curaçao (~7,700 km, outside EU) is €600 — not €400 — even on a KLM flight.
Family of 4 example: AMS → Madrid (€400 per person) × 4 passengers = €1,600 compensation. Our letter €9.99. With AirHelp's 35% commission you keep €1,040. Difference: €550.
50% reduction (Art. 7(2)). Allowed only if the airline offers re-routing that arrives within 3 hours of the original arrival (for category b flights). Beyond 3 hours: full €400.
Flight delayed or cancelled? Claim €250–€600
We draft a formal EU 261/2004 claim letter to your airline. Send-ready PDF with legal citations — ready to file.
Start — €9,99