Important: Award flights absolutely count.
Being delayed on a flight is never fun. However, if it happens in Europe, there is a silver lining. Thanks to a European regulation called EC261/2004, airlines may owe you cash or travel vouchers when flights are significantly delayed or cancelled.
We learned this the hard way — after a chaotic, cancelled flight home from Italy. What started as an almost-free award ticket ended with $1,600 in travel vouchers. Here’s what happened, and how you can use EU flight delay compensation too.
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Table of contents
Being Delayed Isn’t Fun — But in Europe, It Can Pay Off
Before I get into the EU flight delay compensation, let me tell you what happened.
Chaos at the Rome airport
A few years ago, we traveled to Italy using points — one of the many perks of travel hacking. Our return flight home from Rome was scheduled for early morning, so we arrived at the airport before sunrise, ready to head home.
Instead, we walked straight into chaos.
The computers were down, the terminal was overflowing with confused travelers, and airline employees were checking in passengers by hand. It took ages just to enter the building. Eventually, we were handed handwritten boarding passes — a red flag, in hindsight.
After that ordeal, we headed to the airport lounge to wait it out (thank you, Priority Pass). Time passed. Then more time passed. Our flight was delayed. And delayed again.
Delayed… Then Cancelled
Eventually, boarding began — but handwritten boarding passes caused confusion. Seats didn’t match. Passengers didn’t match. Entropy took over. As we know, it always increases!
After hours of confusion onboard, someone finally made the call: everyone off the plane. We were unboarded and left wandering the airport, trying to find an American Airlines representative who could tell us what was happening.
We never found one.
Eventually, we learned the truth: the flight was cancelled, and we were told to wait for further instructions. At least I got my step count in for the day.
An Unexpected Hotel Stay in Italy
Soon after, we were herded onto buses and driven to a hotel in the middle of nowhere. But honestly? It wasn’t bad at all.
We received:
- A free hotel room
- A buffet dinner
- Time to relax by the pool
That night, we sat poolside with drinks in our hands, the full moon rising behind palm trees. Not how we planned to spend our last night in Italy — but very much Carpe Diem.
The Next Day: Still Not Home
The next morning started early. We were bused back to the airport, spent hours waiting in the lounge again, and finally flew to JFK.
Unfortunately, the delays caused us to miss our connection to Boston. We ended up paying for a hotel there since we missed the last bus to New Hampshire.
At the time, we chalked it up as an annoying but memorable travel story — and moved on.
So… How Did We Get Compensation?
Fast forward a few years.
Facebook started showing me ads promising money for delayed flights. My reaction? Skepticism. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Still, I couldn’t stop wondering: What if?
I couldn’t find those ads when I actually wanted them, so I turned to Dan from Points With a Crew, one of my favorite travel hacking resources. Dan pointed me to the relevant regulation — EC261/2004 — and reassured me there was no statute of limitations.
He also gave me the correct email address to file a claim with American Airlines:
AA.ECClaims@aa.com
What Is EC261/2004?
EC261/2004 is a European Union regulation that protects air passengers when flights are:
- Cancelled
- Delayed more than 3 hours
- Overbooked
If your flight:
- Departs from the EU, or
- Arrives in the EU on an EU airline,
you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 per person — even if you booked your flight with points.
Filing the Claim (And the Result)
We submitted our claim, waited… and eventually received an email from American Airlines.
They agreed we qualified for compensation and offered us:
- €600 in cash, or
- $800 in flight vouchers per person
We chose the vouchers.
That’s $1,600 in free travel — from a flight that was already booked with points. Later, we used part of that credit to fly to Seattle for free and board our first Alaska cruise.
Not a bad return for a delayed flight and a free hotel stay in Italy.
When EC261 Does Not Apply
We did try filing another claim for a different delayed flight returning from Europe. Unfortunately, that delay was weather-related, which does not qualify under EC261.
Still, it never hurts to check.
Final Thoughts: Check Your Past Flights
If you’ve had a long flight delay or cancellation in Europe, don’t assume it’s a lost cause. EU flight delay compensation under EC261/2004 can be substantial — even years later, and even on award tickets.
Have you ever filed an EC261 claim? Were you successful? Or are you about to check your old flights now? Let me know — and happy travel hacking!
Please leave a comment!