Am I entitled to reimbursement for expenses caused by a flight delay?

Yes. While waiting for a delayed or cancelled flight you have the right to care — food, drink, and a hotel if you have to stay overnight. If the airline doesn't provide it, buy it yourself, keep the receipts, and claim it back.

How long do I have to wait before I'm entitled to free food and drink?

The right to care kicks in at roughly 2 hours of waiting. It applies regardless of whether the delay is caused by an extraordinary circumstance (weather) or by the airline's own fault.

A delayed flight costs the average passenger around €115 out of pocket

Flight delays cost the average passenger around €115

A 2023 Refundio survey of more than 400 respondents from the Czech Republic and Slovakia revealed something uncomfortable: airlines systematically neglect their duty of care during a disruption, despite clear legal obligations.

Care is the exception, not the rule

The survey results were stark:

Basic care (food and drink) was offered to only four in ten passengers
Only 16 % of passengers were informed of their rights by the airline
One in four respondents said they received no care at all
Passengers rated airline care at an average 4.4 / 10

Refundio founder Milan Dang notes the figures match the real cases we see: airlines disregard passenger rights and ghost claims for months on end.

A family of four loses around €475 on average

The financial impact of a disruption is significantly bigger than most passengers expect:

80 % of passengers spend money on unplanned expenses caused by a delay or cancellation
One in two passengers loses money on accommodation, transport or pre-paid activities
Average extra spend per passenger: roughly €115
A family of four loses roughly €475 on average

The most common spend is on food, drink and toiletries. Three in ten passengers spend on transport. On pre-paid accommodation alone, passengers lose an average of around €210.

What you have the right to ask for during the wait

EU Regulation 261/2004 gives passengers a right to care when waiting for a delayed or cancelled flight. This right applies always — even when the airline isn’t liable for the delay (e.g. extreme weather).

What you’re entitled to:

Food and drink proportionate to the wait
Two phone calls or emails
A hotel if departure is moved to the next day or later
Transport between the airport and the hotel

If the airline doesn’t provide these, buy them yourself, keep every receipt, and claim it back when you get home.

Financial compensation on top of the right to care

Alongside the right to care, you may also be entitled to €250–€600 of financial compensation per person. The airline has to pay this when the delay or cancellation is its own fault (technical fault, crew shortage, overbooking).

A family of four can theoretically recover up to €2,400 on a long-haul flight.

Check my claim — free →

About the survey

The survey covered more than 400 respondents from the Czech Republic and Slovakia whose flights were significantly delayed or cancelled in 2023 (at least 2 hours 50 minutes of delay).