Transavia and European air passenger law
Transavia operates through two carriers: Transavia France (IATA code TO, based at Paris-Orly, Nantes, Lyon, Montpellier and Brest) and Transavia Netherlands (code HV, based at Amsterdam-Schiphol, Rotterdam and Eindhoven). Both are low-cost subsidiaries of the Air France-KLM group, serving mainly the Mediterranean, North Africa, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Egypt.
Being a low-cost airline changes nothing about your rights. As holders of an EU operating licence, both Transavia entities fall fully under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. The rules apply to every flight departing from an EU airport, whatever the destination, and to flights arriving in the EU when operated by an EU carrier. An Orly–Marrakech, an Amsterdam–Faro or a Djerba–Nantes flight on Transavia is therefore covered.
Delayed Transavia flights: the three-hour threshold
Compensation becomes payable when you reach your final destination at least 3 hours late. The measurement point matters: the delay is assessed on arrival, when the aircraft doors open, not at departure. A flight that pushes back 3 hours 30 late but makes up time in the air and lands 2 hours 45 behind schedule does not qualify.
Amounts are fixed and depend solely on the great-circle distance of the flight:
- €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less (e.g. Orly–Barcelona, Amsterdam–London);
- €400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km and all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km (e.g. Nantes–Heraklion, Amsterdam–Marrakech, Lyon–Tel Aviv);
- €600 for flights over 3,500 km outside the European Union.
Given Transavia's short and medium-haul network, most claims fall into the €250 and €400 brackets. The ticket price is irrelevant: a passenger who paid €49 and one who paid €320 on the same flight receive exactly the same amount.
Cancelled Transavia flights: the 14-day rule
If your flight is cancelled, compensation is owed when you were informed less than 14 days before the scheduled departure date. Beyond that notice period, no compensation is due. Where Transavia offers you re-routing, the amount may be halved if the replacement timings stay within the narrow limits set out in Article 7 — for instance, when notice is given 7 to 13 days ahead and the new flight departs less than 2 hours earlier and arrives less than 4 hours later than originally planned.
Separately from compensation, Article 8 gives you a choice: a full refund of the ticket within seven days, or re-routing to your final destination under comparable conditions, at the earliest opportunity or on a later date that suits you. Accepting a voucher or travel credit is never compulsory, and it must not be used to strip you of your statutory compensation.
Denied boarding and overbooking
If Transavia refuses to board you despite a valid reservation and on-time presentation at the gate — typically because of overbooking — the same compensation scale applies, provided you did not volunteer to give up your seat in exchange for a negotiated benefit.
The right to care: frequently overlooked
From 2 hours of delay (3 hours for flights over 1,500 km, 4 hours beyond 3,500 km), Article 9 requires the airline to provide, free of charge, meals and refreshments proportionate to the waiting time, two means of communication, and hotel accommodation plus transfers where an overnight stay becomes necessary. This duty applies even when the disruption stems from extraordinary circumstances. If Transavia provided nothing, keep your receipts: reasonable expenses can be reclaimed on top of the fixed compensation.
Extraordinary circumstances: when no compensation is due
Transavia can be exempted if it proves the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. Accepted examples include severe weather, airspace closures, air traffic control strikes external to the airline, political unrest and bird strikes.
By contrast, the following are generally not extraordinary: routine technical faults arising from normal aircraft maintenance, strikes by the carrier's own staff, rotation planning failures, unavailable crew, or knock-on delays accumulated over the day. The burden of proof lies with the airline, which must document the cause it invokes.
You have up to three years to claim
In France, the limitation period for an EC 261 claim is three years from the flight date; other Member States apply different periods, from one to several years. In practice, disrupted Transavia flights since September 2023 are usually still within scope. Gather your booking confirmation, boarding pass, any emails or text messages from the airline, and your expense receipts.
How to make your claim succeed
The process starts with a written, legally reasoned and quantified claim to Transavia's customer service. If the airline refuses or fails to answer, the file can be escalated to the competent national enforcement body: the DGAC for flights departing France, the ILT for the Netherlands, or the relevant travel ombudsman.
Airlines Quick Refund handles the entire amicable process on your behalf: eligibility assessment, file preparation and correspondence with the airline. Our 35% commission is charged only if the claim succeeds — no result, no fee.
Check in two minutes what your Transavia flight may be worth: use our compensation calculator.