An informal agreement has just been found between the 27 member states of the European Union to lower the famous European regulation 261/2004, which has been supervising compensations paid to injured travelers for almost 20 years. The key: longer delays necessary to hope to reach compensation, and amounts sometimes revised downwards.
A reform pushed by airlines
It has been years since the carriers claimed a reform. According to them, current legislation costs too much and does not take into account the realities of air transport. On average, compensation paid would reach 8 billion euros per year. Too much, the companies believe, which judge the current system “disproportionate”, especially when a short flight is delayed by a few hours for a minor cause but leads to a lump sum compensation of € 250 per passenger.
The pressure ended up paying off: on June 6, 2025, the 27 validated a compromise text, pending now a vote from the European Parliament. He confirms a deep revision of the compensation thresholds, and therefore a reduction in the rights of travelers.
Which will change concretely
So far, passengers could claim compensation ranging from 250 to 600 € if their flight was delayed at least three hours on arrival, depending on the distance traveled. This principle, validated several times by the Court of Justice of the European Union, served as a protective standard on the old continent.
With the new text, these thresholds will evolve:
- On short flights (less than 1,500 km), the minimum delay goes from 3 hours to 4 hours, but the compensation increases slightly, from € 250 to 300 €.
- On long-haul flights (beyond 3,500 km), it will now take a delay of at least 6 hours (against 3 today) to hope to receive compensation. And this will be reduced to € 500, compared to € 600.
In other words, a large majority of delays today compensated, in particular those between 3 and 6 hours, will no longer be entitled to any compensation if the reform is adopted as it is.
A bitter pill for consumer associations
On the side of travelers’ defense associations, the reaction was not long in coming. The European Federation of Travelers (BEUC) speaks of a disturbing decline in acquired rights, for the benefit of airlines. “” “This text amounts to saying that the delay must be more serious to hope to touch less“, Denounces a spokesperson. Several NGOs ask the Parliament to block or amend this reform, deemed too favorable to the airline.
The irony is that this reform comes at a time when companies record a massive return of post-Cavid passengers, and where delays and cancellations remain numerous in many European airports.
For the time being, nothing is yet final. This reform project must still be examined and voted by the European Parliament. Amendments are possible, but the guidelines already seem to be well stopped. If the text is validated as is, it will take several months before its effective entry into force. By then, the current rules remain applicable.
In other words, in 2025, it is still possible to claim up to € 600 in compensation if your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more, but this could change next year.
🟣 To not miss any news on the Geek newspaper, subscribe to Google News and on our WhatsApp. And if you love us, .
