Flight more than 3 hours delayed — step-by-step
At 3 hours arrival delay you are entitled to €250-€600 compensation (Sturgeon ruling). Here is the practical sequence.
Arrival delay of 3 hours or more at your final destination entitles you to compensation under EU 261/2004 + the Sturgeon ruling. €250 up to 1500 km, €400 intra-EU or 1500-3500 km, €600 over 3500 km outside the EU. The steps below take you from "delayed" to "paid".
Step by step
1
Gather evidence during the delay
Photograph the departure board showing the delay, keep the boarding pass, ask gate staff for written confirmation of the delay (an email/SMS is enough). A photo of the screen showing scheduled/actual arrival at the airport is gold.
2
Calculate your final arrival delay
What counts is the difference between scheduled arrival at your final destination and actual arrival at your final destination. Departure delay does not control (only relevant for Art. 6 care).
3
Demand care during the wait (Art. 9)
For >2 hour delays: meal vouchers, phone costs. For overnight delays: hotel + transport. If the airline does not provide: keep your own receipts — you can claim them back later.
4
Wait 7 days after returning home, then file the claim
File a formal claim with the airline. Cite EU 261 Art. 7, Sturgeon ruling C-402/07, and give a 14-day deadline. Our EU 261 letter does this for €9.99 — vs. AirHelp's 35% commission.
5
No response or rejection? Escalate in 3 steps
Step 1: complaint to Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) via ilent.nl. Step 2: Geschillencommissie Luchtvaart (within 1 year). Step 3: cantonal court — small claims (up to €25,000), including statutory interest under Art. 6:119 BW.
Ready to claim?
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.
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