€600: the highest tier of EU air passenger rights
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 sets three fixed compensation amounts for long delays, late cancellations and denied boarding: €250, €400 and €600. The top figure applies only to long-haul journeys — but the regulation's definition of "long-haul" is technical, and many passengers misjudge which tier their flight falls into.
The distance rule: over 3,500 km and non-intra-EU
The scale works as follows:
- €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less;
- €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km;
- €600 for all other flights, meaning journeys of more than 3,500 km that are not intra-EU.
Two conditions must therefore be met: the distance must exceed 3,500 km and the route must not connect two EU airports. Paris–Cayenne, for instance, is far longer than 3,500 km but remains intra-EU (French Guiana is an EU outermost region), so it is capped at €400. By contrast, Paris–New York, Brussels–Dubai or Madrid–Bogotá sit in the €600 bracket when the other conditions are satisfied.
How distance is measured
Compensation is based on the great-circle distance between the departure airport and the final destination, not the actual route flown. Where connections are booked on a single reservation, the whole journey counts: a Lyon–Amsterdam–Jakarta itinerary is measured from Lyon to Jakarta. The Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed this: a single booking is treated as one unit, even if the disruption occurs on a short feeder segment.
Eligibility conditions beyond distance
Distance sets the amount, not the entitlement itself. To claim on a long-haul flight, the following must apply:
- Scope: the flight departs from an EU airport (any airline), or arrives in the EU operated by an EU-licensed carrier. A New York–Paris flight on a US airline is outside the scope; the same route on a European carrier is covered.
- Delay of at least 3 hours on arrival, measured at the final destination when the aircraft doors open — not at departure.
- Cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, unless re-routing kept you very close to the original schedule.
- Denied boarding due to overbooking, where you checked in on time.
- No extraordinary circumstances: severe weather, air traffic control strikes, political instability or security threats can exempt the airline. Routine technical faults, crew shortages and internal scheduling problems generally do not.
The 50% reduction: when €600 becomes €300
Article 7(2) is frequently overlooked. An airline may halve the compensation if it offers re-routing with an arrival time no more than 4 hours later than the original schedule, for flights over 3,500 km outside the EU. In practice: a re-routed Paris–Tokyo arriving 3 hours 30 minutes late gives €300, while an arrival 4 hours 15 minutes late gives the full €600. This reduction applies only where the carrier actually provided alternative transport — not to a simple delay of the original flight.
Compensation is not the same as care or refund
The €600 is a flat-rate payment, unrelated to the ticket price. It comes in addition to the right to care (meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation and transfers if an overnight stay is required, means of communication) and, where you choose not to travel, to a refund of the ticket. Genuine out-of-pocket expenses — a hotel you paid for yourself, a missed separate onward connection — may be claimed separately, with receipts.
Claims can go back up to 3 years
Under French law, claims for EC 261 compensation are subject to a three-year limitation period. A long-haul disruption from 2023 or 2024 may therefore still be actionable today. Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation, airline emails and, ideally, a screenshot of the actual arrival time.
Building a strong file
Airlines invoke extraordinary circumstances more often on long-haul routes, where aircraft rotations are tight and a single disruption cascades. A convincing claim rests on three pillars: proof of the transport contract, proof of the actual arrival time, and the airline's written response. Where a refusal is poorly reasoned, a structured follow-up citing EU case law frequently resolves the matter without escalation.
At Airlines Quick Refund we handle these amicable claims on your behalf, with a 35% commission charged only if the claim succeeds — no fee if it does not.
Check in minutes whether your long-haul flight qualifies for €600: run the compensation simulator.