CA
Check your compensation
Delayed flightCancelled flightOverbookingAirlinesService pricesLog inCheck your compensation
✓ You only pay if you get compensation✓ Up to €600 per passenger✓ EC Regulation 261/2004
Czech AirlinesDelay · Cancellation · Overbooking

Czech Airlines compensation: up to €600 per passenger

Czech Airlines flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Check for free in 2 minutes: we handle the claim, all the way to court if needed.

  • Up to €600 per passenger
  • Check in just 2 minutes
  • Nothing upfront: you only pay if you get compensation
  • Legal assistance specialised in air travel
DelayFlight24 applies European Regulation EC 261/2004
Step 1 of 3

Check your Czech Airlines flight

Free and with no obligation, in 2 minutes.

OKAirline:Czech AirlinesChange
Flight date
Choose departure and arrival: we will show you right away how much you are owed.
  • Data protected
  • Nothing upfront
  • You only pay if we win
  • Transparent feeOnly 25% + VAT and only if Czech Airlines pays: out of €400 you receive €278.
  • All the way to courtIf Czech Airlines does not pay, our lawyers take the airline to court, at no extra cost to you.
  • Claims handled87,774 passengers have already trusted usupdated in real time

In short

  • Delay: if you arrive 3 hours or more late, Czech Airlines owes €250 to €600 per person, depending on the distance.
  • Cancellation: you are owed compensation if you were told less than 14 days before departure, on top of a ticket refund or an alternative flight.
  • Not owed for extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, air traffic control strikes). Technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff usually are not extraordinary.
  • With DelayFlight24 you pay nothing upfront: if Czech Airlines pays, you keep €173.75 out of €250 or €278 out of €400.

Czech Airlines compensation: what you can still claim after ČSA stopped flying

Czech Airlines (ČSA) was the Czech Republic's flag carrier, based at Prague's Václav Havel Airport. It stopped flying under its own name on 26 October 2024, when flight OK767 from Paris Charles de Gaulle landed in Prague. Since then Smartwings has flown the routes under the QS code.

Both airlines are European, so Regulation (EC) 261/2004 covers flights leaving an EU airport and flights arriving in Prague or anywhere else in the EU from outside it.

Late arrival

You reached your final destination at least 3 hours behind schedule.

3 hours or more

Cancelled flight

You were told less than 14 days before departure.

Short notice

Bumped off

The flight was full and you were left at the gate with a confirmed seat.

Payable on the spot

No compensation

Dense fog in Prague, closed airspace or an air traffic control strike.

Extraordinary circumstances

Check your ČSA flight here.

How much Czech Airlines pays per passenger

The fare is irrelevant: only distance counts.

Distance Routes on the ČSA network Amount
Up to 1,500 km Paris–Prague, Rome–Prague, Milan–Prague €250
1,500 to 3,500 km Madrid–Prague €400
Over 3,500 km Long-haul flights, not part of the recent network €600

Every traveller on the booking has an individual claim: a family of four on a Paris–Prague flight that landed 4 hours late could ask for €1,000 in total.

Czech Airlines flight delayed: what to do

Delay is measured when the aircraft door opens at your destination, not at touchdown. A few practical steps:

  1. Keep your boarding pass, whether issued by ČSA or Smartwings, even as a screenshot.
  2. Note the flight code: OK up to 26 October 2024, QS afterwards. It tells us which airline owes you.
  3. Save every email and text giving a reason for the delay.
  4. Ask the transfer desk in Prague for meal vouchers and keep your receipts if none are offered.
  5. Don't sign anything that waives your rights in exchange for a discount code.

Meals, drinks and a hotel while you wait

Flight Care from
Up to 1,500 km 2 hours
1,500 to 3,500 km 3 hours
Over 3,500 km 4 hours
Delay of 5 hours or more You may decline to travel and get your fare back

Missed connection in Prague

On a single booking via Prague, the delay at your final destination is what matters and compensation is based on the total distance; on separate tickets each flight is assessed on its own. More in our guide to a delayed Czech Airlines flight.

Does your Czech Airlines flight qualify?Check in 2 minutes, with no obligation.
Check your flight

Czech Airlines flight cancelled: refund and compensation

A refund and compensation are two different rights, and you may be owed both.

Refund or rerouting

You choose between getting the fare back and a replacement flight to the same destination.

Compensation of €250 to €600

Added on top when the cancellation was announced less than 14 days before departure.

Notice given Compensation
14 days or more Not due
7 to 13 days Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and lands less than 4 hours late
Under 7 days Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and lands less than 2 hours late

Retimed flights. A major schedule change notified shortly before departure can count as a cancellation. See the page on a cancelled Czech Airlines flight.

Overbooking on a Czech Airlines flight

If you checked in on time with a confirmed booking and were refused boarding because the plane was full, compensation is due immediately. Read more about Czech Airlines overbooking.

Strikes and Czech Airlines

When the airline's own pilots or cabin crew walk out, compensation is normally still payable: the EU Court of Justice treats staff strikes as part of an airline's ordinary business (case C-28/20). A walkout by French or Italian air traffic controllers does not trigger compensation.

Czech Airlines turned down your claim? Common reasons given

Usually payable
"Technical fault"

Faults found during routine maintenance are part of the airline's normal operating risk.

EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07
It depends
"Industrial action"

ČSA crew on strike: yes. Air traffic controllers or airport staff: no.

EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20
Usually payable
"Fleet reorganisation"

Moving flights over to Smartwings was a business decision, not an extraordinary circumstance.

Often not payable
"Snow and ice in Prague"

Only counts if it actually grounded that flight: we check the weather records.

Already had a no from Czech Airlines? Send us the reply: if the reason doesn't hold up, we follow up with a formal letter before action. Check your Czech Airlines flight.

After October 2024: who answers for Czech Airlines flights

The 2024 restructuring turned Czech Airlines into a company with no flights of its own; Smartwings now operates everything, including the Airbus jets in ČSA livery.

  • OK flights up to 26 October 2024: the claim concerns Czech Airlines;
  • QS flights from 27 October 2024, even in ČSA colours: Smartwings is responsible;
  • the airline left SkyTeam in 2024 and closed its OK Plus frequent flyer scheme.

Just give us the flight and date; we send the claim to the right company.

How to claim from Czech Airlines: on your own or with us

On your own

Free, but you handle any refusal. Then you can go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures) or to court, at your own time and cost.

With DelayFlight24

Fill in the form online and we take it from there, up to court action with our own lawyers. If you're paid, we keep 25% + VAT: you receive €173.75 out of €250 and €278 out of €400. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.

ČSA already rejected you?

We review the reason given and, where it doesn't stand up, send a formal demand.

What to have ready

  • Ticket or boarding passWith the OK or QS flight number clearly visible.
  • IDFor every passenger, including children.
  • Messages and receiptsDelay or cancellation notices and what you spent.

Time limits

The Regulation sets no deadline of its own: national law in the country where you bring the claim decides (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11). For older ČSA flights, check the date now: enter it in the form.

How long payment takes

If the airline accepts, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses, a formal demand and possibly a court claim mean a few months.

Lost or damaged baggage on a ČSA flight

Baggage falls under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport and write to the airline within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of getting the bag back for a delay.

Czech Airlines contacts and flight status

Headquarters
Prague, Czech Republic; base at Václav Havel Airport
Current flights
Operated by Smartwings under the QS code, including aircraft in ČSA livery
Website
csa.cz
No win, no fee. Legal costs stay with us, even if the case goes the wrong way. Check your Czech Airlines flight.

What if Czech Airlines does not pay? We go all the way

Many airlines only pay when they realise we will not give up. If they refuse or do not reply, our lawyers take legal action, and you do not have to do anything.

Claim to the airline

We send the formal claim with all the documents.

Formal notice

If they do not pay, we send a formal notice with legal value.

Our lawyers in court

Our lawyers take the airline to court, all the way to a judgement.

  • If we lose, you pay nothingNo fee and no costs. If we win, the fee is 40% + VAT.
  • Legal costs are on usYou pay nothing for the court case, even if we lose.
  • All the way to a judgementWe do not stop at the formal notice: if needed we go to court.

Czech Airlines compensation: frequently asked questions

Is Czech Airlines still flying?
Not under its own operation. The last OK-coded flight was Paris–Prague on 26 October 2024. Since then the routes have been flown by Smartwings under the QS code, sometimes on aircraft still in Czech Airlines livery.
Can I still claim for an old Czech Airlines flight?
Yes, if the flight falls under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and the time limit in the country where the claim is brought has not run out. Enter the date in our form and we will tell you whether you are still in time.
How much does Czech Airlines pay for a 3-hour delay?
€250 per passenger on routes up to 1,500 km, such as Paris–Prague or Milan–Prague, and €400 on routes between 1,500 and 3,500 km, such as Madrid–Prague. What counts is your arrival time at the final destination.
My plane was in ČSA colours but the flight number started with QS. Who do I claim from?
Smartwings, which has operated all the flights since 27 October 2024. It is also a European airline, so your rights are the same. In our form you just enter the flight.
I missed my connection in Prague. Am I owed anything?
Yes, if the whole journey was on one booking and you reached your final destination at least 3 hours late. Compensation is then based on the total distance. With separate tickets each flight is looked at on its own.
What happened to OK Plus miles?
The OK Plus programme closed in 2024 when Czech Airlines left SkyTeam. Miles have nothing to do with delay or cancellation compensation, which is a legal right.
Does a technical problem rule out compensation?
Usually not. According to the EU Court of Justice (case C-549/07), faults arising from normal operations are not extraordinary circumstances, except hidden manufacturing defects reported by the manufacturer or the authorities.
What does DelayFlight24 charge for a Czech Airlines claim?
Nothing upfront. Only if you are paid do we keep 25% + VAT: you get €173.75 out of €250 and €278 out of €400. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.
How long does it take to get paid?
If the airline accepts, usually a few weeks. If a formal demand or court claim is needed, a few months. We keep you posted at every step.

Other airlines and other cases

Did you fly with another airline or want to know more about your case?

Other airlines

RyanairWizz AirVuelingV7VoloteaAZITA AirwaysLHLufthansaAFAir FranceIBIberia

By type of problem

Czech Airlines flight delayed or cancelled?

Find out in 2 minutes how much you are owed. Nothing upfront: you only pay if you get compensation.

  • Check in 2 minutes
  • Nothing upfront
  • Up to €600 per passenger
Check your compensation
Check your Czech Airlines flight