If you’ve ever shrugged off a delayed flight as one of those things that just happens when you travel, you might want to think again. According to new analysis reported by the Financial Times, airlines across Europe are currently sitting on around €3.2 billion in unpaid flight delay compensation that passengers could still claim. That’s money that legally belongs to travellers, yet millions of people have never received it, and if you’ve flown in the past few years, there’s a chance some of that money could be yours.
The compensation you’re entitled to
Under European passenger rights rules, you can be entitled to compensation when your flight arrives more than three hours late, is cancelled at short notice, or you’re denied boarding. Depending on the circumstances and the length of the journey, compensation can range from €250 to €600 per passenger. That’s on top of other rights such as replacement flights, meals, accommodation and refreshments during major disruptions.
The Financial Times found that passengers were eligible for around €18 billion in compensation for delayed flights between 2011 and 2025. Yet airlines paid out only €7.7 billion during that period.
So, more than half of the money passengers could have claimed never made it into travellers’ bank accounts.
Why so many people never claim
Part of the problem is awareness. If your flight is delayed, nobody is likely to hand you a leaflet explaining exactly what you’re entitled to. Unlike some rail operators, airlines are not required to proactively tell passengers when they may qualify for compensation.
Even when you know your rights, claiming can feel like hard work. You’re searching airline websites for claim forms, waiting weeks for responses, or being told that the delay was caused by “extraordinary circumstances” that exempt the airline from paying compensation. For many travellers, especially when life gets busy after a holiday or business trip, the claim simply falls off the to-do list and that’s exactly what airlines are counting on.
What if you were travelling for work?
If your delayed or cancelled flight was booked and paid for by your employer, you might assume any compensation would belong to the company. , but in most cases, that’s not how flight compensation works, under UK and EU passenger rights rules, compensation is generally payable to the passenger who experienced the disruption, regardless of who paid for the ticket. So if you were travelling for work and your employer covered the cost of the flight, you would usually be the person entitled to make the claim.
That said, some employers have internal policies covering flight compensation claims, so it’s worth checking your company’s travel policy if you’re unsure. It’s another example of how confusion around the rules can stop passengers from claiming money they’re entitled to.
Billions left unclaimed
The scale of the problem is huge, the FT’s analysis suggests airlines remain liable for around €3.2 billion in compensation that passengers can still claim because limitation periods in many countries allow claims to be made years after the disruption occurred.
That’s billions of euros sitting unclaimed while passengers assume there’s nothing they can do, and the figure only relates to delays. The total amount potentially owed for cancellations and other disruptions could be significantly higher.
Your flight might qualify even if it happened years ago
One reason so much compensation remains unpaid is that many people assume they’ve left it too late, but that’s often not the case. Depending on where the claim is being made, you may be able to claim for flights that were disrupted several years ago. The exact time limits vary, but in some circumstances claims can be brought up to six years after the flight. That means a delayed family holiday, a disrupted business trip, or a frustrating airport experience from years ago could still be worth investigating.
Check before you assume you’re not eligible
The biggest lesson from the Financial Times investigation is not to assume you’re not entitled to compensation. Millions of passengers have missed out because they didn’t know their rights, thought the process would be too complicated, or assumed the airline had already told them everything they needed to know.
If you’ve experienced a delayed or cancelled flight, it takes only a few minutes to find out where you stand. Resolver’s free Flight Compensation Checker can quickly tell you whether your disrupted journey could qualify for compensation and help you understand your next steps.
With billions still unclaimed across Europe, checking whether you’re entitled to compensation is a sensible place to start.
And if you’re struggling to get a response from an airline, or feel your complaint isn’t being handled fairly, you can use Resolver to raise and manage your case for free.
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