If your flight was cancelled or badly delayed and the airline did not provide care, you can claim back what you spent on meals, drinks, a hotel, transfers and calls, as long as the costs were necessary, reasonable and backed by receipts. Expenses are separate from €250, €400 or €600 compensation: you claim them separately and you may be owed both. Here is what you can get back, what you cannot and how to put your claim together.
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Claiming expenses for a delayed or cancelled flight: what is covered
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 requires the airline to look after you while you wait. If it does not and you pay yourself, the European Commission's guidelines say the costs must be reimbursed when they were necessary, reasonable and appropriate. In practice:
| Expense | Reimbursable? | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Food and drink at the airport while you wait | Yes, within reason (no alcohol) | Receipt with date and amount |
| Hotel if departure moves to the next day | Yes, a standard hotel | Invoice in your name with the dates |
| Airport–hotel–airport transport | Yes, by ordinary transport or taxi if needed | Tickets, taxi receipt |
| Calls or data to let people know | Yes, if necessary | Breakdown of the cost |
| Prepaid hotel at your destination, car hire, airport parking | Not under regulation 261 | Bookings and receipts, for Montreal or insurance |
| Missed events or excursions | Not under regulation 261 | Tickets and proof of cost |
Care, and so reimbursement of these costs, is owed even when the cause is extraordinary, such as bad weather. If the airline offered a hotel and you chose a different one, you may only get back the value of what was offered. The hotel rules are covered in our guide on who pays for the hotel when your flight is delayed overnight.
Costs the regulation does not cover
A prepaid night at your destination that you lost, car hire, parking, a concert or a day off work are not part of care. You can try to recover them in two ways:
- As damage caused by delay, under the Montreal Convention: you have to prove the loss and its amount, within the limits explained in our guide on the Montreal Convention.
- Through travel insurance, if you have it: many policies cover exactly these losses. See our guide on travel insurance.
How to claim your expenses back
- Ask for care at the airport first: meal vouchers, a hotel and transport. Note who told you to sort it out yourself, and when.
- Spend reasonably: normal meals, a mid-range hotel near the airport, public transport or a taxi only if needed.
- Get itemised receipts: a card slip on its own is often not enough; you need the receipt showing what you bought.
- Use the airline's expenses form, not its compensation form: they are two different claims.
- Attach one receipt per item, with amounts that match what you claim, and include your booking reference and flight number.
- Keep copies of everything, including the submission confirmation.
If several passengers on the same booking paid with one receipt, say so in the claim: some airlines split the amount between passengers.
Expenses and compensation: two separate claims
Expenses give you back what you paid. Compensation is a fixed sum owed, unless there were extraordinary circumstances, if the flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice or you arrive 3 hours or more late: €250 up to 1,500 km (such as Dublin–Brussels), €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km (such as Cork–Malaga) and for flights within the EU over 3,500 km, €600 over 3,500 km outside the EU. They add up and are claimed separately; the difference is explained in our guide on refund or compensation.
A word of warning on ticket refunds: if you take your money back and give up the trip, some airlines stop paying expenses after that point, because you are no longer travelling with them.
How to get your compensation
With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether you are owed compensation on top of your expenses: enter your details on the cancelled flight compensation page and we handle the claim, reminders and, if needed, court action. Nothing to pay upfront, and you only pay 25% + VAT if you get compensated.
Frequently asked questions about claiming expenses
I lost the receipt: can I still claim?
You can try with your card statement, but many airlines ask for itemised receipts. Without one, reimbursement is hard to get.
Is there a limit on what I can spend on food?
The regulation sets no amount: the cost must be reasonable for the length of the wait. Some airlines publish a cap on their website.
My flight was cancelled because of bad weather: will they refund my expenses?
Yes. Extraordinary circumstances rule out compensation, not care and the reimbursement of expenses.
Can I claim for the hotel I had already paid for at my destination?
Not under regulation 261. You can claim it as damage under the Montreal Convention or from your insurer.
Do I claim expenses and compensation together?
No, they are two separate claims, usually on different forms. You can get both.
Work out your compensation now
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Find out more
- Air passenger rights
- Delayed flight: when you can claim compensation
- Cancelled flight: refund and compensation
- Overbooking: what you are owed
- What our service costs
Article updated on 08/11/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.