If the flight was delayed for 2 hours: whether you can get compensation, what benefits airlines provide and what to do at the airport

It becomes frustrating when you carefully plan your long-awaited vacation, arrive at the airport, and suddenly find that your flight is delayed. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common situation. It is even worse if you have a connecting flight and because of the delay you risk missing your connection.

EU Regulation 261/2004 was designed for just such cases, to ensure that passengers are entitled to compensation for flight delays or cancellations. But even it doesn't always work. For example, there is no compensation for a flight delay of 2 hours: the plane must arrive at its destination 3 hours or more later. But there are scenarios where other claims can be made.

Compensation in the event of a flight delay of 2 hours

Although a flight delay of 2 hours is not perceived by the rules as a sufficient reason to compensate a passenger, it can be a big nuisance for the latter. After all, you don't want to waste time that could have been spent on rest and recreation waiting at the airport. It is the same if the trip is a business trip: a passenger can simply miss an important meeting. At such times, you start to wonder if there are any legal methods to get compensation for a two-hour flight delay. Unfortunately, financial compensation is not possible: Regulation 261/2004 confirms that a flight must be at least three hours late.

The only exception can work if the flight was canceled less than a week before the scheduled departure. If, because of this, you were forced to find an alternative at short notice and were therefore more than 2 hours late to your destination, you can file a compensation claim.

Another situation can also occur. If an airline delays a flight for a couple of hours or longer, it is obliged to provide support services for passengers as prescribed in its rules, ranging from water and food to overnight accommodation in a hotel if the passenger is forced to stay overnight. Often, in case of a two-hour delay, airline staff will provide passengers with vouchers that can be redeemed for relevant services in airport cafes and restaurants. But if your air carrier doesn't do this, you don't have to worry about going hungry all this time. Passengers can recover the expenses they were forced to incur due to a 2-hour flight delay as compensation from the airline. Just take care to keep all the relevant receipts and checks. But don't forget: airlines pay for "reasonable" expenses, so you're unlikely to be reimbursed for alcohol, expensive meals, and luxury hotels.

What to do at the airport if your flight is delayed for 2 hours?

If your flight is delayed by a couple of hours, not only will you arrive at your destination later, but you will also have to spend all that time at the airport, which can be quite boring. And if you're traveling with kids, such a delay can turn into a real ordeal. But there are ways to make the time go faster and the wait less exhausting.

1. Take advantage of the airline's service rights

When a flight is delayed for at least 2 hours, a passenger can request the airline to provide her with useful services. Snacks and tasty drinks are sure to brighten your wait. If the carrier's staff does not provide suitable options, the passenger can choose on their own, especially since in most cases modern airports can offer a good selection of snack bars and restaurants. Be sure to save your receipts so that you can reimburse your spending from the airline later.

2. Take care of the evidence

Passengers often have to enter into disputes with airlines to recover their rightful losses. This includes care costs. To ensure that you cannot be denied, gather evidence that the delay actually occurred. For example, take photos of the arrival and departure board screens. If you have the opportunity, ask other passengers on your flight to take pictures as well. This way you will not only have your evidence but also from an independent party so that in case of a dispute over a 2-hour delay, you will have something to prove your rights as a passenger on that flight.

3. Don't be discouraged

Flight delays, while common, always come at the wrong time. But don't let it ruin your mood, even if it disrupts your vacation plans. If you get frustrated, it can't change anything anyway, so you'll have wasted your nerves.

4. Make the most of your time

One of the best ways to kill time while you're waiting for something is to read a book. At the airport, you can look for a good kiosk to choose your reading material. Otherwise, we always have with us the paraphernalia that people today can no longer imagine their lives without - smartphones. So you can play games or watch a movie. Especially since in airports there are USB ports available to recharge your phone battery, and there is free access to the Internet via WLAN. Don't forget the good old ways that can even occupy a whole company, including children, such as card and other games.

5. Take a walk around the airport

When you have a long-haul flight ahead of you, it's silly to waste your waiting time sitting around. You can still get plenty of sitting time on the plane. Take a walk around the airport to stretch your muscles and improve circulation: this will help prepare your body for a few hours of sitting. Besides being good for your health, a walk helps distract you while you look around the airport and watch the other passengers.

A 2 hour delay on a package tour

According to the Regulations, it is impossible to get compensation for a flight delay of 2 hours. The same answer will be if it is a package tour. However, even in this case, it is possible to raise the issue of compensation.

What can I get for a 2-hour delay?

The passenger will not be able to return the money if the flight is delayed for 2 hours, but he is certainly entitled to some benefits. For example, you are supposed to fly from Berlin to Rome at 16:00, but your flight is delayed. As a result, you take off at 18:15 and land in Rome 2 hours later than you should. You are not entitled to compensation, but from 18:00 you can ask the staff for food and drinks.

Or let's look at another example: your flight does not depart at the required 20:00 and you arrive in Rome 3 hours and 45 minutes late. In this case, you are entitled to compensation because the flight delay exceeded 3 hours. The compensation is limited to 250 euros, as the distance from Berlin to Rome is just under 1184 kilometers, so this flight is considered a short-haul flight. In addition, you can ask your airline at the airport for benefits after two hours of waiting.

What will the passenger get for a 1 hour delay?

If the flight is delayed for less than two hours, there is no question of any benefits and compensation from the airline. This is an understandable and common situation, often related to safety, so in such a case, the passenger has no other choice but to put up with it.

What can I get for a flight delay of 3 hours?

According to the EU Passenger Rights Regulation 261/2004, if a flight is delayed for 3 hours or more, the passenger is entitled to compensation, the amount of which depends on the flight distance: up to 1500 km - 250 euros, 1500-3500 km - 400 euros, and over 3500 km - 600 euros.

But the airline can also refuse to compensate a passenger if a long flight delay occurred for reasons that are not within its area of responsibility. For example, bad weather conditions or safety hazards are beyond the carrier's control, so it is not to blame for delays caused by such factors.

What is considered a flight delay?

Crucial to determining a flight delay is the time of arrival at the airport at the destination. If the plane departed three hours late, but due to good flight conditions was able to arrive at its destination with a 2.5 hour delay, the passenger has no basis to seek financial compensation.

A 2-hour delay on a long-haul flight

If your flight is delayed for two hours, the passenger has the right to receive food and drinks regardless of whether the flight is an immediate or a long-haul flight. But if the flight is delayed for 3 hours or longer, its distance already plays a decisive role in the amount of compensation: if for a short-haul flight it is 250 euros, for a long-haul flight the passenger can be reimbursed already 600 euros.

How are the benefits affected by the airline you choose?

EU Regulation 261/2004 defines a clear list of reimbursements and the conditions under which passengers can receive them. But despite this, many airlines independently develop additional rules to minimize inconvenience for passengers due to forced downtime.

For example, the German budget airline Eurowings provides passengers with the right to food and refreshments, compensation for telephone calls, hotel accommodation, and transfer if necessary, if the flight is delayed for 2 hours. Lufthansa passengers in this situation receive food and drinks, transfer and hotel accommodation if necessary, and two short phone calls or emails.