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HOME / PASSENGER RIGHTS / OVERBOOKING · DENIED BOARDING
OVB-261 UNDER EUROPEAN PASSENGER-RIGHTS LAW

Bumped at the gate? they owe you cash, same day.

You had a valid ticket. You checked in. They told you the plane was full and 'volunteers' were needed. That's involuntary denied boarding, and it triggers immediate cash compensation under European passenger-rights law, regardless of whether you eventually flew.

YOUR FLIGHT
BUMPED
FROM
VIE
Vienna
TO
AYT
Antalya
FLIGHT
QS-1142
ISSUE
DENIED BOARDING
OWED TO YOU
€600
DEPARTURES · GATE B12
QS-1142 ● BUMPED
FR-247 ● ON TIME
OK-672 ● BOARDING
THE RULES · WHEN THE LAW APPLIES

When am I owed money?

The short version of a 30-page regulation. We made it readable so you can self-qualify in under a minute.

✓
You had a confirmed reservation
Booking confirmation, paid for, valid ticket. They sold one too many seats, that's on them.
OWED
✓
You checked in on time
You showed up at the gate when you were supposed to. Late check-in is a defense for the airline.
OWED
✓
Denied boarding was involuntary
If you took their voucher to 'volunteer' off the flight, your compensation rights changed. Don't volunteer until you know the law.
OWED
×
You were rebooked AND arrived on time
If they put you on a flight arriving within 1h of your original (short-haul) or 4h (long-haul), the compensation reduces. Still owed something, usually.
NOT OWED
PAYOUT CALCULATOR

How much is your route worth?

Compensation is calculated by the great-circle distance of your booked route, not how long you actually waited.

Short-haul (under 1,500 km)
€250
Medium-haul (1,500 – 3,500 km)
€400
Long-haul (over 3,500 km)
€600
DISTANCE OF FLIGHT
2,000 km
≈ Warsaw → Athens
200 km8,000 km
YOU MAY BE OWED
€400
PER PERSON · TAX-FREE
Confirm with my actual flight →
WHAT TO DO AT THE AIRPORT

If this is happening to you right now…

A quick checklist. Snap these in the next 10 minutes and the rest is up to us.

01
Refuse vouchers, ask for cash

Airlines push travel credit because it's cheaper for them. You have the right to cash, in your bank, within 7 days.

02
Don't 'volunteer' without a number

If they ask volunteers to give up seats, that's negotiable. Don't agree until you know what they'll pay.

03
Save the denied-boarding letter

By law, the airline must give you a written reason. Demand it.

04
Document the rebooking

What flight they put you on, what time it gets there. Affects how much you're owed.

THE FINE PRINT (HONEST)

When you won't get paid.

We'd rather tell you upfront than waste your time. The law has carve-outs, "extraordinary circumstances" the airline isn't liable for. These are the big ones.

Even if your case looks like it falls under one of these, send it our way. The line between "extraordinary" and "ordinary" is where most of our wins live, airlines lie about it all the time.

×
You volunteered (in writing)
If you signed something accepting their offer, your statutory rights may be reduced. Read before signing.
×
Safety, security, or document issues
Wrong visa, missing passport, security flag, they can legally deny you boarding without compensation.
×
Late check-in
Most airlines require check-in 30–45 min before departure. Miss that, and they don't owe you cash.
×
Health concerns at the gate
If a doctor at the airport says you can't fly, that's not the airline's liability.
OTHER WAYS WE PAY YOU
READ UP BEFORE YOU CLAIM
MIDDLE EAST · 2026
Flight cancelled because of the Middle East situation: when the airline doesn't have to pay, and when it does
Airspace closure due to a military conflict really does fall under extraordinary circumstances, so the €250–€600 statutory compensation isn't payable by the airline. This is one of the few situations where that excuse actually holds. But your right to a full refund of the ticket, or to a replacement flight, doesn't disappear. And if the airline tries to force a voucher on you instead of cash, you don't have to accept it. Insist on a refund to your account.
Read the guide →
Passenger Rights
Extraordinary circumstances – when you are not entitled to compensation
EU Regulation 261/2004 lets airlines refuse compensation when a flight was disrupted by so-called extraordinary circumstances. Weather, ATC strikes, bird strikes or an unexpected technical fault outside the airline's control can all qualify. But not every refusal is valid – airlines routinely misuse this defence. This article explains, based on Court of Justice of the EU case law, which situations are truly extraordinary and which are not.
Read the guide →
WEATHER · EXCUSES
Weather delays: when it's an excuse and when it's a real extraordinary circumstance
Weather is the excuse we hear most often. But not every weather event is created equal. De-icing in winter is a routine, predictable procedure. The airline has to plan for it, and if it makes you over three hours late, the entitlement to compensation stands. A real extraordinary circumstance is a closed runway because of extreme fog, or wind a pilot can't safely fly through.
Read the guide →
ONE LAST THING

Your flight was ruined.
Make it pay.

Two minutes. Free. No credit card. We'll tell you in 24 hours whether you have a claim, and exactly how much.

Start free claim → OR EMAIL air@refundio.eu