Eurowings cancelled or delayed flight: your compensation
If your Eurowings flight arrived 3 hours or more late, was cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding, EU Regulation 261/2004 may entitle you to €250 to €600 per passenger — whatever you paid for the ticket.
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Airkarma handles claims under EU Regulation 261/2004: flights departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and flights into those countries on a European airline. Flights departing from the United Kingdom fall under UK261, which we do not handle yet.
How much you can claim
- €250
- Flights up to 1,500 km
- €400
- Flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and every flight over 1,500 km within the EU
- €600
- Flights over 3,500 km, except flights within the EU
Per passenger, including children with their own seat. If the airline re-routed you and you arrived no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours late, depending on the distance, it may halve the amount (Article 7(2)).
No win, no fee: if we recover your compensation, we keep 25% incl. VAT. If we don't, you pay nothing.
When EU261 covers a Eurowings flight
EU261 covers every Eurowings flight departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Because Eurowings is a European airline, it also covers its flights into those countries from anywhere in the world.
Your rights by situation
Delayed flight
If you reached your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to compensation as if the flight had been cancelled, as the Court of Justice of the EU confirmed in 2009 (Sturgeon). What counts is when you arrive — when the aircraft doors open — not when you took off.
Cancelled flight
If Eurowings cancelled your flight and told you less than 14 days before departure, compensation is due unless it offered you another flight leaving and arriving close to your original times (Article 5). Whatever the notice, you can choose between a refund and a replacement flight.
Denied boarding
If you were refused boarding against your will — usually because the flight was overbooked — although you had a confirmed booking and checked in on time, compensation is due straight away (Article 4).
Care while you wait
Whatever caused the disruption, while you wait Eurowings must provide meals and refreshments and, if you have to stay overnight, a hotel and transport to it (Article 9).
What to know about claiming from Eurowings
- Eurowings, the Lufthansa Group's short-haul airline, holds a German operating licence, so it is a European airline. Its biggest bases are Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin. EU261 covers its flights departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and its flights into those countries.
- Some flights sold under Eurowings (EW) flight numbers are operated by Eurowings Europe, a sister airline licensed in Malta, and are shown as "operated by Eurowings Europe". It is also a European airline, so the same rules and amounts apply; compensation is owed by the airline that operated the flight.
- Eurowings flies within Europe and to the Mediterranean. The compensation is €250 for flights up to 1,500 km and €400 for longer ones: for example €250 from Düsseldorf to Palma de Mallorca, about 1,340 km, but €400 from Hamburg, about 1,660 km. Long-haul holiday flights in the Lufthansa Group are flown by Discover Airlines, a separate airline: a claim for one of those goes to Discover.
- In April 2026, Eurowings' own pilots, called out by the Vereinigung Cockpit union in a dispute over their company pensions, went on strike, and Eurowings cancelled flights from German airports. A strike by an airline's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (Court of Justice of the European Union, Airhelp v SAS, C-28/20, 2021), so cancellations caused by it generally give a right to compensation.
When compensation is unlikely
Compensation is usually not due when:
- the flight arrived less than 3 hours late;
- you were told about the cancellation at least 14 days before departure;
- the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken — for example severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, a security risk, or a strike by staff who do not work for the airline;
- the flight is not covered by EU261 (see above).
A technical fault, or a strike by Eurowings's own staff, is generally not an extraordinary circumstance, so compensation is usually still due.
If Eurowings refuses to pay
If Eurowings rejects your claim or does not reply, you can complain to the national enforcement body of the country your flight departed from.
Every EU country has one, as do Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
Or let us handle it: we take your claim to Eurowings, and to the enforcement body or to court if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Does EU261 cover my Eurowings flight?
EU261 covers every Eurowings flight departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Because Eurowings is a European airline, it also covers its flights into those countries from anywhere in the world.
How much compensation can I get from Eurowings?
€250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km and for every flight over 1,500 km within the EU, and €600 for longer flights — per passenger, whatever the ticket cost.
What does it cost to claim with Airkarma?
Nothing up front. If we recover your compensation, we keep 25% incl. VAT. If we don't, you pay nothing.
Eurowings cancelled my flight because of its pilots' strike. Can I claim?
Generally yes: a strike by Eurowings' own pilots does not release it from paying compensation, provided you were told less than 14 days before departure or arrived 3 hours or more late. A strike by airport security staff or air traffic controllers is different and usually gives no right to compensation; Eurowings must still offer you a refund or another flight, and meals and, if needed, a hotel while you wait.
How much can I claim for a delayed Eurowings flight to Mallorca?
It depends on the distance: €250 per passenger for a flight up to 1,500 km, such as from Düsseldorf or Cologne/Bonn, and €400 for a longer one, such as from Hamburg or Berlin. You need to have arrived 3 hours or more late, for a reason within Eurowings' control.
My Eurowings flight was operated by Eurowings Europe. Who owes the compensation?
Eurowings Europe, the airline that operated the flight. It is licensed in Malta, so it is a European airline covered by EU261, with the same rules and amounts as Eurowings itself.
Airkarma is an independent claims service and is not affiliated with Eurowings.