Myths and misunderstandings about flight compensation

Mar 06 2025 MFR travel team

When flight is delayed or cancelled, it’s hard to know if you’re entitled to compensation or not. Of course, there are clear rules like EC261 about when you should get money back, a lot of people believe in the myths we will discuss in this article, that stop them from trying to claim the compensation they deserve. Together we will discuss those myths and go through them one by one, to help you understand better when you can claim compensation and when you cannot.

The basics of flight compensation

Flight compensation means that you can get money when your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked. But that’s only when the problem is within the airline’s control and not out of their control. Rules like EC261 in the EU is set to let us know if we are actually entitled to compensation and how much it will be based on the distance of the flight and how long the delay is. However, false ideas have spread around, and it makes some passengers think that they aren’t allowed to claim.

Debunking the myths

Myth 1: Every delay or cancellation gets compensation

What’s true:
The whole reality of this myth is that – it’s absolutely not true! If the airline is at fault for the delay or cancellation, then compensation is due. But if there’s bad weather, bad political situation, air traffic control strike and so on, that’s out of the airline’s control and compensation is not due in that case. However, the airline can still help you with meals, rebooking or hotel stay.

Myth 2: Compensation is always the same amount

What’s true:
That is a myth and it’s not true. Compensation relies completely on the flight distance. For example, under EC 261, a short flight delayed by over three hours might get you up to around €250, while longer flights can fetch up to €600 or more.

Myth 3: You have to claim right away or you lose your right

What’s true:
The best decision is usually to start the claim process as soon as possible, but depending on the country of departure arrival. If you flight departed from Germany, you have whole 3 years to file your claim. However, if your flight arrived in Spain, then you have 5 years to file your claim. It’s best to check the claim expiration period for every country in Europe.

Myth 4: Claiming compensation is too complicated

What’s true:
Well, to collect all the documents and filling the forms can be quite overwhelming and seems like a long process, but this is why companies like MYFLYRIGHT exist, to do the heavy lifting for you. We have a success rate of over 98% in court. Our team will take care of the paperwork and all the legal steps that are needed to proceed with the claim and make it way more easier and stress free to get your money.

Myth 5: You must claim directly from the airline

What’s true:
Yes, you can absolutely do submit it with them and on your own, but working with specialists like MYFLYRIGHT the process will be way smoother and easier. We have the legal expertise and tons of experience with such cases, so even if your initial claim was turned down, we can push it forward and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes my flight eligible for compensation?

A: Your flight could qualify only if the delay or cancellation happened, because of issues within the airline. Such can be technical issues with the plane, or problems with the crew. Any other issue that is not related to the airline, like bad weather or air traffic control strike, which is not the airline’s problem, you won’t be able to get compensation.

Q: How is the compensation amount decided?

A: The amount is decided by your flight distance, under the EC261 rules. Let’s give some examples:

Flight LH10 – London Heathrow -> Hamburg - €250 (up to 1,500km)

Flight IB12 – Hamburg -> Madrid - €400 (between 1,500km to 3,500km)

Flight UA16 – Madrid -> New York - €600 (from 3,500km and above)

Now you know how the amount of compensation is determined depending on the flight distance.

Q: If I accepted a meal voucher or rebooking offer, can I still claim cash compensation?

A: Receiving meals or rebooking doesn’t make you lose the right to claim money for delay or cancellation. But of course, if you aim for alternative form of compensation, such as travel vouchers, you probably will lose the right to claim compensation.

Q: How long do I have to file my claim?

A: This is a very important piece of information you have to be aware of, because every EU country establishes a time frame you can file your claim. For some countries it’s 3 years, for others it’s 5 years. Fun fact: Luxembourg time frame is 10 years and Malta has no limits!

Q: Is the process really that difficult?

A: Yes, the whole process seems like tons of work, because you have to put together all the documents like boarding pass, receipts and any email/message you have from the airline. But with that being said, we at MYFLYRIGHT are here to save you the time and stress and do the procedure for you. Bonus – we have a lot of experience in the field and most of our customers received their compensation with very minimal hassle.

Q: What documents should I keep?

A: Always keep original, scanned and digital copies of your boarding pass, receipts for extra costs, tickets, alternative flight tickets and so on. Better safe than sorry!

Now that you are aware of your rights and we debunked all the myths, explained the true facts and answered the most important questions, you can be confident that no matter what happens on your trip, there are laws you can rely on and get the compensation you deserve. At MYFLYRIGHT the goal is always to help you get your money back quickly and without any hint of stress, because you deserve fair treatment when your trip doesn’t go as planned.