Estelar compensation: âŹ600 for a disrupted MadridâCaracas flight
Estelar AerolĂneas is a Venezuelan airline based at Caracas-MaiquetĂa, and in Europe it is known almost entirely for its Madrid service. We have handled more than 60 Estelar claims so far, and the pattern is unusual: 6 in 10 involve a cancelled flight rather than a late one. Because MadridâCaracas is a long-haul route of over 7,000 km, the amount at stake is the top band, âŹ600 per passenger.
There is an important catch. Estelar is not a European carrier, so EU Regulation 261/2004 only applies to its flights departing from an airport in the EU, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland. A CaracasâMadrid flight operated by Estelar is not covered, and neither are its routes within South America.
Delay out of Madrid
You left Madrid and reached your final destination three hours or more behind schedule.
3+ hours lateCancellation
Your flight from Spain was called off with less than a fortnight's notice.
Short noticeBumped at the gate
You had a valid ticket and passport but were refused boarding in Madrid because the flight was oversold.
Payable straight awayWhen nothing is due
Estelar-operated flights leaving Venezuela, or disruption caused by official airspace safety warnings.
Outside the rulesNot sure which applies to you? Enter the airports and date: check your Estelar flight for free.
How much Estelar pays on the routes our customers fly
The fare you paid makes no difference. Compensation depends on the distance between the departure airport and your final destination, and nearly every Estelar journey we see is longer than 3,500 km.
| Route | Covered? | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MadridâCaracas | Yes: departs from Spain | âŹ600 |
| RomeâCaracas via Madrid, one booking | Yes: the final destination counts | âŹ600 |
| CaracasâMadrid | Only if a European airline operated it | It depends |
| CaracasâSantiago de Chile | No: no European airport involved | Not due |
The figure applies to each traveller, and children with their own seat receive the same as adults. A family of four stranded at Barajas by a last-minute cancellation could claim âŹ2,400 between them. In our form you enter the flight once and then add your fellow passengers.
Estelar flight delayed from Madrid: what to do
A little over 3 in 10 of the Estelar claims we handle concern a delay. On an overnight flight of this length, the delay is measured on arrival at MaiquetĂa, when the first aircraft door opens. While you wait at Barajas:
- Photograph your boarding pass and the departures screen showing the revised time.
- Ask the Estelar desk to give you the reason for the delay in writing.
- Keep receipts for food and transport if no assistance is offered.
- Note the actual arrival time in Caracas, or ask whoever is meeting you to snap the arrivals board.
- Say no to vouchers in place of cash: they only count if you accept them in writing.
Meals and a hotel while you wait
On a flight from Madrid to Caracas, Estelar must provide food and drink once you have waited 4 hours, plus a hotel and transfers if departure moves to the following day.
| Distance | Care from |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km, such as MadridâCaracas | 4 hours |
| Delay of more than 5 hours | You may abandon the trip and get your fare back |
Connecting in Madrid from the UK or elsewhere
Many travellers reach Caracas by changing planes at Barajas. With a single booking, what matters is your arrival in Caracas, and the distance is measured from your first airport. With separate tickets, each flight is assessed independently. Read more on our page about a delayed Estelar flight.
Estelar flight cancelled: refund and compensation
Between late 2025 and 2026 the MadridâCaracas route was suspended several times, first after aviation authorities warned against flying over Venezuela and then because of operational problems at MaiquetĂa. In September 2026 Estelar announced a gradual restart of the route. If your flight was scrapped, keep your two separate rights apart.
Owed whenever you were departing from the EU, even if the cancellation followed a safety warning.
Added on top when you were told late and the cause was not an extraordinary circumstance.
| Notice given | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | No, but refund or rerouting still apply |
| 7 to 13 days | Yes, unless the replacement left no more than 2 hours early and landed less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Yes, unless the replacement left no more than 1 hour early and landed less than 2 hours late |
The Barbados routing. In December 2025, while the nonstop service was halted, Estelar offered passengers an alternative itinerary via Barbados. If you were moved to a flight that arrived much later, check whether compensation is due. Full details on our page about a cancelled Estelar flight.
Overbooking on Estelar
It is rare: fewer than 5 in 100 of our Estelar claims. If you are denied boarding at Madrid because too many seats were sold, the âŹ600 is due immediately, alongside a new flight or a refund. Nothing is owed if your passport or Venezuelan entry requirements were not in order. See our guide to Estelar overbooking and denied boarding.
Strikes affecting Estelar
When Estelar's own pilots or cabin crew walk out, the airline normally has to pay: the Court of Justice of the EU treats a strike by an airline's own staff as part of its ordinary business (case C-28/20). Industrial action by Spanish air traffic controllers or airport workers is an extraordinary circumstance instead.
Estelar turned down your claim? Reasons worth challenging
With a small fleet, one problem quickly knocks on to the next rotation. Here is how we assess the explanations passengers forward to us.
Maintenance is the airline's responsibility, however few planes it has. Only manufacturing defects flagged by the maker are excluded.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-549/07A late incoming aircraft is not enough on its own: Estelar must show which extraordinary event caused it.
Estelar crew on strike: payable. Controllers or airport staff: not payable.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-28/20An official closure or warning is usually extraordinary. Your refund, rerouting and care still stand.
Estelar flights operated by Iberojet
According to publicly available information, some MadridâCaracas flights sold by Estelar have been operated with Iberojet aircraft, a Spanish airline. This matters, because the operating carrier counts, not the one that sold the ticket. If your CaracasâMadrid flight was operated by Iberojet, a European airline, it may fall within the Regulation. The operator is shown on your booking confirmation, and we check it for you.
How to claim from Estelar: on your own or with us
You can contact Estelar through the customer service channels on its official website, quoting your booking reference and flight number. Here is how the two routes compare.
It costs nothing, but you are dealing with a company headquartered in Caracas. If it ignores you, your options are the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (AESA for Spain) or the civil courts.
You sign online in a few minutes and we handle the claim, the formal demand and any court action with our own lawyers. No win, no fee; if we succeed, 25% + VAT. Legal costs stay with us even if the case is lost.
After a first rejection
A refusal from Estelar does not end matters: we can pick up the case, establish the real cause of the cancellation and contest it formally.
What we need from you
- E-ticketShowing the ES flight number and booking reference.
- PassportFor every passenger, including children.
- Messages from EstelarCancellation notices, rebooking offers and receipts.
Time limits
The Regulation sets no deadline: the law of the country where the claim is brought applies (Court of Justice of the EU, case C-139/11). For a flight from Madrid, Spanish limits will usually apply. Enter your flight date and we will tell you whether you are still in time.
How long Estelar takes to pay
If Estelar accepts the claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses or stays silent, a formal demand and possibly court proceedings are needed, adding several months. Once we are paid, we transfer your share: from âŹ600 you keep âŹ417.
Lost luggage with Estelar
Missing, damaged or delayed bags fall under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261. At Barajas or MaiquetĂa, fill in a PIR at the baggage desk before leaving, then write to Estelar within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delay.
Estelar contact details and flight status
- Head office
- AerolĂneas Estelar C.A., Caracas, Venezuela
- Hub
- SimĂłn BolĂvar International Airport, MaiquetĂa (Caracas)
- Complaints
- Customer service channels on the airline's official website
- Flight status
- Estelar's official website or the Madrid-Barajas departure boards
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