Air Algérie compensation: when you can claim
Air Algérie is Algeria's state-owned national airline, flying from its hub at Algiers Houari Boumediene to London Heathrow, Paris, Milan, Madrid and dozens of other European cities. We have handled more than 100 Air Algérie claims, mostly on flights into Algiers from London, Paris and Milan, plus some long-haul journeys connecting in Algiers.
Because Air Algérie is not an EU airline, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies only to its flights taking off from an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. A Paris–Algiers flight that lands 4 hours late can be worth €250 per passenger; the same delay on Algiers–Paris gives no right to EU compensation. Flights out of Heathrow come under UK law instead.
Arrival delay
Departure from Europe and arrival at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled time.
3+ hours lateCancellation
Air Algérie cancels with less than 14 days' notice and can't offer a replacement at similar times.
Short noticeDenied boarding
The flight is overbooked and you are left behind despite valid travel documents and turning up on time.
Payable immediatelyNot covered
Flights leaving Algeria or any other non-EU country, and events the airline proves were extraordinary.
Non-EU departureUnsure whether your journey counts? Enter the airports and travel date and we'll check it for free.
How much Air Algérie pays
Whether you flew economy or business, on a promotional or flexible fare, the amount is the same. Only the distance from your departure airport to your final destination matters.
| Distance | Air Algérie routes from the EU | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Paris–Algiers, Milan–Algiers, Marseille–Algiers, Madrid–Algiers | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Berlin–Algiers | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Milan–Johannesburg via Algiers on a single booking | €600 |
Every passenger is entitled to their own payment, including children with a seat of their own. A couple travelling with three children on a Paris–Algiers flight that arrived 3 and a half hours late could claim €1,250. On the Milan–Johannesburg connection, a 3-hour delay at the final destination means €600 each.
Air Algérie flight delayed: what to do
Around 3 in 4 of our Air Algérie cases are delays. The clock stops when the first door opens on arrival, so time spent waiting on the tarmac counts. At the airport:
- Hold on to your e-ticket and boarding pass, even if you checked in at the desk.
- Ask Air Algérie staff for the reason and write down what they say and when.
- Take a photo of the departures board showing the new time.
- Keep receipts for any food or drink you had to buy yourself.
- Don't accept Air Algérie Plus miles or vouchers in place of cash unless you're sure it suits you.
Care Air Algérie owes you during the wait
On flights from the EU you're entitled to meals and drinks and, if departure slips to the next day, a hotel room with transfers.
| Flight distance | Care from |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km (e.g. Paris–Algiers) | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| More than 5 hours | Option to abandon the trip and get a refund |
Missed connection in Algiers
Algiers is a transfer point for West and Southern Africa, the Middle East and Asia. If your first flight left from the EU, everything was on one booking and you reached your final destination 3 or more hours late, the claim is based on the total distance. See our page on Air Algérie delay compensation.
Air Algérie flight cancelled: your options
You can always choose between your money back and another flight to your destination, as soon as possible or on a later date.
€250 to €600 if the flight was due to leave the EU and you were told less than two weeks in advance.
| When you were told | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more before | Not due |
| 7 to 13 days before | Due, unless the alternative leaves at most 2 hours earlier and lands less than 4 hours late |
| Under 7 days before | Due, unless the alternative leaves at most 1 hour earlier and lands less than 2 hours late |
Flight moved to another day? A large timetable change made shortly before departure may count as a cancellation. Find out more about Air Algérie cancellation compensation.
Air Algérie overbooking
About 9 in every 100 Air Algérie claims we receive involve denied boarding, a higher share than with most airlines. If you are turned away at a European airport because the flight is full, you are owed compensation straight away, as well as a seat on another flight or a refund. Refusals over missing visas or invalid documents don't qualify. Our guide to Air Algérie overbooking has more.
Air Algérie strikes
When Air Algérie's own pilots, cabin crew or engineers strike, the airline normally has to compensate passengers on flights from the EU, since the Court of Justice of the EU sees staff strikes as a normal business risk (case C-28/20). Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport workers are extraordinary: no compensation, but you still get care and a refund or re-routing.
Air Algérie rejected your claim? Typical replies
Unfortunately correct: with a non-EU airline, flights from Algeria are outside the Regulation.
Breakdowns are part of operating a fleet. Only manufacturing defects identified by the manufacturer or the authorities are an exception.
Court of Justice of the EU, case C-549/07A vague phrase that proves nothing extraordinary. We find out what actually happened to the aircraft.
Valid only if the weather really grounded that flight; a general warning isn't enough.
What Air Algérie compensation does not cover
As a non-EU airline, Air Algérie's flights fall outside the Regulation when they are:
- from Algiers, Oran or other Algerian cities to Europe
- domestic flights within Algeria that are not part of a booking starting in the EU
- between Algiers and other African cities, such as Algiers–Nouakchott, or between Algiers and Canada
Flights from London Heathrow are covered by UK passenger rights law, which mirrors the EU rules with amounts in pounds.
How to make an Air Algérie claim
Air Algérie runs an online complaints platform reachable from airalgerie.dz. You can use it yourself or leave the work to us.
Free, but you chase a foreign airline yourself and, if it ignores you, turn to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures) or to court.
A few details and an online signature are all we need. We handle the claim, the formal demand and any court case with our own lawyers. Fee only on success: 25% + VAT. Legal costs are ours, even if we lose.
Already rejected?
Send us Air Algérie's reply with your booking. If the flight left the EU and the reason isn't backed by evidence, we can restart the claim with a formal demand.
Documents to have ready
- E-ticketWith the booking reference and every leg.
- Passport or ID cardFor each passenger, children included.
- Proof of the disruptionAirline messages, photos, receipts.
Time limits
There is no deadline in the Regulation itself: it depends on the law of the country where the claim is filed (Court of Justice of the EU, case C-139/11). A trip to Algeria from a few years ago may still be claimable: check the date with us.
How long until Air Algérie pays
If Air Algérie accepts the claim, payment typically comes within a few weeks. If it doesn't reply or refuses without good reason, a formal demand and possibly a court case mean a few months. We keep you posted and transfer your share as soon as it arrives.
Delayed or damaged baggage with Air Algérie
Luggage is governed by the Montreal Convention, including on flights from Algiers. Report the problem at the baggage desk with a PIR before leaving, then write to the airline within 7 days for damage or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.
Air Algérie contact details
- Head office
- Air Algérie SpA, Algiers, Algeria
- Complaints
- Online complaints platform via airalgerie.dz
- Flights and schedules
- Air Algérie official website
Ryanair
Wizz Air
Vueling