Flight delayed 3 hours: what am I entitled to?

If your flight is delayed 3 hours or more on arrival, you are entitled to €250, €400 or €600 in compensation per passenger, on top of meals and drinks at the airport, which start after 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on the distance; after 5 hours you can also give up the trip and get your ticket refunded. Here is what you are entitled to hour by hour under EU Regulation 261/2004 and how to claim it.

Free 2-minute check · Nothing to pay upfront · You only pay 25% + VAT if you get compensated

Flight delayed 2, 3 or 4 hours: what you get hour by hour

Not every delay gives you the same rights. Two different clocks matter: the departure delay, which triggers care at the airport, and the arrival delay, which decides whether you get cash compensation. These are the key thresholds:

Delays are common: in summer 2025 almost 3 in 10 flights in Europe arrived more than a quarter of an hour late, out of more than 35,000 flights a day. Knowing which threshold you have reached stops you accepting less than you are owed.

Care at the airport: the Article 6 thresholds

Care is owed in every case, even when the delay is caused by bad weather or an air traffic control strike. The threshold depends on the flight distance:

Care means meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, two phone calls, emails or messages and, if you have to fly the next day, a night in a hotel with transfers. Airlines usually hand out meal vouchers at the desk or through their app. If they don't, buy what you need sensibly and keep the receipts: reasonable expenses can be claimed back.

Flight delayed 3 hours: when compensation is due

Compensation depends on your arrival delay at your final destination, not on how late you took off. You can claim if you arrive 3 hours or more after the scheduled time. What counts is the moment the aircraft door opens and you can get off, not touchdown. A flight that leaves 3 hours 20 minutes late, makes up time and arrives 2 hours 50 minutes late gives no right to compensation; one that leaves 2 and a half hours late and arrives 3 hours 5 minutes late does.

The amount depends on the distance and is per passenger, children included:

• €250 up to 1,500 km, such as Dublin–London;
• €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km, such as Dublin–Lanzarote, and for flights within the EU over 3,500 km;
• €600 over 3,500 km outside the EU, such as Dublin–New York.

To see straight away what your flight is worth, use our compensation calculator. Compensation is only refused if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather or an air traffic control strike: read our guide to extraordinary circumstances. A technical fault, on the other hand, is usually not enough.

Delayed 5 hours or more: you can give up the trip

If your flight leaves at least 5 hours late and you decide not to travel, the airline must refund your ticket within 7 days, in cash unless you agree to a voucher. If you are already partway through your journey, for example on a connection, you are also entitled to a flight back to your first departure airport. To understand the difference between the two payments, read our guide on refund or compensation.

What to do while you wait

1. Take a photo of the departures board showing the delay and save the airline's messages.
2. Ask for meal vouchers at the desk as soon as you pass the care threshold for your flight.
3. Ask for the reason for the delay in writing: you will need it if the airline claims extraordinary circumstances.
4. Keep your boarding pass and receipts for any food, taxis or hotel you paid for.
5. Note the time the doors open on arrival: that is what decides compensation.

If the delay makes you miss a later flight on the same booking, what counts is the delay at your final destination: see our guide to missed connections.

How to claim compensation for a delayed flight

The full rules are on our delayed flight compensation page. With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether your flight was 3 hours or more late on arrival and how much you can get: if you go ahead, we handle the claim, the follow-ups and, if needed, court action. You pay nothing upfront and only pay 25% + VAT if you get compensated.

Frequently asked questions about flight delays

My flight was delayed 2 hours: am I entitled to cash compensation?

No. With a 2-hour delay you are entitled to care (meals and drinks) on flights up to 1,500 km. Cash compensation only applies from 3 hours' delay on arrival.

We left 3 hours late but arrived 2 hours 45 minutes late: do I get anything?

You get care, but not compensation: what counts is the arrival delay, measured when the doors open.

Is compensation higher for a 4-hour delay?

No. The amount depends on distance, not on the hours of delay: €250, €400 or €600 per passenger if you arrive 3 hours or more late.

The airline gave me no meal vouchers: what can I do?

Buy what you need sensibly, keep the receipts and claim the cost back from the airline along with your compensation.

How long do I have to claim for a delay?

Time limits depend on the country where you claim and are fairly long, but it is best to act quickly: the details are in our guide to the time limit for a delay claim.

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 23/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.