Hainan Airlines compensation: €600 on flights from Europe to China
Hainan Airlines is a Chinese carrier based in Haikou, on Hainan Island, linking Europe with Beijing, Shenzhen and Chongqing. We have handled more than 40 claims against it, almost all on long-haul routes. If your Hainan flight left Europe and reached its final destination 3 hours or more late, you could be owed €600 per passenger, the top amount under EU law.
There is one important limit. Hainan is not an EU airline, so Regulation (EC) 261/2004 only protects you on flights departing from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. The return leg from China to Europe is not covered.
Long delay
Your Hainan flight out of Europe landed at its final destination at least 3 hours behind schedule.
3+ hours on arrivalCancelled flight
The departure from Brussels, Dublin or another EU airport was cancelled with under 14 days' warning.
Late noticeBumped off the flight
You checked in on time with valid papers but were refused boarding because the flight was full.
Payable at onceNo compensation
Flights leaving China, and genuinely extraordinary events such as an airspace closure.
Inbound legs excludedNot sure whether your journey qualifies? Check your Hainan Airlines flight with the date and airports: it takes two minutes.
How much Hainan Airlines pays: routes from our claims
Every route between Europe and China is well over 3,500 km, so covered flights carry a single amount: €600 per person.
| Hainan Airlines route | Covered? | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin–Beijing | Departs from the EU | €600 |
| Brussels–Beijing | Departs from the EU | €600 |
| Milan–Shenzhen, Rome–Shenzhen | Departs from the EU | €600 |
| Beijing–Dublin, Beijing–Brussels, Beijing–Rome | Departs from China | Not covered |
Each traveller on the booking has an individual claim. A couple flying Dublin–Beijing with two children who all had their own seats could receive €2,400 between them after a delay of 4 hours or more.
Hainan Airlines flight delayed: what to do
Delays account for more than 7 in 10 of the Hainan claims we handle. What counts is when the aircraft doors open at the last airport on your ticket, not the take-off time in Europe.
- Photograph your boarding pass: it proves you travelled.
- Ask ground staff for the reason and write it down with the time.
- Keep Hainan's emails about new times and any change to an onward domestic flight in China.
- Record your real arrival time at the final destination, including any connection inside China.
- Turn down Fortune Wings Club miles offered instead of cash, unless you want them.
Meals and hotel while you wait in Europe
Whatever happens with compensation, Hainan must provide food, drinks and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel room and transfers.
| Flight distance | Care due after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km (every flight to China) | 4 hours |
| Delay of more than 5 hours | You may cancel the trip and get your fare back |
Missed connection in Beijing or Shenzhen
If you continued to Haikou, Sanya or another Chinese city on the same booking that started in Europe, the delay is measured at your final stop and the claim stays at €600. A domestic flight bought separately is outside EU rules. More on our page about a delayed Hainan Airlines flight.
Hainan Airlines flight cancelled: refund, rerouting and compensation
Hainan has trimmed frequencies several times between Shenzhen and Brussels, Rome and Milan, and roughly 1 in 5 of our claims against it concerns a cancellation. You have two separate rights.
You choose between a full refund of the ticket and alternative transport to China at the earliest opportunity.
Owed on top when you heard about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure from Europe.
| Notice given | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not owed: refund or rerouting only |
| 7 to 13 days | Owed, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and arrives less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days | Owed, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and arrives less than 2 hours late |
Moved to another day? When a weekly rotation is dropped and Hainan rebooks you days later, the EU Court of Justice treats it as a cancellation, even if you accepted the new date. Read more about a cancelled Hainan Airlines flight.
Hainan Airlines overbooking from Europe
If you are kept off a flight from an EU airport against your will, the €600 is due straight away, together with a refund or another flight. It is not owed if you lacked a visa or travel document required for China. See our guide to Hainan Airlines overbooking.
Strikes and Hainan Airlines flights
When the airline's own crew or staff walk out, European judges regard it as a normal business risk, so compensation remains payable (case C-28/20). An air traffic control or airport strike in Europe is an outside event: no compensation, but meals, hotel and a refund still apply.
Hainan Airlines rejected your claim? Common reasons
Faults on the Boeing 787 or Airbus A330 fleet are part of routine operations, unless the manufacturer reveals a hidden defect.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07Hainan is right here: for a non-EU airline, the inbound leg to Europe is outside the Regulation.
These only count if they hit that specific flight. We ask for traffic data covering the departure time.
A knock-on delay from the same plane's flight out of China does not excuse the late departure from Europe.
Codeshares, the HNA group and UK departures
Hainan belongs to HNA Aviation, now part of the Liaoning Fangda group, alongside carriers such as Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines. What matters is the airline that actually operated the flight: if a European airline flew a leg sold on a Hainan ticket, flights arriving in the EU are covered too. Departures from UK airports such as Manchester fall under the UK version of the rules, with amounts in pounds; we tell you which applies.
How to claim from Hainan Airlines: on your own or with us
You can write to Hainan's customer service through its official website, attaching your booking.
Free, but you deal with a distant customer service team yourself. If they refuse, you can contact the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed or go to court at your own cost.
A two-minute form, an online signature and we handle the rest, including court action with our own lawyers. You pay 25% + VAT only if you are paid: from €600 you keep €417. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.
After a first refusal
We compare Hainan's reply with the actual flight data and, if it does not hold up, send the airline a formal letter before action.
What we need from you
- E-ticketWith the booking reference and every flight, domestic Chinese legs included.
- PassportA copy for each passenger.
- Evidence of the disruptionHainan notifications, departure board photos, receipts for extra costs.
Time limits for a Hainan claim
The Regulation sets no deadline: the EU Court of Justice leaves it to national law (case C-139/11), so it varies from country to country. A trip to China a few years ago may still be claimable: enter the flight date and we will tell you.
How long Hainan Airlines takes to pay
If the airline accepts the claim, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. With a carrier based outside Europe, a formal notice or legal action is often needed, and then it takes a few months.
Lost luggage on a Hainan Airlines flight
Bags are covered by the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261. If your case fails to appear in Beijing or Shenzhen, fill in a PIR at the baggage desk before leaving the airport. Then write to Hainan within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Hainan Airlines contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Hainan Airlines Holding, HNA Building, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
- Complaints
- Online customer service on the official hainanairlines.com website
- Loyalty scheme
- Fortune Wings Club
- Flight status
- Hainan Airlines app or official website
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